May 2024 I bought my senior parents a 2-turner 4th gen Tablo. They loved it and helped save over a $100 a month on cable fees. Now 11 month’s later the Tablo stopped working. If a product lasts less than a year I wouldn’t buy again. I know there are other OTA DVR options. However, my parents are by no means tech savvy and Tablo’s ease of use of was perfect. Now I’m debating on how to proceed.
Did I get a lemon? Has anyone had a 4th Generation Tablo for longer than a year?
Buy a used one for them on ebay. Legacy if you can get one.
Is there a specific version I should keep an eye out for?
Not a lot of options: 2-tuner, 4-tuner, OTA or HDMI.
You could get in touch with customer service about a warranty replacement.
I have 2 gen 4’s that have worked OK for over a year, except the blue led’s stopped working.
IMO your parents’ familiarity with the gen 4, plus the free programguide, make it worth it to stick with a tablo.
If customer service drags their feet, I’d consider a factory refurb Refurbished Over The Air DVRs | Tablo – Tablo TV
or you might want a cheap backup tablo in any case.
I thought Tablo only offered a 30 day warranty?
Warranty VS return/refund:
All Nuvyyo products purchased from Authorized Retailers (Nuvyyo, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Home Shopping Network, QVC and ABC Warehouse) are covered by a 12-month replacement warranty for hardware defects from the date of shipment.
Customers who purchase Nuvyyo products directly from TabloTV.com, may return them to Nuvyyo up to 30 days after they are received for a refund of the product purchase price. Shipping charges will not be refunded.
I think you just got a bad one. Contact Tablo as soon as possible. It has a one year warranty and the clock is ticking for you.
That being said, what exactly is wrong with it? Did it just die? Can you test the power supply? That would be an easy fix. Also, where do you have the Tablo mounted? Like most electronics, it needs to be somewhere it can cool properly.
IIRC it’s 30day return policy and one year replacement warranty. check the web pages
But for me, in this price class, it’s not worth the hassle (and expense) of sending it back letting them inspect it, then finally shipping me a replacement.
IMO way easier to just get the factory refurb for $60 and there is very low chance you will get another dud. amazon sells renewed also but I have never bought renewed from them. Or you could just get another new one or even a four tuner. They will all cost more soon due to tariffs, buy now and save 
don’t overthink it you could buy a new one every year and still pay lots less than cable
What does stop working mean. You get no blinking blue lights at power on? Maybe it’s something simple like your power supply died.
My parents live 3 hours away. So this is 2nd hand information. My father tells me the blue LED no longer turns on and the app does not open up. The outlet in the wall has been verified. It’s possible the issue is with the power adapter.
Going to order a new 4-tuner with the third part insurance. Going to work with the Tablo support to get the 2-tuner repaired and use as a back-up in the future.
Thanks for all the advise!
This browser address indicates the last time the unit phoned home.
My legacy is going on 11 years now. Usually, the only problem with them is power supplies failing.
4th gen is still less than 2 years old, so the durability is less known. I haven’t had any problems with mine.
My 4th gen 4 tuner bricked after about 10 months. I filed a warranty claim. I set my replacement on top of a small fan because the first Tablo was always so hot. I am able to keep my current Tablo cooler and hopefully it will live longer.
A really good surge protector will save you more $$ in the long run. Those cheap amazon/walmart surges do not protect sht.
edit: just saying cuz my mom is 75 and loves using her surges strips that are from 1995. I have to buy her good new ones.
I’d like to know how long was it from when you filed your warranty claim until you received the replacement unit.
Thanks.
Agree…
Get one that trips in less that 1 nanosecond.
12 days
My parents keep their Tablo on the top of chest, and the ambient temp is about 78. I wouldn’t say the air flow is restricted, but I had noticed the Tablo was always warm to the touch.
Since all the air holes are on the bottom of the device, has anyone run with the Tablo upside down so all the air holes are facing up?
Does anyone know which holes are the intake and which are the exhaust? Thinking of getting fan. No point in blowing fresh air into the output. I’m guessing the large slits are the exhaust and the small holes intake?
My Tablo sits on top of this fan, running at slow speed, with airflow directed towards the bottom vents/intakes. I have not seen any issues with heat since doing this, but I would also be interested to know more about air flow within the system.
