A Next Level Network

Many people would agree that HBO is one of the premiere TV networks when it comes to providing quality entertainment. It's probably one of those rare networks that has transcended the status of TV channel and become something else entirely. Something iconic. Something legendary. Could you name one television network that has put out more consistently high-quality television than HBO? They have a reputation for producing some of the best programming around and they seem to be incapable of disappointing their viewers. Nearly everything they release each year is of uniformly exceptional quality.

Some of you might not be as familiar with HBO as others. So, I'll give you a little taste of the kind of content that HBO does and has done for television over the years. I won't list everything, of course, because you would be here all day just reading a list of titles. But here's a small preview of what you can expect from HBO: high-quality content that will make you have a good time.

First of all, there are some of the most popular drama series ever created, like The Sopranos, Oz, West World, and Game of Thrones. Next, you can't forget to mention the critically acclaimed and award-winning comedies, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Real Time with Bill Maher, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Larry Sanders Show, and (more recently) Silicon Valley and Barry. In addition to all of those huge shows (many of which were more cultural phenomena than they were merely series), there are tons of movies, sitcoms and other programmings that HBO has made possible over the years. Are you convinced yet that there's no other network who comes close to HBO's prowess when it comes to content?

It is interesting to note that HBO, which is probably one of the most well-known and respected networks in the world, did not just suddenly pop into existence. HBO was actually founded over 40 years ago, making it one of the oldest and longest running television services in the United States. As of 2016, HBO was estimated to be worth around 2 billion dollars, with around 140 million subscribers. It's easily one of the most powerful and influential entities in the world. It's pretty wild to think that all this started with one cable pioneer, Charles Dolan.

In 1965, Dolan won a franchise to build a cable TV system in Lower Manhattan. It was called Sterling Information Services, and it became known as Sterling Manhattan Cable later on. This was the first underground cable TV system ever put in place in the United States.

Sterling's company lost a lot of money in its first shaky years. Running cable underneath the streets of New York was far from cheap. It could cost as much as $300,000 per mile, in fact. And in 1971, Sterling's entire base of subscribers totaled 400. Not enough money was coming in to cover the costs of operation. Sterling started to believe his dream may have been doomed.

That was, of course, until Sterling in collaboration with others finally had a brilliant idea to survey people around the US on whether they might be interested in simply paying per channel instead of the traditional package cable network deal. An overwhelming majority of citizens expressed interest, and so, Sterling and his partners began work on what would come to be called the Home Box Office (HBO), alluding to the broadcast of movies that it was to specialize in. And the rest, as they say, is history. HBO was born, by one mad cable genius in New York City almost single-handedly. Sterling probably never saw the landscape of streaming media coming. But luckily, HBO has changed with the times and now offers its subscribers a couple of different options for streaming content.

From an Underground Cable System to Wireless Streaming Giant

If you're a fan of HBO, there's no doubt that one of the most popular options is HBO Go. HBOGo offers streaming of HBO content on their website or through an app, making it very convenient for those with limited time. We'll be taking a look at the website specifically, as some of the content on this site is simply too good to view on a small screen! While we know that HBO Go has content, we want to investigate how well designed and functionally the site is. Shall we do that now? Although HBOGo does not have a formal catalogue, this website makes it easy for you to find content that interests you. When you land on the HBO Go website's members section, you will be impressed with the site's design. It looks well-done, something you would probably expect from a $2 billion dollar network. At the top of the page, you'll find a very large banner and a carousel of featured content from HBO Go. Different suggestions of shows to watch will cascade one after the other, giving you a quick way to browse new content. Although HBO Go doesn't have a formal catalogue, this website makes it easy for you to find content that interests you.

Some of the popular content on HBO Go is special playlists that have been created specifically for its users. For example, at the time of this review, one such playlist features 2020 Golden Globe nominees. Another, which gives you a better idea of what to expect, is a time capsule list of some of the best HBO content from the early 2000s. HBO Go offers users plenty of different ways to enjoy its wide range of high-quality content.

Below the banner, you will find a few categories to choose from, with thumbnails spanning the page horizontally. You'll find a Coming Soon section, where you can view trailers for soon to be released content - as well as a monthly update of what's new to the service and what's leaving. This is a truly novel feature, and I wish more streaming services would do the same. It can often be very frustrating to try and anticipate which of your favorite shows are going to be leaving a streaming site. I appreciate HBO's transparency on the matter. Everybody appreciates a good heads-up, right?

The next section of HBO Go is labeled "Obsession-Worthy Drama Series." Here, HBO Go has featured shows like Watchmen, Succession, His Dark Materials, and Chernobyl. The next section is called "Must Watch Comedies," and here you can find new releases as well as comedies that are currently streaming on HBO Go. The last section of HBO Go is labeled "Just-Added Movies," and this is where you'll find movies that have just been added to the service. The last section of HBO Go is called "Last Chance (Movies leaving this month)," and this is where you can find movies that are leaving the service soon. Lastly, the last section of HBO Go is labeled "Documentaries," Kids," and so on.

HBO Go is widely considered to be one of the best sources for quality stand-up comedy specials, and it is the only place where you can find many of the classics. If you are a comedy fanatic, HBO Go is a must-have.

One Very Annoying Flaw

The media player automatically minimizes when something new auto-plays. This is an annoying flaw of any streaming site that I have ever used. That being said, while HBO Go is a great streaming option alongside any cable or satellite package, it does have one significant flaw.