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HBO Max Shorts is one of two new mobile features coming to iOS users in the US.
HBO Max is dipping its toes into the vertical video space, the streamer said on Tuesday as part of its announcement of two new AI-powered mobile features for US customers.
HBO Max Shorts is the vertical attribute in question, designed to streamline content discovery across the platform. The feature is currently being tested with select iPhone users. More devices, more markets and a new sports shorts category are all planned, the press release states.
If you’re one of the folks with access to the feature during this testing phase, you’ll see a Shorts icon in the navigation menu at the bottom of the app. Click it, and you can “browse trailers, clips and bonus content.”
Based on your watch history, HBO Max will offer up content tailored to you. From there, you can watch the movie or show the clip represents, add it to your My List queue, or simply move on with your day.
Since this feature is promoting content discovery, HBO Max Shorts doesn’t currently feature original programming. Competitors like Netflix and Disney Plus have recently launched their own vertical video content to push viewers to watch each streamer’s established long-form content.
If you’re curious how HBO Max selects the content to be “verticalized” (its word, not mine), the streamer revealed it’s all thanks to an in-house AI tool that guides human editors through thousands of hours of footage to pick the “most compelling, high-impact scenes for discovery.”
“We’re thrilled to launch this application of AI to accelerate the creation of these clips and look forward to quickly expanding to make even more of our amazing content offering discoverable through this new feature,” Deepna Devkar, HBO Max senior vice president of Machine Learning Engineering, said in a statement.
“Ask HBO Max” is the second mobile feature announced. Currently in testing, it also uses AI to assist viewers in content discovery using natural language, like telling the platform you’re “in the mood for a comedy,” or are looking for the “best movie for a girls’ night in.”
Ask HBO Max will eventually be rolled out to more devices and markets.