HBO Max is the latest streaming service to add a TikTok-style short-form video stream to its platform to help users find something to watch. The service is also launching an experimental AI chat experience, Warner Bros. announced Tuesday.
HBO Max, like other streaming platforms, is rethinking content discovery as large libraries make it difficult for viewers to find something to watch and as audiences become accustomed to short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
With vertical video streaming and AI search, the platform is trying to give users more ways to navigate its content library and find something to watch.
The new “Shorts” icon in the bottom navigation menu of the HBO Max app will open a stream of trailers, clips and bonus content. The company says that the content that appears in a user’s feed is tailored to their individual preferences and preferences based on their viewing history. If users come across a video they find interesting, they can start watching the TV show or movie right away, or they can choose to save it to their watch list for later.
Warner Bros also says the clips included in the video stream are powered by an AI tool that uses scene-level metadata to analyze thousands of hours of film and TV content to surface the most compelling scenes to discover. HBO Max editors then decide which clips best represent the streaming service’s content library.
HBO Max joins streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock, which all have vertical video streams to display clips from their content libraries.
Warner Bros. says the new vertical stream is being tested with select iOS users in the US before rolling out to more devices and markets.
The new search chat feature uses natural language understanding to interpret queries and suggest relevant movies and TV shows. For example, you could search for terms like “in a comedy mood,” “dysfunctional family drama,” or “best movie for a girls’ night out” to find relevant recommendations.
It’s worth noting that Netflix launched a similar AI-powered search experience for its users last year. HBO Max and Netflix aren’t the only streaming services leveraging AI, as Amazon has an AI voice search experience on Fire TVs that responds to open-ended queries about TV shows and movies.
HBO Max’s new experimental feature is available to select Android users in the US, with plans to expand to more devices and markets soon.
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