How do you STOP playing a show?

Support & Troubleshooting
1

I LOVE public TV, especially their side channels, the xx.2 and xx.3 channels. 

I was messing around with the new Tablo quad last night checking out how things worked over my newly revamped network and all and clicked on live programming and saw a show listed I wanted to watch. Cool, let’s try this baby with LIVE TV!
I clicked on the show, it had JUST started as it was exactly the top of the hour. 
Now we all know how PBS (and others) do - the show runs 9pm to 10pm but it’s actually only a 55 minute show and they fill the gap with what’s coming next, what’s on next week, please support us and so on. So when the show is over, I am done. 
I watched the show, LOVED the ability to pause it while helping one of the cats find a toy, taking a call of nature break and getting another drink. 
I came back, resumed play and finished the show. OK, the guide says the show runs an hour. But was I done before 10 even with the pause and wanted to STOP the playback. 
Oops! How do you stop this thing? There’s no brakes, no off, no STOP. There’s only play (  > ) or pause (  ||  )
If you pause it, or stop casting to Chromecast that’s fine, but the Tablo is still very busy writing to the drive and using that tuner. How do you tell it "I know it runs a few more minutes but I’m done, stop caching the show now, stop using that tuner, stop accessing the drive, stop flashing that channel in red as if someone is actively watching. 
In short, where’s the STOP button? How can one make it stop caching to the drive and all that stuff? For one thing, I wanted to shut things down to move cords and tidy up but was afraid to touch it as it still thought I was watching the show.
Is there a way to abort? 
What if I started watching a show and decided the show stunk or I had to leave or had lost interest? 
With a VCR I can hit the stop button (the square) twice and it stops recording and the tape transport disengages.
With my DVD recorder I can do similar - hit stop a couple of times, the timed recording is aborted, the cached show is written to disk, the disk is closed and things stop spinning. 
With Tablo when I decide to stop watching, how to I tell it to stop receiving the show and stop all processes in process?
There’s no square or stop button. 
Help! It may still be flashing that station or channel text in read thinking I’m still watching it. Last I saw last night it was still flashing the drive’s light. 
Good thing it’s not an airplane - I figured out how to take off and fly, but can’t find out how to land the thing.  ;-)
2

It will time out on its own after a few hours.  If you must have it stop, then just do a quick reboot of the Tablo (press the button in the back for 1 sec).


Now if you are recording a show and need to stop the recording, you can go to that show on the live tv grid and uncheck the record button.  That will stop the record, but the Tablo will still be tuned to that channel for a few hours.
3

+1

The Tablo continues to buffer the channel you were playing in the background for some time in order to minimize the time it takes to resume that channel. It’s almost instantaneous.

Reason: people complained a lot about slow channel changing times for Live TV

4

REBOOT just to tell it I’m done watching a show? WOW! What if I’m watching a show but the tuner is needed to record a couple of shows in a minute or two so I stop watching - I can’t just tell it I’m done, STOP playing that show and clear that tuner for other use?

You are saying that the tuner will keep being used long after I’ve stopped watching and not a thing can be done about it? That there is in effect no stop button like any other device has?
Watch a video on a tablet, phone or computer, you have 3 choices, play, pause and stop. Tablo doesn’t have stop, only play and pause - that’s what you mean? 
It is going to keep playing that station long after I’ve left the house, even hours later?
What if  the tuner was needed to record? What happens then? It can’t record?
Geesh, so maybe putting Tablo in another room or a place you can’t touch easily is a very bad idea. I WAS going to put it in the equipment room eventually, where it’s always cool, and right next to all the network stuff and TV antenna connections and endless power, including UPS but that sounds like a bad idea. 
5

It keeps recording the Live channel to maintain the trick-play buffer, which is how most DVRs work.  It won’t release the tuner unless it is needed to record a scheduled recording, tune another live channel,  or times out under whatever algorithm Tablo is using.

Obsessing over it using the harddrive - really?
6

No, not obsessing, where’d you get that? My concern is that there’s no “stop” button. Why would it keep recording the live channel if you want it to stop, tell it done?

It doesn’t keep recording or caching the other channels, it’s just that once you start it, there’s no way to stop it short of a reset and no, other devices CAN be stopped with a stop button when you are done watching. Why continue writing, taking power, using resources and generating heat when there’s no one watching or wanting to watch? I don’t like the “obsessing over…” but as that’s hardly the point at all. 
It’s why can’t you stop it? and your reason about buffering doesn’t fly since there’s no longer any reason on earth to buffer something no one is ever going to watch or access. That would be akin to buffering 10 other channels “just in case”. 
There should be, and this would be incredibly SIMPLE, a “release the tuner” button or a stop button, we’re done for the day option. 
Really? Keep buffering a channel for hours after everyone has left the house?
No wonder there’s complaints about heat - it keeps working when no one cares.
Shut 'er down, let it rest and cool off. 
Just add a stop ability, release the tuner. Piece of cake in most programming languages.
7

If you’re not watching live TV and the Tablo needs the tuner for recording, it will automatically switch that tuner to the proper channel for recording. It won’t cause a conflict that results in no recording. No issue.

It will eventually release the tuner, I think it’s after 30 minutes or 60 minutes, it’s not 13.5 hours. No big deal.

8
+1

The Tablo continues to buffer the channel you were playing in the background for some time in order to minimize the time it takes to resume that channel. It’s almost instantaneous.

Reason: people complained a lot about slow channel changing times for Live TV

Fine but don’t most folks watch SHOWS and not CHANNELS? What if I watch a show on 11 at 7pm, then a show on 8 at 8pm, then a show on 5 at 9pm? What then?  It’s still buffering those other channels even though I wont’ be going back there?
Interesting and a bit odd, really, when using pure logic. 

Why buffer something that there is no chance of ever needing?

Seriously, though, how about at least a STOP option, no one has to use it unless they are DONE watching TV for the day or going to bed. 
I can see buffering when surfing or taking a break or coming back after a meal - I’ll give you all that. That sort of makes sense, but when I’m done I know I’m done, so how about a stop button or option on the interface. 
When I’m done watching it just is wasted and makes no sense to keep buffering anything.

Surfing is a good reason to buffer after leaving a channel, but if we surf among 7 or 8 channels, then how does it decide which we MAY go back to, or is it FIFO?
If a person channel surfs or flips between 2 or 3 shows like we do a lot of - how does it handle that?

Whatever the case, there’s no reason in the world to not have a stop button ability so when I’m done I can tell it to stop, conserve power, COOL OFF and don’t heat up the TV stand or table, quit using power and quit cycling the drive’s heads. 
If it’s a STOP button then it can keep doing what it does now, but stop if I tell it I’m done. And if I change my mind and come back 5 minutes later, then I guess that’s my issue if it buffers for 30 seconds and I have to wait because I decided to tell it to stop. 
But at least give me the choice to make a mistake. However in most cases I know when I’m done with TV. 
All I’m suggesting is that there should be a button, a choice, NOT to change the entire default behavior which is what some seem to believe I’m suggesting. Add a stop button so it can be stopped for the day or night, not change the default to stop. I’m not suggesting changing DEFAULT, just add an option to conserve POWER, make it GREEN, save some money, stop generating heat if I have chosen and know I want to stop watching for the next xxx hours. 
Makes no sense to keep running, makes a lot of sense to stop by choice or option. those of you who want it to run on for hours and consume power and generate heat can continue to do so. 

9

Forgot to add - on a quad if it keeps buffering the previous channels I was watching but want to STOP, while it’s buffering a new show I decided to watch, guess what’s happening - it’s slowing down drive access and causing the drive to work that much harder. So, give me a choice to speed things up and conserve. That’s all I was looking for, not to change your entire lives. 

10

I am pretty sure most DVRs keep at least a 30 minute buffer on every tuner that they are using.  Some are up to a couple of hours (like the DirecTv Genie).  I have never seen a stop button for live TV on a DVR before.


ShadowsPapa, do you have an example of a DVR that works in the way you want it to?
11

This is the first “DVR” I’ve owned unless you consider a DVD recorder but then that’s not really digital in the same sense and has no live TV capability. (some insist that these are PVR since they are personal and don’t require a subscription, I argue that they are ALL digital, regardless of subscription requirements so they are all technically DVRs)


I can see buffering for a short time to cover those of us who surf all the time or flipping channels constantly. that is necessary obviously if you want the “fancy features” like pause, FF, RW and so on. Can’t do it any other way. 
My thing is why is there no choice, I did not ever at any time say “change the default!” People jumped all over as if I was taking features away from them, no, ADDING, not taking away!!)
I said choice, if I choose - if I know for a fact i’m done, I have to leave for work or I’m going outside to mow or I’m going to bed, why is there no option stop all tuners, stop buffering, cool down and run green instead of consuming power, generating heat and so on for zero reason. 
And yes, I say zero reason as why DOES it need to continue to run and buffer if everyone is gone or out or sleeping?   How many lines of code does it take to display a small square stop button and tell the interface upon click, halt tuner"
Run GREEN, save power, keep it cooler, why continue after I’ve left for the day? There’s no one there to care. I run LED lighting in the house to keep things cooler, use less power, save money and reduce maintenance. I’d hope I could also turn off any new electronics. 

I thought Canadians were all about being green, recycling, conservation (just kidding around) I know they are I was just messing around but still why not let us stop the device when we know we are done, let it keep running for the others who are more comfortable letting it run on when no one is there to care. Option, not change default so relax folks, I’m not suggesting your needs be taken away, just an option added for those of us who do care about heat, energy and money.

12

I seriously doubt many users want that functionality.  When people are done watching TV, they typically just want to turn their device off and be done with it.  Having to go in and stop a tuner is an extra step the provides almost zero benefits to the user.


The Tablo uses barely any electricity (7 or 8 watts), which is a huge energy savings over most DVRs.  




13

Well I do have to agree that is one of the benefits - cheap to operate over time. 

Now, maybe I’m being totally misunderstood and that’s part of a life of having what I have - I know it in my head, I have solutions that work and have proven out over time, when I can get them across or explained properly. It’s just getting to that last part that’s hard, sort of like how someone like Stephen Hawking feels - he’s got an idea but how to get it across or COMMUNICATE it.
OK, starting over sort of. No extra steps at all, no going in to this or that, no extra clicks, no switching views or pages, etc. no navigating. I’m going to try to get a screenshot and do a mockup.
Say you are watching a live show. You have it open in a browser and streaming it to Chromecast in the TV. You have simple controls at the lower left part of the screen, right? (or rather correct to not get us directionally confused!)
When you need to get up for a potty break, let the dog out into the yard or the husband or wife hollers “get your butt over here and help control this kid”. You would likely PAUSE. That’s really mondo-cool for live tv! WOW. I can PAUSE that puppy and go get another drink. 
So ya hit pause, those 2 vertical lines near the lower left. Fantastic feature of DVRs in general and this one works grand.
But say you are watching live TV like above and finish the show or the show just plain stunk, it was a chick flick and you hate them or perhaps it was an Arnold S flick and you aren’t into him - so you want to STOP that show, end the pain, can’t stand it, don’t ever want to see how it ends. 
Instead of PAUSE those two little vertical lines, you hit a square and it STOPS dead in its tracks. That’s it, finished, done, complete, don’t cache or buffer it the show sucks and I’m done or too drunk to care. Maybe you did like I did - watched a show 9 to 10 pm and the show actually ends at 9:45 but Tablo sees in the guide it goes until 10 - at any rate it would normally keep going. 
So keep it simple, KISS - no extra steps at all! 
You have instead of 1 button lower left that switches between being a > to being a || or from being || to being a >   and beside THAT button, you just place one more - a [ ] (sorry, ACSII doesn’t do squares without knowing the code and I don’t recall that off the top of my head but that’s supposed to be SQUARE, like this one- 


No messing around, no extra steps, no extra navigation. 
You keep the play/pause button but add a stop button next to it.
Done with this channel or show, leaving for the day, this movie totally stinks, I’m too tired to care, etc. whatever, don’t pause it and walk away, stop it.
Add the button to the same screen right next to the others just like above. STOP, don’t pause or continue to buffer. No need to reset the device, no need to take any extra steps at all, in fact the exact same number of clicks, the same calories burned, the same wear on the mouse or touchscreen. 
I’d even bet the code to make that button is minimal, and the code to make it stop is as minimal. For a script it’s simple “quit” instead of “sleep”.   :wink:

Well, that’s likely as good as I can explain it short of coding it myself, rooting the Tablo device and violating copyrights and so on. 
AND my thoughts or suggestions do NOT take away from anyone’s rights to let the thing run all night or buffer to their heart’s content. I am not infringing on anyone’s rights  as far as making them do extra work to keep it buffering as that’s still a default and this button would ONLY be there for playing a recording OR playing LIVE TV, and at no other time at all. 
So I’m not stepping on those who say “stopping messing with the device I want it as it is and you have no right to make changes” and not adding extra steps that would wear out their mouse or ipad screen as they’d simply NOT use the stop button placed right next to the play/pause. 

Hope that makes sense - one would think I was pulling teeth or taking away someone elses god-given rights or something or trampling on someone’s rights to swap channels or come back later as it my suggestion would make THEM have to personally spend time for a show to ramp up. They obviously didn’t get it or understand the intent. 
What a violent reaction to an extremely simply suggestion or thought that wouldn’t change anything for anyone other than those who normally see a stop button when playing content. I mean there’s even a stop button in WMP. They are normal and expected and it’s more weird when there isn’t one unless you are so very young you don’t remember anything except the most modern of DVRs.  Play, pause and stop have been the standards for years. 
I don’t see how adding a simple stop would break things or mess up someone elses habits but that’s  just me I guess, I think bigger picture where possible, practical and all. 

My summary would be “what’s wrong with it” and “explain why NOT have that option”?
14

There is no need to have the option is what everyone is trying to explain. As well, the explanation of why the feature exists has been explained.

If you’re watching a channel and are not happy with the content just exit out to the guide and choose another channel. The first channel will be left buffering in the background for a short time of 30-60 minutes. With a dual tuner for example, if you then go on to a 3rd channel, the first channel will stop buffering. The point is that it buffers only for a short time. After 30-60 minutes, all your tuners will be free and unused.

Even if you paused Live TV on one channel and wanted to resume to current time on the same channel, you can either FF to current time or exit to the guide and reselect the channel.

The above workings make the most sense to ensure speed of channel changing and returning to previously viewed channels. Like when you “skip” back and forth between 2 sports game on different channels.

15

I knew already why it buffers - surfing, channel flipping, whatever you want to call it. I don’t do that myself, especially when the guide is right there telling me exactly what is one where. And if there are two things one, I can hit one and record it. Can’t get any more simple than that. 
In the case of my example or reason, there is zero concern about returning or going to previously viewed channels or skipping between things. I don’t watch any sports at all, only time I ever do is certain Olympics games and then I may flip back and forth a bit, but that’s not when I would use a stop. and I see you still missed my point because I laid out where it would be presented and at what time it would be used which has nothing to do with your explanations of why they buffer which I already knew. 
It doesn’t really matter as you see no need in how YOU use it personally. I can’t say it’s a need or necessity or priority, just that it’s the first device I’ve ever seen with no STOP choice (granted it’s the first DVR device I’ve owned personally)
So I’d still wonder - if it’s late at night and I’m done, or I want to stop watching TV totally for the day, why NOT have a stop choice, tell it to save its energy (the few watts that it is) and don’t bother buffering something that will never ever be accessed.
Why not - besides “it’s not needed” which is a factual statement, admittedly. 
So far the one and only “logical” point is that “it’s not needed” which I can accept based on the “buffers only for a short time”. In that case I’d use a tweak that allowed me to choose the time it kept working or buffering before stopping it’s fruitless work.
Remember, I’m not talking about channel flipping or surfing or going back and forth - my thoughts have zero to do with that, not even in the same hemisphere let alone the same country as that use. 
But I still wonder-  what would a stop button next to the pause/resume/play button have to do with anything as far as flipping channels or going back when I said from the beginning “done for the day” - because it’s going to stop anyway an hour later…

Don’t bother, no one gets it. 
I guess I give up as others here just seem to use TV far far more than I do or anyone I know does for that matter and a whole lot differently and don’t see the logic in a choice to have a stop button instead of pause, so I give up.
Was just wondering anyway and got jumped on from all sides like how dare you that would break all the other features and I sat here totally baffled as I never said that would be default and how the heck could that option or button break anything or cause others to have to sit and wait. Unreal the violent reaction that got.  Wow. Last suggestion I make.
16

@theuser86 but you know… you could still put a “stop” button on the UI that is really just a “back”.  End user doesn’t need to know the “reality”.

17

Thank you  - ease of use, comfort zone, fills in the missing "so where is the stop button, how do I stop playing a live show I won’t finish because I am heading to work or to bed  to continue buffering is totally fruitless. 

My thing was what’s the harm and folks acted like “no, can’t do that! It’ll break it for us channel surfers, can’t have that we have to have buffering!”.
you can still keep the necessary buffering, just stop what’s not necessary or add a SIMPLE to understand “stop” button, regardless of what it REALLY does. Make the interface intuitive for folks like me that still have every user manual ever owned in the original bag or shrink wrap. (honestly that’s not much of an exaggeration)
I never said “remove buffering”, I said option, stop, done for the day, where’s the brakes on this thing.
18

@cjcox I agree Tablo could just add a stop button for Live TV that has been paused and resumed.

@OP I’m sure Tablo has seen this thread and your request, it’ll get added to their to-do list.

If it ever gets done, great. Just there is no “need” for such a feature. The tuner will stop buffering that channel if the user does not, it does not go on forever. This is a “want” for a small minority.

19

Way more words expended on this than it’s worth.  If you’re done watching a live channel, turn the TV off and move on.  While the OP wants a Stop button, there is no UX reason for it to exist IMHO.  If this is on Tablo’s ‘To Do’ list, I hope it is the last thing on it and real UI / UX impacting issues are dealt with first.

20

It’s all friendly discussion. But yes I agree with you too.