Here’s why Max’s new $20-a-month 4K plan is worth it

Streaming in 4K on the old HBO Max used to cost $15.99 a month; now, on the new Max, it costs $19.99 a month. Say what?

That was one of the more unpleasant surprises about Max, the just-launch combination of HBO Max and Discovery, but Max is promising that the 4K price hike is worth it.

In a press release sent on the eve of Max’s launch, the streamer showed off its 4K offerings, touting dozens of TV shows and movies available in 4K and Dolby Vision. Several of the 4K titles available on Max’s Ultimate Ad-Free tier were only offered in HD on HBO Max.

In all, Max will boast more than eight times the number of 4K titles than HBO Max did, the streamer says.

Shows getting the 4K HDR treatment on Max include And Just Like That…, Barry, Chernobyl, Game of Thrones, Sharp Objects, Succession, and Watchmen (the TV series).

Max is hosting the entire Harry Potter film series in 4K, along with all the Lord of the Rings movies (including the Extended Editions), The Hobbit trilogy, and all the Matrix films.

Starting June 7, you’ll also get to stream Avatar: The Way of Water in 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Max says.

Here is the complete list of 4K titles that Max will have available at launch:

• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 2nd Annual Ha Festival: The Art Of Comedy
• 8-Bit Christmas
• A Christmas Mystery
• A Christmas Story Christmas
• A Clockwork Orange
• A Hollywood Christmas
• Ahir Shah: Dots
• Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words
• Amy
• And Just Like That… The Documentary
• And Just Like That…
• Antlers
• Aquaman
• Argo
• Avenue 5 
• Bad Education
• Barbarian
• Barry (S2, S3) *S1 & S4 will be available on June 23.
• Batman (1989)
• Batman & Robin
• Batman And Harley Quinn
• Batman Begins
• Batman Forever
• Batman Returns
• Batman V Superman: Ultimate Edition
• Betty
• Big Little Lies 
• Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)
• Black Adam
• Brené Brown: Atlas Of The Heart 
• C.B. Strike
• Casablanca
• Catherine The Great 
• Chernobyl
• Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?
• Coastal Elites
• Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show
• Cry Macho
• Dc League Of Super-Pets
• Death On The Nile
• DMZ
• Don’t Worry Darling
• Dune
• East Of Eden
• Edge Of Tomorrow
• Elvis
• Empire Of Light
• Euphoria
• Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always
• Expecting Amy
• Fahrenheit 451
• Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
• Father Of The Bride
• Free Guy
• Friends: The Reunion
• From The Earth To The Moon
• Game Of Thrones
• Gaming Wall St 
• Garcia!
• Giant
• Godzilla
• Godzilla vs. Kong
• Goodfellas
• Gossip Girl
• Ha Festival: The Art Of Comedy
• Hacks
• Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts
• Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
• Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
• Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
• Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
• Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
• Heaven’s Gate: The Cult Of Cults 
• His Dark Materials 
• Holiday Harmony
• House Of The Dragon
• House Party
• I Hate Suzie 
• In The Heights
• Industry
• Irma Vep
• It Chapter Two
• It’s A Sin 
• Joker
• Judas And The Black Messiah
• Julia
• Justice League
• Kimi
• King Richard
• Kong: Skull Island
• Landscapers
• Lizzo: Live In Concert
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Fellowship Of The Ring (Extended Version)
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Return Of The King
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Return Of The King (Extended Version)
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Two Towers
• Lord Of The Rings, The: The Two Towers (Extended Version)
• Love, Lizzo
• Lovecraft Country
• Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty
• Magic Mike
• Malcolm X
• Malignant
• Man Of Steel
• Mare Of Easttown
• Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners
• Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is
• Matrix Reloaded
• Matrix Resurrections
• Matrix Revolutions
• Menudo: Forever Young
• Mortal Kombat
• Mosaic 
• Moses Storm: Trash White
• My Brilliant Friend
• My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood
• Native Son
• No Sudden Move
• Ocean’s Eleven
• Oslo
• Our Flag Means Death
• Peacemaker
• Pennyworth: The Origin Of Batman’s Butler 
• Perry Mason
• Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin 
• Rain Dogs
• Rap Sh!T 
• Reminiscence
• Rio Bravo
• Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
• Rose Matafeo: Horndog
• Santa Camp
• Scenes From A Marriage
• Scoob!
• See How They Run
• Selena + Chef
• Sex And The City
• Sharp Objects 
• Shazam: Fury Of The Gods
• Shazam!
• Singin’ In The Rain
• Sort Of 
• Soul Of America
• Space Jam: A New Legacy
• Starstruck
• Station Eleven
• Succession (S1-S3) *S4 will be available on June 30. 
• Suicide Squad
• Superman: The Movie
• Sweet Life: Los Angeles 
• Take Out With Lisa Ling
• That Damn Michael Che
• The Baby
• The Banshees Of Inisherin
• The Batman
• The Big Brunch
• The Big Shot With Bethenny
• The Bob’s Burgers Movie
• The Bridge
• The Captive
• The Climb
• The Conjuring
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
• The Dark Knight
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Deuce
• The Fallout
• The Fastest Woman On Earth
• The Flight Attendant
• The Gilded Age
• The Girl Before
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
• The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
• The King’s Man
• The Last Of Us
• The Lego Movie
• The Little Things
• The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
• The Many Saints Of Newark
• The Matrix
• The Menu
• The New Pope
• The Night House
• The Nun
• The Plot Against America
• The Righteous Gemstones
• The Sex Lives Of College Girls
• The Soul Of America
• The Staircase
• The Suicide Squad
• The Survivor
• The Third Day
• The Tourist
• The Undoing
• The Way Down: God, Greed, And The Cult Of Gwen Shamblin
• The Weeknd: Live At Sofi Stadium
• The White Lotus
• The Wizard Of Oz
• Those Who Wish Me Dead
• Titans
• Tom & Jerry
• Wahl Street
• Watchmen
• We Are Who We Are
• We Own This City
• West Side Story (2021)
• White House Plumbers
• Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty
• Wonder Woman (2017)
• Wonder Woman 1984
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Justice Is Gray

Max is launching today, with subscription rates starting at $9.99 (or $99.99 a year) for the Max Ad-Lite plan.

The mid-tier Ad Free plan, which doesn’t include 4K streaming, costs $15.99 a month ($149.99 a year), while the Ultimate Ad Free plan with 4K streams goes for $19.99 a month, or $199.99 a year.