Hot Tablo Box and Connecting to Vizio Smart TV

I recently connected my New Tablo Box to my router with ethernet cable. The box is extremely warm and the coxial cable from the antenna is very hot. Almost burns the finger. Is that normal? Also, how do I connect the Table to my Vizio Smart TV to show local channels from the antenna? I am using an Amazon Fire Stick for streaming.

You don’t connect the Tablo to the TV. You use the Tablo app on your Fire Stick to watch local channels.

What is the make and model of your antenna?

What type of coaxial cable? RG6?

The coaxial cable shouldn’t be hot. The Tablo itself can get warm, stand it on its side vertically (in theory exposes the bottom of the device to more air for increased passive cooling).

Keep your Tablo in a well ventilated area.

FlyingDriver: I tried to find an app. listed in the fire stick and there was only a download for Amazon Fire TV. What can I do now? Thanks, CamelSis

You plug the Fire TV Stick into your HDTV. You connect the Fire TV Stick to your router.

The run the Tablo app on the Fire TV Stick. The Tablo app will find and connect to your Tablo.

This is the app you need: https://www.amazon.com/Tablo-for-Amazon-Fire-TV/dp/B00USCB12G/

theuser86: My antenna is a Directional UHF HDTV Yagi Long Range (91xg) antenna sold by Solid Signal (upc 853748001910) and my coaxial cable is RG-6U 75 ohms. Thanks, CamelSis

THeuser86: My understanding is that Amazon Fire Stick and Amazon Fire TV are two different things. Is that faulty thinking? Thanks, CamelSis

FlyingDriver: My understanding is that Amazon Fire Stick and Amazon Fire TV are two different things. Is that faulty thinking? Thanks, CamelSis

They’re different form factors but they run the same apps.

It is not the “Amazon Fire Stick”, it is an “Amazon Fire TV Stick”. Yes, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is different than an Amazon Fire TV, which is a box unit. Tablo app works on both - which do you have?

Amazon Fire TV Stick:

Amazon Fire TV:

I would seem that it would just as fast to down load the app and see if resolves the issue. If not remove the app. It’s not like the app is going to make the fire stick explode.

theuser86; I have the $39.99 Fire stick with Alexa Voice Remote. I have run the download and I can see the channel line up for live TV. I click on NBC and a message comes up that the signal is too weak. The signal comes in great when I plug the coaxial cable directly into the antenna connection for the TV. Next instruction? Thanks, CamelSis

Try another channel - does every single channel tell you the signal is too weak?

I now can get PBS but not NBC, CBS, ABC, or FOX. Why is that?

Did you use a site such as www.tvfool.com to determine what channels, their type, and their strength are available? 2-edge are had to receive.

Are any channels VHF? Your antenna is UHF. Yagi antenna are not always good for picking up stations that are spread around various degrees. Is your antenna properly positioned.

When you use tablo to scan for channels what strength does it report?

The tablo has an internal splitter and that degrades the signal strength. Many users also use a power amplifier or power injector for those conditions.

Your OTA signal is likely just borderline so the 1x4 internal splitter in the Tablo degrades the signal just that little bit that you fall off the digital cliff. This results in your issue. To solve it:

  1. Point your antenna better.
  2. Get a bigger OTA antenna.
  3. Install a pre-amp at the antenna mast (this means physically outside at the antenna itself).
  4. Run a shorter cable run to the Tablo.
  5. Try an LTE filter.

All or any of the above will increase your signal quality.

Thanks for your help. I’ll work on it!!!

Thanks for your tips. We’ll see what happens.

That seems overly hot, you might have a bad unit. I placed my Tablos in a closed entertainment cabinet so I also set them on a laptop cooler. That said, both my Tablos run pretty cool.