And what quite a pleasant surprise.
I know that this sounds like a broken record. Iāve stated my concerns about this particular issues multiple times myself. And while I was glad to hear that HBO Max wouldnāt be the end of DC Universe, Iām still incredibly disappointed that there isnāt the kind of love shown to this service from WB that HBO is getting.
This is kind of a rant/review of DCU, because the app and service is pretty great. One year in, weāve had some great original programming, from the return of Young Justice to Doom Patrol, one of the greatest digital collections of comics out there, and an incredibly passionate community. I really do enjoy the app and all it has to offer.
Yet again, however, I am incredibly disappointed to see that DCU is getting the short stick in terms of legacy content being on here. What the team has done - like remastering classic cartoons in HD - has been absolutely phenomenal, and have become my favorite ways to watch them. But the fact that the catalogue of films is both not consistent and sorely lacking really makes me frustrated at the heads who hold onto the rights of the films.
I know the argument has been made that a rotating catalogue of films is both efficient and a necessity, as new content is regularly added and changed, as well as a reality of having different streaming platforms have the rights to certain films. And I know from a business perspective, having those films on neutral platforms gets people involved in the franchises easier. But it seems that DCU is being sidelined intentionally in this regard.
Look, as someone who pays for a service to be my one-stop-shop for all things DC Comics, the lack of the full film catalogue (as well as television shows) is a remarkably large blemish, and completely works against all the phenomenal work that has already been put into it.
I completely acknowledge that there might be something Iām busy from a business perspective. But, for a service that touts itself as the ultimate fan experience, itās just a shame that it falls short in some areas.
In order to not end on a totally sour note, I do wanna day that Iāve loved everything thatās been done up to this point. The mods are great, the community is awesome, the comics are excellent, and the video programming that is on here is stellar. I am very grateful for all thatās been done to get the service to the point that itās at today, and itās because of that hard work that Iām sticking around to this day. I recognize that thereās a team doing the best they can to make this great for all of us, and I for one am thankful for the work they do.
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I see HBO Max as nothing more than part of the inevitable shift that all media is heading towards: streaming services. The business model is there, itās established. All the major players are competing for customers who want on-demand content. Of course HBO and WB are going to put their best content on their new service. Their goal is to appeal to the largest audience possible.
DC comic fans are a niche group, and DCU is primarily a fan-interaction platform. They know they can appeal to comic fans on DCU, which is why we get community stuff, special guest Q&As, watch-alongs, DC Daily, etc. It would be great if we did have access to the DCEU films and CW shows. But I think the execs are keeping them separate for a reason. They want people to subscribe to HBO Max, the broader audience. Not just the comic fans but everyone.
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Compare the subscription costs and it canāt be suprising that HBO MAX is going to have better content. It is possible that some of that content may end up here after a run on its pricey sibling.
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I think youāre right on where the minds of the business execs are at. My thought is, why NOT put all that stuff on here along with on HBO Max? Other than outstanding agreements, theyāre in full control of where that content goes. My cynical thought is that WB doesnāt want DC-only fans subscribing just to DCU; if they keep the movies on HBO Max, they inevitably ask us to subscribe to two streaming platforms. It just feels so manipulative.
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Thatād certainly be reassuring. I still feel as though execs are trying to bait people who subscribe to DCU to HBO Max by keeping DC films there only. It feels super sneaky and cheap.
I think they do want us to subscribe to both services, but I donāt think itās necessarily manipulative. DCU and HBO Max are very different and offer different things. They want people to see the value in their new service, thatās probably why they wonāt put the DCEU movies on DCU, the cheaper service.
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I understand your frustration.
AT&T / Warner Brothers has stated that there will be no more licensing of their films to.other streaming services in order to make HBO Max a major exclusive brand. These films will be kept in the company now except for existing contracts
The Warner Brothers Licensing Unit will have no reason to pull our videos because there will be no increased revenue for the company.
They also want DC Universe to survive.
These two facts means there will be no more rotation out soon . We should get back what we had.
Animation.may be on.both services. But it is relatively minor to the HBO Max brand
Expensive projects like Grern Lantern.and Aquaman animation will be HBO Max exclusives. Not only.does that service charge more but it will have millions more subscribers allowing the service to create series not economical for our niche service
HBO Max is heavily advertising the DC films of the last 40 years. The full catalog will NEVER be on.DC Universe because of the need for exclusivity.
HOWEVER for marketing purposes for HBO Max and good will we may see one or two titles per month rotated in.and out here.
We will see in May.
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My subscription is up soon and I donāt know if Iām re uping. Will books like jinx world make it over to here? How about the Vertigo titles? Iām here mainly for the comics, but that section sometimes is lacking.
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From the Help.Center
Will you have Vertigo, Milestone, Black Label, and other imprints?
While we are huge fans of the various imprints across DC, we are currently not going to be featuring Vertigo titles, and most other DC imprints. You may see some representation around the edges where exceptions are made, but these will be few and far between.
Joe ā¢ April 30, 2019 04:54
Per agreement between DC Comics and DC Universe, which are separate units, Vertigo Titles and other DC brands are not included in the library agreement.
Only exceptions are Titles that resulted in Original Content TV Series
Doom Patrol
Swamp Thing
Madame Xanadu featured in Swamp Thing
Constantine is in CW TV.and that doesnāt count
More info if you REALLY want to know why
As part of the deal to.get DC Universe the 24 thousand issues in.our library
DC Comics (not DC Universe) had to placate:
Comixology
which would lose a lot of sales. for these back issues
So
Comixology got exclusive for Vertigo
A large part of Comixology Unlimited is 'borrowing" for 'free" many Vertigo titles for the monthly fee.
Also titles like Sandman big seller for
Local Comic Book.Stores
And Book Stores
Also.
many Vertigo Titles are semi creator owned
With different rights reprint issues.
Many of the issues of these titles are part of the monthly.subscription to Comixology Unlimited. The rest are 15% off the standard price.
This was done at the same time DC Comics allowed DC Universe to get our 24000+ ibrary.
With.that action,.Comixology was given this Vertigo exclusive to compensate for the lost sales that our library would create for them.
DC Universe can keep telling management that we want Vertigo titlesā¦and your suggestion.box requests help in that regard.
But DC Comics has to agree to let more Vertigo.Titles into our Library.
The Comixology Agrerment and the lost sales of trades for the Local Comic Book Stores and other Book Stores are the barriers to getting more Vertigo.
Also DC Comics megotiates with.the creators not DC Universe, which has no standing in the matter.
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I didnāt read all 993 posts that came before me, but I remember saying to someone when DC started this that I was surprised it wasnāt a digital comics only format like Marvel has. I still kinda feel thatās where itās going to end up. Iām a reader so Iām totally okay with that. Iād really like it if they could continue the original animated content here and not over at HBO exclusively.
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@Kon-El this is going to remain a multi-media service. Weāve been told by the moderators as such.
I think the announcement of HBO Max scared some people and their rash assumptions spread. We saw a lot of it this summer. When it was announced that season two of Doom Patrol would simultaneously between DC Universe and HBO Max, some people took that as all live action content being pulled from the service and moving to HBO Max.
Itās gonna work out in the end with great content and information from verified sources.
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And thatās what Iām putting my money on. Well said superby1 (So is that Superboy from Earth-1, or Superboy Prime. or the 1st clone of Superman? Thatās where my confusion lies. 
)
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@Aristarchus94.72134 ironically, itās meant to be the Conner Kent version. Long story behind that.
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While HBOMAX could keep all the live action films exclusively. In truth itās probably cheaper to buy them (sometimes in pack form, and save money over the cost of HBOMAX. (If the only HBOMAX content one cares about is DC live action movies.)
And recall that WB said they will not be offering content outside of WB streaming, not specifically HBOMAX only.
Are folks who want DC live action films only going to watch them for a year? Iād think over time, theyād watch them more than that.
Certainly sharing DC live action with DCU would be great. I know Iām not subscribing to HBOMAX for DC live action films. Iād rather buy them through iTunes and get the doco/bonus content rather than paying a similar amount to HBOMAX over the course of a year/year and a half.
Certainly if the made available all the WB owned DC properties in both live action and animated, they could position DCU as a much better value than Marvel Unlimited and thumb their nose a bit at both MU & Disney+.
Time will tell. Either way, I have a plan that works for me.
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Please forgive me but I am having a hard time understanding everything here. Are any of the CW any of the DC movies gonna be here on DC Universe. I mean this is a DC streaming service is it not, This is for Dc content. DC and WB would still be making money if you have there content on both DCU and HBO Max platforms. I am a huge fan either way of DC, Marvel, and WB however I can not afford to get Everything to watch all my shows. I know DC has showās of Netflix as-well and Hulu and Amazon. Right now I am trying to find where to re-watch the movie Shazam but I canāt find it yet, will this movie be coming to the DCU Streaming site or no? Please forgive I am a huge Comic and Movie buff and I do mean to sound hateful or unappreciated here.
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Strictly speaking, it is not. Streaming videos are part of the service, but it is not a streaming service in the same sense as something like Hulu. It is a digital comics service (a la Marvel Unlimited) that also includes new live-action and animated content, a backlog of shows and movies, a series of news articles and videos, an online store, and a message board.
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Hmm alight then, guess I have thinking to do. In the mean time I am hoping they will include more movies and shows.