I Had been using a HD Homerun for my tuner and it works great… the only issue became setting is the DVR server (not really an issue as it worked fine as well) I just wanted more of an all in one solution that did not need a separate piece of equipment…
In any case bought a Tablo (model noted above) and got it set up all fairly simple. The idea was to use this as the single piece of equipment… When I set it up I noticed that the picture was not quite as sharp and it buffered just a little… I can adjust the settings to make it work right but really like the sharper image on the HDHR
Now normally this would not be an issue but since the picture on the HDHOMERUN was crisper I went back to using it
My questions are as follows… I really do like certain things about the Tablo, the guide is great and the ease of use… is there any way I can use this as just a DVR on the same network…
I would attach it via Ethernet but not have the antenna directly attached to it as that is attached to the HDHR… so it would purely be a DVR
Which HDHomeRun device do you have? Most HDHomeRun units store the native MPEG2 video as their recording.
The Tablo converts (aka re-encodes) the video from MPEG2 to h.264 to ensure compatibility with more playback devices such as Roku boxes. This also saves a lot of storage space on your HDD. This conversion process is not lossless and is likely why you notice a slight difference in the video quality.
Are you using the highest recording quality on the Tablo? 1080p 10 Mbps?
I have the HDHR duo - it is just the dual tuner. And yes I have it set to highest quality on both live and recorded… The difference is not huge but it is noticeable especially when it comes to rendering text the fonts are jagged… and sometimes there is a hiccup in streaming and there is a little delay when changing channels… As noted in total these are not horrible, but I found the HDHR to be much sharper and quicker also no buffering. I use an AppleTV for this
I could mess with the settings and I am sure I could get it to work better, but as with somethings I had no way to demo a system without buying and trying…
This is in no way a condemnation of Tablo, I think overall it is a great system and probably works for most people but since I have seen the differences I like the HDHR better.
Which lead me to my question, I really wanted to find a use for the Tablo since it does meet the all in one criteria… and since it can only record what it is plugged into, I cannot just use it as a DVR…
But I guess the other question would be (and I am sure I know the response) if I set the Tablo up on a second antenna, and connected it to the network I could still use it as a DVR only (i would still use the guide and all but not watch live tv) and it should work fine as far as not having issues with multiple tuners on the same network ?
Yes I may still have the same resolution issues it already has but if this is just a recorded show it may work just fine vs live tv
I can give that a try as well - Did it resolve the resolution errors
And to set-up with wi-fi do I just not connect the ethernet and try to find it on the network ?
One last question - how hot should the unit get ( I understand it is fanless and running electricty) but it seemed fairly warm to touch - not burning or scary - just warmer than I might have thought
I believe you unplug the ethernet and restart the Tablo. The Tablo will prompt you to setup the wifi connection. That will then put the Tablo back on your network just like if it were plugged in.
Mind you, I have a very robust AC wifi network which is why I saw an increase in performance. I actually had the Tablo sitting right next to the AC router.
If your Tablo is hard wired directly into your router and you’re having buffering issues, it is likely the playback device that is having a weak WiFi signal. For example, a Roku may be using the Wireless N 5 GHz band which doesn’t do well over longer distances or through walls.