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Comment by bentcorner | Hacker News Reader

I'd say it's understood from a technical perspective, but it makes no sense from a customer perspective. Why have two apps that do nearly the same thing, and are named nearly identically?

HBO Now could have been another log-in provider for HBO Go. Alternatively, why can't I log into HBO Now with my HBO Go creds?

(Edit: This, to me, is a classic example of shipping the org chart.)

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I agree, as a consumer the whole two HBO app thing is super confusing. This article is the first explanation I've seen and now it makes total sense; yes, they clearly shipped the org chart. (Another great example, on iOS, is that there are two Merrill Lynch apps with basically the same exact features and UIs).

Since a user typically only has to log in once in a while, it looks like HBO's gambit of adding lots of friction to the sign-up process vs getting video shipped really paid off.

Different products. Different billing. Different back ends. Hooking HBO Go accounts into HBO Now would require even more work. Which given there was a crazy rush to release in time for GoT doesn't make a lot of sense. And HBO Now only launched in North America while HBO Go is worldwide.

You aren't wrong that it isn't confusing for users. It won't matter in 2 years when HBO Go is dead. Everything is focused on getting to that point sooner rather than later.

You can't log into HBO now with you HBO Go credentials because they are two totally separate business models. You need a pay-tv subscription to authenticate HBO GO, while you pay a la carte for HBO Now and don't need cable. Cord cutter versus traditional.

Consumers don't care.

I agree that they are two different business models, but the content on both of them are the same, right?

Wouldn't it be easier to have two separate login pages on the same App? (One authenticates with HBO itself & the other with Comcast/Time Warner et al.) Once authentication is done, you get to see the same content.

They could have removed HBO Go on Apple's devices when Now launched & then gradually remove Go, as Now spread to remaining platforms.

> They could have removed HBO Go on Apple's devices when Now launched & then gradually remove Go, as Now spread to remaining platforms.

This sounds like what they should have done. Replace the app with "HBO Now", but keep the HBO Go branding, app store presence and icon. Make it a major version update.

You'd be surprised how deep into the stack login goes on these content-controlled A/V apps. I can easily see that a distinct login/billing requirement would lead pretty quickly to totally distinct apps.

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