Cinemax

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Cinemax (or Max)
Launched	1 August1980
Owned by	Home Box Office, Inc. (Time Warner)
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Country	United States
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Headquarters	New York City
Formerly called	Cinemax (1980-2008 as main name, still in use as alternate name)
Sister channel(s)	HBO
Website	Cinemax.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	512 Cinemax (east) 513 MoreMax 514 Cinemax (west)
Dish Network	310 Cinemax (east) 311 Cinemax (west) 312 MoreMax 313 ActionMax 314 5StarMax
Cable
Available on all cable systems	Check local listings for channels
IPTV over ADSL
Verizon FIOS	420 Cinemax (east) 421 Cinemax (west) 422 More Max (east) 423 More Max (west) 424 Action Max (east) 425 Action Max (west) 426 Thriller Max (east) 427 Thriller Max (west) 428 W' Max 429 At Max 430 Five Star Max 431 OuterMax ((HD available))
AT&T U-verse	See AT&T U-verse channel lineup

Cinemax (short name Max) is a collection of premium television networks that provide movies, special features, erotica, and other services to consumers. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc. (part of Time Warner). Its name is a portmanteau of "cinema" and "maximum".

In Latin America, the channel is controlled by the HBO Latin America Group. A sister channel, "Max Prime", is also available. A European version of Cinemax is known as Cinemax 2.

[edit] History

Cinemax was launched on August 1, 1980^[1] as HBO's answer to The Movie Channel, which at the time was an up and coming rival. On-air spokesman Robert Culp told viewers that Cinemax would be about movies, and nothing but movies. At the time, HBO featured a wider range of programming, including some news, documentaries, children's entertainment, sporting events, and entertainment specials. Movie classics were a mainstay of the channel at its birth, "all uncut and commercial-free" as Culp said on-air. A heavy schedule of films from the 1950s to the 1970s made up most of Cinemax's program schedule.

Cinemax succeeded in its early years because subscribers typically had access to only about three dozen channels. Movies were the most sought-after program category by cable subscribers, and the fact Cinemax would show classics without commercials and editing made the channel an attractive add-on for HBO subscribers. In many cases, cable operators would not sell Cinemax to non-HBO subscribers. The two channels were typically sold as a package, usually at a discount for subscribers choosing both. A typical price for HBO in the early 1980s was $12.95 per month, while Cinemax typically could be added for between $7–10 extra per month.

As additional movie-oriented channels launched on cable, Cinemax's programming philosophy began to change to try and maintain its subscriber base. First, the channel opted to carry more violent fare that HBO would only show at night, and then Cinemax decided it could compete by airing more adult-oriented movies.

During the 1990s, Cinemax played one movie per day that would be based on a certain theme represented by various pictures that would play in a picture show presentation prior to the movie starting. The symbols included:

• Comedy (represented by an abstract face made up of various movie props, with the mouth open to look like it is laughing)
• Suspense (represented by a running man silhouette)
• Premiere (represented by an exclamation point caught in spotlights)
• Horror (represented by a skull)
• Drama (represented by the comedy & tragedy masks)
• Vanguard (represented by a globe)
• Action (represented by a machine gun)
• Classic (represented by a bride and groom embracing and kissing)

What theme of movie played on which day (and time) varied by country. For example, in the United States:

• Monday, 8PM ET: Comedy
• Tuesday, 8PM ET: Suspense
• Wednesday, 8PM ET: Vanguard
• Thursday, 8PM ET: Drama
• Friday, 8PM ET: Premiere
• Saturday, 10PM ET: Action
• Sunday, 12PM (Noon) ET: Classic

[edit] Max After Dark

Max After Dark is a nightly programming block on Cinemax that usually airs between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM Eastern/Pacific which currently airs mostly original softcore erotic drama series, but occasionally softcore pornographic films as well. The original series that are currently airing new episodes are Co-Ed Confidential, Forbidden Science, Sex Games Cancun, and Zane's Sex Chronicles. ^[2] This program block has often by the subject of scrutiny in the media and in popular culture, earning the network the nickname "Skinemax".^[3] Rival networks Showtime and The Movie Channel have also tried to compete by airing adult films late at night, although these two networks have not gained as much attention for airing these programs.^{[citation needed]}

Adult programming is not limited solely to the main Cinemax network. MoreMax also airs adult movies and series, for the most part, an hour earlier than Cinemax.

[edit] Other programming

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Cinemax continued to air films from the 1950s, '60s and '70s in the morning hours, but these movies for the most part have since moved to MoreMax and 5StarMax. Cinemax rarely airs family films during the morning hours, instead opting to air R or PG-13 rated films.

Max also produces documentary programming under the banner Max Reel Life usually running every month.

[edit] Channels

Cinemax operates eight multiplexed channels. All channels with the exception of Wmax have separate "East/West" feeds for the eastern (Atlantic) and western (Pacific) areas of the United States. Cinemax also packages the East and West feeds of the primary and multiplex channels together, allowing viewers a second chance to watch the same program three hours later or earlier depending on their geographic location.

[edit] List of channels

In 1991, HBO and Cinemax became the first premium services to offer multiplexed services to cable customers as companions to the main network, offering multiplex services of HBO and Cinemax to three cable systems in Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas. A year later, research from A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that multiplex delivery of HBO and Cinemax had positive impact on subscriber usage and attitudes, including subscribers’ retention of pay cable subscriptions. Cinemax 2 was launched as a multiplex channel, launching on these three systems.

Cinemax currently operates eight multiplex channels: ^[4]

• Cinemax (usually displayed on the air as Max) : the main "flagship" feed; blockbuster movies, first-run films, favorite movies and erotica.
• MoreMax : a secondary channel with similar content to Cinemax, also includes foreign films, indie flicks and arthouse releases. Originally known as "Cinemax 2 " until 1998.
• ActionMax : action movies including blockbusters, westerns, war pictures and martial arts films. Originally known as "Cinemax 3" until 1998.
• ThrillerMax : Mystery, suspense, horror and thriller movies. Launched in 1998.
• @Max : Targeted to younger generation, features contemporary films, movies with an attitude exemplified and films with unique ideas. Launched in 2001.
• OuterMax: Sci-Fi, Horror and Fantasy films. Launched in 2001.
• Wmax : Targeted at women, features dramas, mysteries and classic romance pictures. Launched in 2001.
• 5StarMax : Modern classics, featuring award-winning films and timeless treasures. Launched in 2001.

The Cinemax Multiplex was known as "MultiMax" for several years, but now has no "official" name. However, HBO and Cinemax's respective multiplex packages are referred collectively as the "HBO/MAX Pak". Subscribers of DirecTV, DISH Network and some cable providers can get the Cinemax networks without subscribing to HBO, though most cable providers offer the two services and their respective multiplexes as a package.

[edit] Cinemax HDTV

All channels are simulcast in 1080i high definition, and the flagship network began transmitting exclusively in high definition on September 1, 2008.^[5]

[edit] Movies

Cinemax (through HBO) currently has exclusive deals with sister company Warner Bros., DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox. In addition, it holds partial pay-cable rights to movies produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment (excluding those in partnership with Revolution Studios), and Universal Studios (along with Rogue Pictures and Focus Features). Despite being a sister company to HBO and Cinemax, some New Line Cinema films do not appear on HBO due to a prior output deal with competitor Starz. Films that HBO has pay-cable rights to air will also run on Cinemax during that time of license.

In a landmark deal with Fox and Lucasfilm, Ltd. that was made during negotiations for the pay-cable rights to Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Cinemax became the first U.S. network (commercial or otherwise) to air all six Star Wars films in November 2006.

[edit] Branding

Cinemax's original 1980 launch logo featured the channel's name with first letter in uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase on a semi-circular rectangle. Their "Coming Up Next" bumpers(and graphics)were similar to sister-station HBO's graphics of the concurring time. In 1985, the channel adopted a new logo with the channel's name in an italicized Univers Condensed typeface with each letter on a slanted square sized to fit each letter. The logo was used under many variants of different colors, and updated "Coming Up Next" bumpers between 1985 and 1997. This logo was used in print and during bumpers for a short time while the original 1980 opening bumpers were used before a new feature presentation opener was added in the fall of 1985. The current Cinemax logo consisting of the network's name in lowercase letters in an Impact typeface with the 'max' on a circle was implemented when the network rebranded itself in 1997 (as with Showtime's highlighting of SHO in their logo, the use of MAX as the logo focal point comes from the channel's former TV Guide abbreviation in the magazine's local listings era). While slight modifications of the logo's coloring have been made since the logo was first used, the Cinemax logo design has remained the same since. The logo is often show with just the circle 'max'.

In February 2008, a new sparse and bare branding campaign was introduced, with voiceovers for movie promotions and ratings disclaimers fully withdrawn from all of the Cinemax networks. The promotions now feature an adult swim-style of introduction with white text on black screens, while 'up next' screens only feature the film name and stars with only sound effects and small snippets of music playing in the background instead of full interstital music. Ratings disclaimers are in red text. All channel logos were redesigned - and most notably, the main Cinemax channel is now visually referred to as simply "max", though in some ads, the casts for the network's "After Dark" series have continued to identify the network vocally as Cinemax.

[edit] Carriage controversies

On July 13, 2007 satellite television provider DirecTV put out a press release saying it would add the HD version of moreMax in September 2007.^[6] The claim has yet to be fulfilled. DirecTV also does not carry @Max, ActionMax, OuterMax, ThrillerMax, 5StarMax and Wmax at all. ^[7]

As a comparison, all of the Showtime channels ^[8] and most of the Starz channels ^[9] that DirecTV offers are available in HD. (Coincidentally, Starz Entertainment and The DirecTV Group are both owned by Liberty Media).

[edit] See also

• List of DirecTV channels
• List of Dish Network channels
• List of Verizon FiOS channels

[edit] Logos

1980-1985. Logo was used on air & in guides. Also was included on special programming. It was used intact with the then-new Cinemax logo for a short period of time in 1985.

1985-1997. This logo was used under different color variants, graphics, and "Coming Up Next" bumpers between 1985 and 1997.

1997 - 2008, as Cinemax. Sometimes, is alternatively said during a voiceover announcement, and many electronic program guides still display this logo.

Current logo, as Max, used 2008 - present

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Cinemax Europe
• Cinemax Latin America
• Cinemax Brazil
• Cinemax Asia