HBO's streaming video feature HBO Go is so packed with TV shows, films and other HBO content that it's practically worth the cost of the monthly subscription on its own. Of course, watching the On Demand content isn't quite as simple as turning on your television… yet. HBO appears to be working on that, however. They previously made HBO Go available through the Xbox, for those HBO subscribers who also have an Xbox Gold subscription. Of course, the cost adds up there. Those of us who don't need an Xbox gold subscription for any other reason might not be able to justify the added monthly cost just to watch HBO Go on our TV as opposed to our computer or mobile devices. Today HBO announced that there's another way to watch HBO Go on your television.
The streaming video service, which is included in the cost of an HBO subscription through most of the major cable and satellite services, is now compatible with Apple's AirPlay (an Apple TV feature that lets you stream content from your other Apple devices), which means if you have Apple TV and an IPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and you're an HBO subscriber with access to HBO Go, you can stream HBO Go to your television using Apple's AirPlay.
I don't have an Apple TV device, so I can't speak from firsthand experience here, but this sounds a little less convenient than it might be if Apple TV had HBO Go already set up on it, as they do Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube. Maybe that's something that needs to be worked out on Apple's end, or maybe streaming through AirPlay is the solution HBO worked out with Apple. Either way, it is a new way to watch HBO Go on your television, and assuming you already have the required devices, there's no additional monthly subscription cost, which is a step above XBox in terms of cost.
I'm holding out hope that this step forward for HBO Go indicates that other devices (my TiVo DVR for example) will eventually be made HBO Go compatible.
