Ditching TabloTV after 1 year

General Discussion
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To start off I want to say that I have really enjoyed my 2 tuner TabloTV device for the past year. I ordered it pre-release and received a year’s worth of free guide data. 


The source of my enjoyment was a combination of being able to play with a brand new way of accessing my own OTA feed, and the fact that the buy-in cost was super cheap.

A few days ago I took advantage of the limited Tivo OTA deal where the guide data is free for the lifetime of the device.
The cost of ownership over 5 years for both their device and guide data will average out to $5/month, and I couldn’t see sticking with my TabloTV device any longer. Especially seeing that I am about run out of my free guide data.

The Tablo is a great device but it’s not “average people” ready because of a few limitations.

I have a Amazon Fire TV and a Fire Stick that I access my TabloTV content on.

My setup should have allowed for very quick access. My device is mounted on the same panel as my Fios ONT, and connected to my household network switch. (My Fios setup is Ethernet and not Moca, and I’m a 75/75 subscriber) I’ve tested the TabloTV unit through both Ethernet and WiFi modes, and my FireTV unit is hardwired, while my Fire Stick is WiFi.

Unfortunately, the access time to get to my content never came close to how quick and easy it is to access content from Amazon, Netflix, or any off the many addon’s available to the Kodi media center software. Seeing that all three of those streaming services are outside of my own home network, I had hoped that the people behind the TabloTV software would have been able to at least match those speeds at this point. If you compare how fast one can access live TV with a USTVNow account under the Kodi app, with accessing one of my own OTA channels with TabloTV, the wait is unbearable in comparison.

After the initial wait to connect to my TabloTV device, accessing recorded programs is quick and easy with the Fire TV app, yet in my opinion, still too sluggish through a web browser.

Also, I am disappointed that the software team never implemented an easier solution to delete recorded programming. How difficult would it be to delete an entire show at once or to use a check box input like one would use in Gmail to delete multiple programs for a given show. 

So, to sum it up, 3 issues prevented me from continuing forward, seeing that I was able to take advantage of another technology at no additional monthly cost.

1. Accessing Live TV is too slow and clunky to use in any normal fashion. It’s only useful, if you have to take a TV show with you on a portable device.

2. The initial wait time to connect to a TabloTV should be instantaneous in a home network situation. If XBMC/Kodi can figure out the scrapping issues for both local and networked content, so can TabloTV.

3. Difficult Library management, due to the inefficient way TabloTV implements program deletions.  

In a perfect world, if the above issues could be solved and you also created a fully functioning Kodi addon for the TabloTV device to access both live TV properly, along with recorded programs, you guys would have the best possible solution.
  
If I had to pay the regular TiVo subscription prices, I wouldn’t be ditching you. Your price point is perfect. I hope you get the software perfect too.

I also hope the software team considers my input. I’d like to see you folks do well. 
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Sorry to see you go. In my opinion they’ve come a long way in a year, some will disagree. As well, they are only making more improvements. The new beta .29 firmware makes accessing recordings on the Roku a lot quicker.

Are you interested in selling your Tablo dual tuner? If so, how much? Please PM me.

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@walker63 - Sorry to see you go. These are all things we’re actively working on so maybe we’ll be able to win your business back someday. 

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Although I appreciate the dedicated app for FireTV - it’s really really slow compared to the web app and Chromecast… The sideloaded app was actually quicker and that’s why I thought the dedicated app would be quick.


I can’t see any reason to use Tablo for live TV - tht’s what the TV tuner is for so I don’t really care about the speed of live TV, but it’s a true exercise in patience to use the AFTV stick. And it’s a bit worse lately - although I have to give them a big thank you for finally adding the number of recordings in like the other means and methods have had! I like going to recordings and seeing how many recordings of each show we have like we always did with the web app. 

However, watchng a recorded show, going back, deleting that show and then choosing another show still often tosses us back to the “connecting” screen. It can take 2 or 3 minutes going from watching one show to trying to watch another and deleting the show you just watched.

Still, I’m going to stick with it as it does keep getting better, they’ve made huge leaps forward in a short time, IMO.
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For me, the main advantage of Live TV on the Tablo is not having to EVER switch inputs on the TV and AVR. I just turn everything on in the morning and everything off in the evening.

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Share the antenna with multiple TVs by having a Roku in everyroom instead of having to split the antenna and run to each tv or putting a separate antenna on each tv.

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To OP:  yep, I went back to Tivo after trying Tablo too.  But I keep coming back hoping things will improve as a back up to my Tivo.  I also can’t understand how Netflix/Amazon can stream to my Roku so fast, but the Tablo was dog slow in comparison (for me at least).


Just as a warning on Tivo.  Stay with your Roku for Netflix and any other such apps.  For some reason, Tivo is dog slow on loading apps, at least my Premiere box is.  Great for recorded/live TV, lousy for apps.  I guess all technologies have a weakness!
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I am also considering the switch @walker63 I agree with what you have pointed out but my biggest gripe with @tablotv is they are moving way too slow with updates and feature implementations. I keep hearing this is on the timeline and we are working on this but the speed of the rollout is slow and then as we seen with the new roku app after we wait 4 month from when it was announced and we get a beta at best, maybe even alpha. There are missing features and huge bugs that "they are working on".

Tablo is a really small company and doesn't have the manpower to take on this market, I didn't really know this until a few months ago when my tablo flat out died. I at that point found out their "support department" is ONE GUY! I guess this explains why support is closed 2/3 of the day m-f and totally closed sat-sun. Yep that's right in a 168 hour week support is only there for LESS THAN 25% of the time (40 hours). The company needs better funding otherwise they are going to get squashed and our "lifetime" subscriptions are worthless.

Speaking of lifetime subscription, can I sell that with my box or is it attached to me and worthless?

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After 30 months, our "lifetime subscription" will be paid for at the current price of $5 per month. Depending on credit card used, you may have protection or there are always the courts.  I agree that Tablo needs to hire additional people so there IS support at least to 8:00 PM Central, and at least 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM on the weekends.  Support is NOT open while most people are at home.  IF they want to keep support the size it is, then the hours need to change to at least be open until 7:00 Central time.

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@Sleeper

By design, the subscription is tied to the account rather than the device just in case you replace your device.

You can always change the password on your Tablo account and provide the relevant login details at the time of sale of the Tablo unit.

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FYI - http://www.nuvyyo.com/#careers

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I just logged in and it looks like there is no way to update your login id (email address) are we supposed to contact support to get this done? I am seriously considering bailing and going with TiVo’s offer

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As I said previously I think your only option may be to just change the password.

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So what happens if we change our email address? There has to be a way to have tablow do it for us then right?

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Wow, I know I have only been using Tablo for about 3 weeks, but I have none of these complaints. I was a TiVo subscriber for something like 12 years, and a MythTV user for a couple of years until the hard drive died. So far, for the recording, Tablo is every bit as good. I haven’t missed a show yet.

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Well I just pulled the trigger on the TiVo OTA lifetime deal with two extra mini boxes for the other TV’s. They give you 30 days with free returns so I am going to set it up along side my tablo and after a couple weeks make the determination if it is worth it or not. Will update as time passes.

Unless a big “gotcha” shows up on the Tivo side I am going to bail on Tablo. Tablo just moves too slow and they think this is acceptable, in the tech industry that is a huge red flag! Then there is the financial side of things will tablo even be around in two years, I would bet Tivo will be but Tablo could go the way of simpleTV. And there there is the list of missing features on the Tablo side of thing and don’t even get me started on the software and hardware bugs (roku reboots under FFD, 4 tuners overheat and die, speed issues, etc)

In the 6 months I have been with tablo I am on my second box (first one overheated and died) and while some features have been added it has been slow to happen. Tablo’s best bet at this point is to be acquired by a company with deep pockets that has the money to throw into this product development and do it quick otherwise they are destined to be the next SimpleTV and disappear into the sunset as they continue to be one upped and undercut on price.

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@Sleeper

Sorry to see you go. Your user experience and complaints are justified.

However, I will note I have had my Tablo since May 2014 with no issues at all. No rebooting of my Tablo, no rebooting of my Roku, no stuttrering issues on my Fire TV.

With that, when you are interested in selling your Tablo quad tuner, how much? Please PM me.

Thanks!

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One advantage to tablo that I can see is that, if I am understanding correctly, one subscription covers as many tables as you have. So if I have 6 tablo’s, it not an extra charge. That to me is a huge draw.

I’ve had some problems with tablo since I got it but in just the last two months I can see a lot of progress already.

That being said, if you are leaving, let me know if you are interested in selling your tablo for a low price :wink:

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