Is there some way that Tablo can/will inform users when it detects issues with the drive as reported by the SMART data? I’m kind of hoping that the Tablo will at least warn us.
Not very likely to happen. No other DVR does it either.
Hmmm so we’re setting the standard to “what do other DVRs do?” Seems kind of limiting and not innovative.
SMART is often problematic even when available over USB. Just saying.
There is a long list of feature requests. Priority should be to features that are common in most DVRs.
@snowcat you are probably right, even though I submitted it as a feature request. The difference is, other DVR’s don’t leave the choice of, nor the replacement of, the HDD to the end user. In the case of Tablo, what I choose to hang on the USB port is largely my choice, and replacing it is an option. Access to the SMART data would be helpful to direct those decisions.
My case was Tablo became virtually unusable, opened a support ticket, and was informed the HDD was giving errors (which I suspected just from observing the blinking lights when I had problems). Support re-formatted the drive for me, and things are o.k., but I am left wondering how long that will be the case? If I could see the SMART data, or even have some reporting option on the Settings tab, then I could know if the reformat was a band-aid or a fix.
Unlike other DVR’s, Tablo gives me the option of keeping costs down by using a less expensive HDD, if I want to take the chance that from time to time I may have to replace it and lose all my recordings, vs buying a high-end industrial grade HDD and delaying that event probably for the lifetime of the Tablo (or OTA service, or whatever change comes to re-shape the landscape).
Certainly a “nice to have”, but it would really be nice to have.
They must have the data at hand already if they can look at logs and tell you the cause. I wonder what OS they use and how to gain access to look on our own?
I believe the base OS is Linux. You can see drive problems outside of SMART data. Tablo wants the option of treating their platform like a “black box” (that is, so that the insides are changeable).
I’m OK with that, but I’d like to see a warning indicator somewhere (derived frm SMART or whatever) that indicates the drive is nearing replacement status. Concomitant with that, I’d like an option (black-box-like, not SurlaTablo or any 3rd party app) to migrate my recordings to a new drive.
Lastly, if they want a black box, I’d like for the black box to tell me why it didn’t record my shows.
I’ve passed this along as a feature request to the development team.
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I hope you get that as me being immensely impressed and grateful. 
Changed it out for one that’s more to the point, I hope.