Max (HBO) Delivery Guide
StreamingIMF requiredEIDR requiredMax (formerly HBO Max) uses IMF Application #2E — the same standard as Netflix. The unique gotcha is EIDR registration: it's a pre-delivery process step that teams frequently skip, causing holds even on technically perfect deliveries.
EIDR registration required — before delivery
✓ PipewrightMax requires EIDR (Entertainment Identifier Registry) IDs for all Original content. EIDR is a content identifier similar to ISBN for books. Registration happens before production/delivery — it cannot be added retroactively to the package. An EIDR ID looks like: 10.5240/XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-C.
Loudness tolerance tightened from ±2 to ±1 LU in 2025
✓ PipewrightMax (HBO) tightened their loudness tolerance window in 2025. Previous spec was -24 LKFS ±2 LU; new spec is -24 LKFS ±1.0 LU. Teams who calibrated to the old standard and pushed to -23 or -25 LKFS are now failing QC.
IMF App #2E mandatory for HBO Originals
✓ PipewrightMax uses IMF Application #2E (Extended) — the same standard as Netflix. IMF packages use JPEG 2000 codec, MXF track files, CPL, PKL, and ASSETMAP. If any track file fails validation, the entire package is rejected.
HDR10 NCLX metadata must match across all CPL assets
✓ PipewrightHDR10 content must have consistent SMPTE ST 2086/2094 metadata across every MXF asset in the CPL. A single asset with incorrect NCLX (color space signaling) values fails the entire package.
Caption language tags must match audio track IDs
✓ PipewrightTTML caption language tags must exactly match the audio track language identifiers in the CPL. A mismatch (e.g., 'en-US' vs 'en') causes caption-to-audio alignment failures in the WBD internal QC system (QPR).
EIDR Quick Reference
Register at eidr.org. EIDR ID format: 10.5240/XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-C. Required in content metadata before delivery.