Hey y’all, I have a question about the difference in the hdmi unit and the new 4th generation model. I got the hdmi unit because our dsl was so slow that steaming anything could be a problem. We now have 1gig fiber internet so we have lots of wifi power. It has done a great job except for occasional dropouts and decoding issues with weak signal playback on recorded shows. Will the 4th generation Tablo have the same playback issues with recorded shows with weak signal since it is streaming instead of a hdmi signal. I get that sometimes there are weak signals or disruptions in picture due to signal interference. Perhaps playback would not be interrupted even if the picture is bad and you could just fast forward to a better section of the recording. Might be time to upgrade to a streaming Tablo……….Thanks
The only streaming of your own recordings or live is over your local network. You Internet speed has nothing to do with that.
I thought you used an app for the Tablo that is not hdmi and streaming is though the wifi connection so faster internet speed with stronger wifi would help
Missed the note about HDMI. For the TV directly connected to it, network speed means nothing. If you have the guide subscription, then streaming to local TVs on your network is dependent on your home network.
The Gen4 only need “fast” Internet for the FAST channels. OTA doesn’t need Internet, and again, local devices depend on your home network.
Normally this is absolutely correct – except, if your internet service provider also provided you with a new router. Then, you may see an improvement in your internal lan speeds, especially over WiFi. If you’re using wired connections, then be sure your Internet Switch is also newer. Some of the (very) older ones may not truly support 1gig speeds, and may have other internal bottle necks.
I do realize that the hdmi doesn’t have anything to do with internet….that is why I got it initially. I had a hard time streaming movie on Netflix and such from my Apple TV with the speeds I had. Doesn’t the 4gen steam via wifi or hardwire. So if I have stronger wifi then I should be able to use a 4gen. My question is the decoding from the untit on recorded shows. Without hdmi the 4gen should work better for recordings with weaker signals. Would that be correct?
It does sound like you’re having some basic signal issues and I’m not sure why you think the 4th gen could help with that. However, it does have its own amplifier which you can turn on or off, but most have received the best reception with it in the off position.
As for your network, what others have said is very valid and something to keep in mind. It doesn’t matter how fast your internet speeds are if your local network speeds can’t keep up. The 4th gen uses around 10-12Mbps for viewing live or recorded shows, so a router with a strong chipset is more important than a fast connection. Netflix and the others use compression methods to bring you content whereas the Tablo is streaming raw MPEG-2 video.
A weak signal has nothing to do with streaming. If the signal is weak, the Tablo will have problems decoding it, no matter what your network speed is. All the Tablo does is take the live/recorded signal and plays it back. The strength or speed of you network has nothing to do with the signal strength of the tuner from your antenna.
Ok…so do the hdmi and gen4 both send out replays as mpeg-2 video? If so it would not help my occasional issue with ota signal strength. We live 40 miles from the towers and generally get pretty good reception, just trying to tweak my system. The problem is usually in the summer months. I have relocated the antenna and it has helped quite a bit. I appreciate y’all’s input …thanks!
Everything from trees to the weather can affect reception. In the summer, you are more likely to get tropospheric ducting, which can cause stations far away to get ‘ducted’ to you and cause interference.