Fire up your high-end home entertainment rigs: HBO Max next month will unleash all eight seasons of “Game of Thrones” in 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, promising richly detailed video and cinema-like sound.
HBO Max has not provided an exact date yet for when the 4K versions of “GOT” will be available — however, according to Warner Bros. Discovery, they will be available only to customers on the ad-free tier ($14.99/month), not the ad-supported plan ($9.99/month). [UPDATE: On Aug. 1, HBO Max announced that the enhanced versions of “Game of Thrones” episodes were available on the service.]
In addition to all past episodes of “Game of Thrones” in the enhanced formats, HBO Max will debut prequel series “House of the Dragon” on Aug. 21 in 4K, HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
Previously, “Game of Thrones” fans could get the series in 4K on Blu-ray disc or through Fandango’s Vudu. HBO aired the fantasy megahit from April 2011-May 2019, comprising 73 episodes over the eight seasons.
To stream 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos audio on HBO Max, customers must have a 4K HDR TV that displays Dolby Vision or HDR10; a broadband connection of 25 Mbps or higher (50+ Mbps is recommended); and a Dolby Atmos-capable sound system.
In addition, they must have a 4K streaming device supported by HBO Max: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Cube; Android TV; Apple TV 4K; Google Chromecast Ultra or Chromecast with Google TV; Cox Contour 2 and Contour Stream Player; 4K LG smart TV; Roku Ultra 4800x, Roku 4k TVs, Roku Premiere or Roku Streaming Stick+; 4K Samsung TVs; Vizio 4K smart TVs; Xbox One S, Xbox One X or Xbox Series X|S; Comcast Xfinity X1 (Xi6), Flex or XClass TV.
HBO Max currently offers 30 titles in 4K format, including Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” all four “Matrix” movies, James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”
Here’s the full list of 4K titles on HBO Max: “8-Bit Christmas,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition,” “Cry Macho,” “Dune,” “The Fallout,” “Godzilla vs Kong,” “In the Heights,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Kimi,” “King Richard,” “The Little Things,” “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “Malignant,” “The Many Saints of Newark,” “The Matrix,” “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” “Mortal Kombat,” “No Sudden Move,” “The Outsiders: The Complete Novel,” “Reminiscence,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” “Tom and Jerry,” “Wonder Woman” (2017), “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Justice Is Gray.”
Pictured above: Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen “Game of Thrones” Season 8
