HBO "House of the Dragon"
Whenever a big premiere or finale episode for an HBO show airs, viewers may sometimes encounter streaming issues with Max (formerly called HBO Max.) Here’s a look at what to do if this happens to you tonight during the premiere of “House of the Dragon.”
If Max Crashes or Won’t Load, Try These Steps
Sometimes servers get overloaded with so many people trying to watch at once. As indicated in one Twitter conversation, when this happens, all you may need to do is turn off the TV or device and step away for a few minutes, and then the show will stream fine when you return.
The HBO Max Twitter (now called X) account often directs people to a specific troubleshooting page to help them figure out the problem. If your Max stream loads slow, buffers, or pauses, Max’s Help Center explains that this could be due to a slow or inconsistent Internet connection.
Whichever device you’re on, the Max Help Center recommends the following steps:
- First, check to make sure your device or app is fully updated.
- Next, test your connection speed and try to reduce the activity on your network.
- Try clearing the app chance and the data.
- If those steps don’t work, you can try restarting your device.
- If that also doesn’t work, and you can stream on a different device, try that to see if it helps fix the problem.
If you’re using a phone or tablet in particular, try switching your Wi-Fi connection before you try restarting your device.
Steps If You’re Streaming on a Computer
If you’re accessing the streaming service from your computer rather than through a device, Max suggests first checking your browser and making sure it’s updated. The latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari are all supported browsers. If you’re using a different browser than these, it might not stream correctly.
Next, try a different supported browser and make sure third-party cookies are disabled, as these might interfere with your access. Make sure you’ve also disabled ad-blocking and turned off private browsing. Disabling plug-ins might also help.
If that doesn’t work, check your connection speed and try to reduce activity on your network.
HBO next suggests restarting your computer if these steps still don’t work, and finally trying a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.
What To Do If You Get an Error Code
If you get an error code instead of a buffering issue, you should visit this Max Help Center page instead for instructions more specific to that issue. HBO suggests, in part:
- First, try restarting the Max streaming service.
- Try playing a different show to see if that one works without the error.
- Make sure your Max app is updated. This could involve updating your browser, checking for updates on your Roku’s Max channel, or checking whatever device you’re using for a Max app update.
- Then sign out of your device and restart it.
- If none of this works, try a different device to see if that one might avoid the error.
- Move on to device troubleshooting if these steps don’t work.
Check HBO’s X Account for Updates
Since this is a big premiere night, there’s always a possibility that there could be an issue unique to the “House of the Dragon” premiere. If you’re encountering issues, visit the Max Help Twitter (X) account to see if they have posted any updates recently.
For example, on the evening of the premiere, the account had already addressed one concern that viewers might have.
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres tonight on HBO and will stream on Max in 4K UHD on select devices with the Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
Visit t.co/zkM6j4dfr3 for more info.
Max Help noted that you won’t be able to watch the episode in 4K unless you are signed up for the Ultimate Ad-Free Plan on select devices.
You might also check the “replies” tab on the Max Help X account, to see if they have replied to any concerns from other viewers with different advice.