HBO Max’s Mad Men 4K release is the opposite of a remaster | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.HBO Max’s Mad Men 4K release is the opposite of a remasterComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingHBOCloseHBOPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All HBOHBO Max’s Mad Men 4K release is the opposite of a remasterThe streamer’s 4K masters are filled with errors that should have been caught in the postproduction process.The streamer’s 4K masters are filled with errors that should have been caught in the postproduction process.by Charles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MooreFilm & TV ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-MooreDec 2, 2025, 8:14 PM UTCLinkShareImage: HBOCharles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MoorePosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-Moore is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.Though HBO Max was very proud to announce that it would be the first platform to stream Mad Men in 4K, the show’s new rollout has been an absolute mess.When HBO Max subscribers fired up the app yesterday hoping to see Don Draper and company in glorious 4K, many were dismayed to see that some of the steamer’s new 4K Mad Men episodes are filled with unusual errors. A number of episodes, including “5G” and “Red in the Face,” are listed on HBO Max with incorrect titles. But the more glaring issue is the way that the infamous vomiting scene from “Red in the Face” now includes a clear shot of a production crewmember who is not supposed to be visible.None of these mistakes really change the show beyond breaking the fantasy. But they do make it seem like something went very wrong in the process of updating Mad Men for its 4K streaming debut. This situation also makes HBO Max appear to have dropped the ball in a major way because of how obvious all of these errors are. But according to Vulture, the errors are a result of HBO Max “receiving the incorrect files from Lionsgate Television.”One would still think that someone was tasked with rewatching all of the episodes before they were uploaded onto HBO Max’s servers. In this instance, though, it appears as if nobody thought to make sure that everything was squared away. Regardless of how this all happened, it’s a bad look for a streamer that has recently raised its prices for the third year in a row and whose parent company is in the process of trying to secure a major acquisition deal. Hopefully, HBO Max gets around to fixing the episodes sooner than later.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Charles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MooreFilm & TV ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-MooreEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentHBOCloseHBOPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All HBOStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingTV ShowsCloseTV ShowsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TV ShowsMost PopularMost PopularNetflix kills casting from phonesOpenAI declares ‘code red’ as Google catches up in AI raceMKBHD is taking down his wallpaper appSamsung’s Z TriFold is official and it looks like a tablet with a phone attachedThese last-minute Cyber Monday deals will likely be gone tomorrowThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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HBO Max’s *Mad Men* 4K release is the opposite of a remaster.

Charles Pulliam-Moore’s reporting for *The Verge* details a significant and frankly embarrassing issue with HBO Max’s 4K upgrade of the television series *Mad Men*. Subscribers experiencing the new rollout discovered a range of errors within the episodes, including inaccurate titles—specifically, some listings incorrectly identified episodes as “5G” and “Red in the Face”—and a glaring production crew member appearing briefly in the infamous vomiting scene from “Red in the Face.” These errors, while not fundamentally altering the narrative, create a perception of a severely flawed post-production process and reveal a failure to adequately vet the material before its release. The situation is particularly troubling given HBO Max’s recent price increases and its ongoing pursuit of acquisition. According to *Vulture*, the problems stem from HBO Max receiving the incorrect files from Lionsgate Television, suggesting a lack of quality control measures. The errors represent a significant misstep for the streaming service, highlighting potential issues with metadata management and the overall process of updating legacy content for high-resolution delivery. The episode underscores the importance of meticulous oversight in digital distribution, especially when dealing with established and critically acclaimed television series.