Roku seems to be becoming a very troublesome client for Tablo. With the upcoming 7.0 release it looks to be more so. I’m not even sure I want to give the upcoming Roku 4 a try.
So my question is. What is the best client for Tablo?
Roku 3 works great for me other than a slow startup 
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Roku 3 does not reboot in the Tablo channel here either, it does take longer to start playback. Fire TV works well for me too.
I’d check out the Nexus Player or Fire TV. Stay from Chromecast and Apple TV for now.
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I’m going to sell my Roku 2 2015 (same processor as the Roku 3). While I’ll miss Amazon Instant Video (If I need it I’ll mirror the phone), GoPro (use youtube), and PBS (Cast or mirror), I won’t miss the headaches. Everything else will work well on the Nexus player. I will switch to the Apple TV when Tablo comes out with an app. In the mean time, I need a functional device to work with Tablo. Seems like android or firetv might be best.
The best deal right now for an alternative seems to be the Nexus Player. It’s got great specs for $25.
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Where do you find the Nexus Player for $25?!?
Target at some stores. I bought one from a user here in the Tablo Community.
I disagree with the estimation that it ‘wasn’t very good’. It’s actually really awesome for Tablo. You can’t get Amazon content on it, but there are benefits and drawbacks to every device. Still, very solid & fast for the price, even at $50.
And just in case, here’s an overview of the options: https://www.tablotv.com/blog/tablo-cord-cutting-ecosystem/
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Roku is working well for me… I have 4 Roku sticks, 3 of the same type, relatively new, and one MHL type that came with my 55" JVC TV used in the living room. Because I’ve had a Roku device in one form or another for a while, I like it’s capabilities and available channels, and in addition to Tablo, use it for Hulu, Netflix, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube and a number of other, free channels.
Now I did have a problem initially with the Tablo preview app for Roku, in that it wouldn’t connect, but that was back when I had Tablo on my wi-fi network. Once I connected directly to my router via Ethernet, that problem went away and I’ve been very happy with my Tablo/Roku experience.
We have Rokus and FireTVs. So far, I think the experience is much better on the FireTV. I have no FireTV-related problems with Tablo and the interface is much better than Roku at this stage. With the updated Tablo firmware - everything is running perfectly on FireTV.
That said, Amazon has had problems with the software on the new 2nd generation FireTV being buggy and are working hard on getting those issues resolved. The FireTV is out of stock on Amazon (projected ship date in November) and it has been suggested that this is related to the problems with the software.
For sure a user specific feeling as I would say exactly the opposite. I think it is the way different people perceive things. Makes me curious about other things like computers PC vs Mac 
Are you speaking about the Tablo experience or about the device in general? Because my husband prefers the Roku as a device to the FireTV and there are reasons he prefers the one and I prefer the other, but even he admits that the Tablo experience (as well as the SlingTV experience) has been better on the FireTV.
The Roku has him choosing between the more complete standard Roku app with a limited interface or the Roku Preview app, which is a more refined experience but limited in the features that have been implemented so far. Of course, once the Preview app becomes the official full featured app, that issue will go away. However, on the Roku, we experience the reboot problem when FFing quite often, to the point where we just don’t use FF on the Roku. That significantly diminishes the Tablo experience on the Roku for us and makes the FireTV experience better. My husband tends to watch on his iPad rather than the Roku for that reason. The Roku also makes us choose between our two Tablos every time we start the app. The FireTV remembers the Tablo we connected with last. Since most of the time, my husband uses his devices with his Tablo and I use my devices with my Tablo, it is more seamless to not have to constantly select the same Tablo all the time.
Of course, most of those issues are just temporary. The Premium app will be completed at some point and the FF bug will eventually be fixed (I expect) and the Tablo selection at startup is just a little thing that is a matter of preference.
That said, there is one feature of the Roku app that I really like that is not available on the FireTV. Roku allows me to view my scheduled recordings by air date, so I can see what is scheduled to record today, tomorrow, this week, etc. That is a great feature that I miss on the Fire TV.
Both actually Ah and you have the FF bug that I do not have.
Roku is a great streaming box, I used to recommend it to anyone I knew. However, it is not the best streaming box for Tablo at least right now (I haven’t tried a Roku 4 yet).
Since switching to Android TV from Roku (specifically the Nexus Player, then to an NVIDIA Shield), I haven’t experienced any of the rough edges on the Roku platform, namely the more frequent loading screens, reboot bug (for some, including me), and non-complete functionality compared to the web app. The Nexus Player loads much quicker than any Roku, and I think the interface is much smoother.
The Nexus Player at $25 is an extremely great deal. I just bought 4 for my parents for Christmas. I wouldn’t let them use Tablo on any other platform 
The NVIDIA Shield (another Android TV box) is even better than the Nexus Player, but it costs $200. Lag and loading is pretty much non-existent.
Edit: I want to make it clear I’m not trying to make people feel bad about their technology purchases, I just want to share my experience in order to possibly help others avoid frustration with Tablo.
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It will be interesting to see how the new AppleTV fits into the argument … While I would prefer to use AppleTv (I did pre TABLO/PLEX) now that I rely on those two things the current appleTV wasnt working so my only choice (at the time) was to get ROKUs to replace them … Now with the new AppleTV I may just go back to AppleTV assuming TABLO and PLEX will have native apps (which I know both camps are working on) … I really loved how smooth and fast the AppleTV UI worked if it wasnt for the lack of native apps I would still be using it. (and yes I know about the plex hack-around-via-moviespreview thing and really dont want to go there). Also the ability to play games is intriguing… while not a huge hardcore gamer I do enjoy the odd iOS iphone / ipad games and this would be a nice plus.
I agree. I basically have the same set up.
I checked one Target yesterday and they were sold out of the Nexus. I’ll try another one today and hopefully get lucky. Roku has mostly worked OK, but with them stating in the 7.0 beta that they were not fixing the Tablo bugs in the beta before releasing 7.0 has got me looking at a better platform.
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Try checking the stock in nearby stores online, then call the stores that have stock listed to confirm they have some. That will likely save you a lot of to and increase your chances. I heard Walmart and Best Buy have also price matched according to this thread:https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3ppnvh/psa_get_other_major_retailers_to_match_targets/
I have had a Roku 3 for about 6 months and really like the Tablo interface but the Roku seems sluggish and goes though unanticipated reboots way too often. Beyond Tablo, the channel selection on Roku is massive with most being what I would consider junk channels. Similar to cable TV, there are only about 8 or 9 that appeal to me. I was an Apple TV guy and suspect I still am. The Apple TV has a slick interface and has little to no rebooting issues. Also, throughout the 2.2.2 thrash, it was my reliable means of using Tablo. I can only hope and pray that the new Apple TV 4 is able to support a native Tablo app; at that point my Roku goes on E-Bay.