HBO Max has announced the rollout of two new portable features to make content discovery easier on its platform. The company is revamping the content experience for its US users by switching to a vertical video format.

The platform announced the vertical video feature as HBO Max Shorts and is currently testing it on a limited number of iPhone users. More devices, markets, and a dedicated sports category are planned for the future.

Vertical Video and AI-Powered Discovery

Users with access to HBO Max Shorts see a new icon in the navigation menu at the bottom of the app. Clicking this allows users to browse trailers, short clips, and bonus content.

The platform offers personalized content recommendations based on viewing history. Users can directly access the relevant movie or series from the clips they’ve watched, or add content to their My List.

HBO Max uses an in-house AI tool for selecting vertical videos. This tool scans thousands of hours of footage, guiding human editors in identifying the most impactful scenes.

Deepna Devkar, Senior Vice President of Machine Learning Engineering at HBO Max, stated that this application is designed to accelerate content discovery. Currently, HBO Max Shorts does not include brand new programs and focuses solely on promoting existing content.

The era of content search using natural language

The second announced feature, Ask HBO Max, allows users to search for content using natural language. This system enables users to receive movie recommendations based on their mood or specific needs.

For example, users can indicate on the platform that they want to watch something in the comedy genre or are looking for a movie for a special evening. Ask HBO Max is currently in the testing phase and is expected to be launched on more devices in the future.

Competitors like Netflix and Disney Plus are also aiming to direct users to feature-length content by using similar vertical image formats. What do you think about these new features of HBO Max?