HBO Max subscribers who have been enjoying ad-free streaming will soon face a significant change. According to The Verge, HBO Max has started notifying its loyal customers via email that they will no longer be able to stream content in stunning 4K resolution after December 5th. This change will affect subscribers who have been streaming in 4K resolution and they will need to switch to a lower resolution. The email notification is intended to give subscribers ample time to prepare for this change.

This development contradicts the promise made by Warner Bros. Discovery when they rebranded the service as “Max” back in May. At that time, existing subscribers were assured that they would retain access to their plan’s features for the following six months. However, once this grace period concludes, legacy subscribers will have only one option if they wish to continue enjoying 4K streaming: switch to Max’s Ultimate Ad-Free tier, which comes at a cost of $19.99 per month, up from the original $15.99 monthly fee.

The introduction of the Ultimate Ad-Free tier coincided with the launch of Max and included the promise of access to a library of 1,000 4K movies and TV show episodes. Some of these even support top-notch audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and Vision. Subscribers who opt to stick with their legacy plans will need to adjust to streaming in Full HD resolution. Additionally, they will now be limited to streaming on two devices simultaneously, down from the previous three. These changes align the legacy $15.99 subscription with the new Max Ad-Free tier, which bears the same price tag.

For those willing to invest a bit more, the Ultimate Ad-Free subscription allows streaming on up to four devices simultaneously, in addition to the 4K content access. While it does come at a higher cost than the standard ad-free subscription, for those seeking a higher-quality streaming experience and can budget for the $19.99 monthly fee, the overall annual expenses for HBO Max will only increase by a few cents per month.

It’s also worth noting that HBO Max offers a more budget-friendly $9.99-a-month ad-supported tier for viewers who don’t mind occasional interruptions by commercials during their content consumption.