Let me state this up front: these are only my thoughts and I do not speak for Tablo or any of the forum admins.
The Tablo 4th gen looks as if it’s a simple plug and play device – that within minutes you’ll be up and running with this fantastic, easy system. But with every product (especially a new one) there are bugs and other quirks that are being ironed out as the product continues to develop and mature.
There may be times that you struggle and you come here looking for advice. Tablo Support can be extremely busy and doesn’t have the same experience that many of its users have had over these past months.
Those trying to help will suggest things that might work, and I hope you’re willing to try these things. It’s an important step in trying to figure out where things are going wrong. Responses similar to “that won’t work,” or “that doesn’t make any sense” without taking 5 minutes to try it yourself will not help you get the results you are looking for!
I understand that some of the steps a user suggests may sound silly or foolish. “Did you reboot the Tablo? What about your Roku?” – but assuming that the simplest suggestion won’t work is ridiculous.
Along with others doing what they can to help you, try to give as much explanation as you can for what problems you are experiencing. What steps you’ve taken to resolve your issue, as well as ways you’ve been able to reproduce the problem. This will save frustration on both ends since less back and forth is needed to meet in the middle.
The 4th gen is a work in progress, sorry to say that, but it’s true. I have nightmare days but I also have WEEKS where everything works fantastically and it does its job unnoticed. I treasure those days where I have no reason to come on here and ask others for help. But I also know that there are people here that will help me if they can.
All I’m saying… is that if you really want help, please be open to even the dumbest suggestion a user has (unless it’s obvious that they’re being a smart aleck). People here really do want to help you solve your problems. It’s likely someone has been in your very shoes and two extra clicks has saved them the headache that you now suffer through.
It’s also fine to come here and complain – we all have those days where one object in our world will not cooperate no matter what we try. The Tablo is far from perfect and it’s definitely no exception! Be mindful that others could be experiencing a wholly different side of those struggles; that things might be working great for them.
Just be sure to treat them with the same respect that they’ve hopefully given you. There’s no need for a snarky conversation about how another product is better than someone else’s. We all use our machines differently and not every product will work for every person. I know my own home setup would likely not be ideal for someone else. Things should be a discussion, not an argument or a brag session. What matters in this regard is: “Congrats, you’ve got what works best for you.”
I have found this to be a very helpful community as I learn the ins and out of my Tablo. So many users have found odd work-arounds that have helped Tablo fix the craziest quirks. Heck, there’s even been issues with the 4th gen units that legacy users have found answers for!
Maybe what it takes is for @TabloForumAdmin to make a “How to post effectively in the forums” tutorial we’re forced to read upon account creation … so that new users can get the most benefits from this Community.
I know this is a long rant, but as someone who cares and is generally willing to do what he can to help others, it’s extremely disheartening to continue when suggestions are ignored. Frustration I can live with but when I see users spend hours of their day trying to help someone for it to get brushed aside… I’m baffled. It astounds me how they keep going and continue to offer advice. THIS is what makes the TabloTV community a great place to hang out even if your puck is working at 100%.