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HBO subscribers through Apple's TV app will be able to download HBO content to their iPhone or iPad for offline viewing. Although HBO has had its own HBO Now app for quite a while now, offline viewing is not a feature that's previously been available to digital subscribers, which makes Apple's new Channels service all the more compelling for those who prefer to get their Game of Thrones fix on the go. However, it seems that Apple won't be providing a direct way for existing HBO Now subscribers to make the move to Apple TV Channels. 9to5Mac also notes that although HBO in Apple TV Channels will be more or less the same service as the standalone HBO Now — $15/month for access to HBO's completely lineup of content — there's no way (in the beta at least) for existing subscribers to "link " their account with Apple TV Channels. Hence, those who want to make the switch are going to have to cancel their standalone HBO subscription and then subscribe directly through the TV app. However, it's worth noting that Apple is offering a one -week free trial of HBO through the TV app, so users making the switch should be able to take advantage of that free week as that will technically make them "new" subscribers. One other advantage to subscribing via Apple TV Channels is that the TV app will also be coming to the third- generation Apple TV set-top box. While HBO Now is also supported on the older Apple TV models, as with all of the "apps" before the days of tvOS, it's built into the Apple TV software and therefore hasn't seen an update in years — and it doesn't seem likely that it will be getting one this time around either, since the only reason the seven-year-old Apple TV is getting any new updates at all is to bring Apple's own TV app to the device. Users who already have access to either the developer or public betas of iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 can apparently take advantage of the new HBO channel now, while Apple is still on track to bring it to everybody later this month. In fact, we suspect that the updated TV app may be key to watching Apple's first TV+ original content project, Peanuts in Space, which is expected to air around the time of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 10 mission on May 22. Images courtesy of www.idropnews.com