Here is a list of some basic tests to help identify (and hopefully resolve) some Tablo issues:
Confirm you have an adequate internet connection on your home network. If you are surfing the net from your phone, laptop, etc., or if you are routinely streaming content (Prime, AppleTV, Max, etc.) you have plenty of internet for the Tablo.
Confirm you have adequate TV signal from your antenna. Simply attach the coax from the antenna directly to any TV, do a channel scan, and watch the results. If you have good clean TV with this setup, you likely have enough signal from the antenna for the Tablo tuners. Some TVs provide additional data (signal diagnostics) that can be helpful in evaluating the signal from the antenna. The Tablo cannot “fix” poor signal quality.
Make sure all software on all devices is up to date. This includes the SmartTV or media player, the Tablo app, and the Tablo firmware.
Hard wire via ethernet cable the Tablo and the SmartTV or media player to the router (switch). If this clears up problems (like buffering), the wifi network connection(s) are the issue. Both network connections (Tablo and SmartTV or media device) have to be solid for Tablo to work reliably. If this is the issue, try leaving one device hard wired and connecting the other via wifi. You may get reliable performance with just one hard wired device. This test is only valid if you confirm the connection type changes to ethernet in the device settings (make sure the device is not defaulting back to the known wifi connection even when hard wired).
Disconnect the external storage device (if applicable) and test the Tablo with its internal storage. This test is best when you first install the Tablo. Make sure it is working properly before adding external storage.
All good advice. The one thing I will add is that the Tablo, like most DVRs, use technology that is like a tuner, but is not a true tuner. (I am not a broadcast engineer, so I can’t fully explain it, but I have a good friend who is, who tried to explain it to me…but it didn’t stick.) Also, every time you split the signal from your antenna, it loses strength. Internally, a 2-tuner Tablo splits it in two, and a 4-tuner obviously splits it in four. Between these two things, it is not unusual for a channel that comes in okay when connected directly to your TV’s tuner, to not be strong enough for it to come in one your Tablo. So, don’t be surprised by this. It is just the nature of the beast. The Tablo is signal hungry.
Tablo OG came with split compensation and Tablo 4th gen has an optional amplification setting (people use splitters, but don’t understand… so nice to see Tablo add this).
Edit: Let me add that “near the end point” amplification is usually the “wrong place”. If you perceive the need for amplification, you want to amplify the best conditioned signal, as many things could cause degradation down the line. But, it can be complicated by multiple towers at varying distances, etc. Tablo providing amplification/compensation is because of their internal splits (so, it’s at the point of the known split). However the 4th gen making it optional allows for “better” amplification placement potentially for “those who know”.
Edit2: While more rare, you can have a case of being “too close” and getting too much signal. That is, you need to notch things down reception wise. In which case having “the split” is probably ok. In the case of the mixed reception, and again, more rare, but if all channels are “ok”, but one or more are too strong, or you need to get rid of interference from “near” channels or other types of signals, you might need an attenuator or filter. There, I think that pretty much covers the complications
Excellent points. Signal splitters reduce signal level depending on the number of splits. The Tablo must have internal splitters in order to divide the signal between 2 or 4 internal tuners. These reductions would be -3.5dB for a 2-way splitter, and -7dB for a 4-way splitter. Coax cable and fittings also introduce some signal loss in the system.
I’ve played around with a wide range of signal levels to the Tablo using my RF signal processor (Televes AvantX) and signal meter (Psiber Signal Scout), and was pleasantly surprised to find that its tuners are not as sensitive to signal levels as I originally thought. They can handle quite a wide dB range consistent with the ATSC 1.0 spec.
What does seem to be sensitive to signal levels is the Tablo internal amp. It seems to be easily overdriven by higher signal levels, which is why there is widely published advice to turn it off unless it is truly needed.
It is possible for signal levels to a single TV to be just “strong” enough to work, but be dropped too low through the internal splitter when connected to a multi-tuner Tablo. If this is the case, turning on the Tablo internal +10dB amplifier should compensate for the internal splitter loss.
The 4 tuner Tablo must perform a 1:4 RF split to feed each tuner. That is a 6-7dB signal drop. As such a TV might show a better (good enough) signal because it does not have the 7dB path loss. So be careful what you conclude with a TV side by side comparison to Tablo. My understanding of the Tablo built in amplifier is that it is intended for netting out the splitter losses.
Tablo also has a built in LTE filter which will have some RF insertion losses but probably very small. More importantly, since the LTE filter is already in Tablo, you don’t need a discreet LTE filter in front of Tablo.
Amplification is best done at the point of the strongest signal which is right at the antenna. That is not always the most practical place to put an amplifier though (weather sealing, grounding, and so on). So sometimes an amplifier is best indoors after a short cable run where a discreet amplifier is not exposed. Never put the amplifier after a splitter tree, always in front.
If you are feeding several cable runs from the antenna (multiple TVs), feed Tablo first with a 1:2 split off the antenna (or antenna amp) and use the other leg to feed whatever network is in the home.
#2 “Confirm you have adequate TV signal from your antenna. Simply attach the coax from the antenna directly to any TV.”
Great recommendation!
I wish I tried that the day my Tablo arrived as it would have saved me a lot of time messing around with my initial signal issues and antenna placement.
I’m sure I’m being too technical here… But the outbound internet speeds is only used to pull data from the Tablo server and FAST channels. Most of your flow will be coming from the client to client transfer flowing across your internal network. Which is roughly 12-15mbps from what I can see on my network.
Fast runs about 10mbps WAN speed. if you’re recording FAST and watching a recorded show, looking at (round up) 30 mbps. “Internet Speeds” you’re looking at 15mbps thats with FAST and Tablo data.
Thus the title of my post - simple checks that attempt to address some of the basics to getting a Tablo working. I too tend to dive a bit more into the details, which are important but beyond where most are willing to go, especially for a “consumer device” (and rightly so).
The simple test is, if someone is already streaming in some way “successfully” (and most are these days), they should have adequate internet to make a Tablo work.
It’s probably worth mentioning that confirming adequate OTA TV signal off of the antenna must also consider that signal strength and, more importantly, signal quality (s/n ratio for techies) varies significantly depending on many factors. Time of day, weather, RF interference, solar activity, etc. can all negatively affect the OTA TV signal. It’s “normal” to have a great signal mid-morning, intermittent problems early evening, and trash during heavy weather.
In order to have reliable OTA TV most of the time, the antenna->Tablo part of the system has to be “overkill” during prime conditions in order to still be “usable” during adverse conditions. Simple testing with a TV should be done during these more adverse conditions if possible.
