Hi Everyone
I am looking to ditch my Satellite TV and looking for advise.
I did some searching online and it looked like this Tablo was one of the better ones to buy, so I created an account and started reading this forum. I’m finding out the Tablo might not be the one for me.
If you all don’t mind a few questions…
What would the cons be to the network Tablo? I have a network in my home, and it would be nice to link a couple other TV’s but is there any reliability problems I need to worry about? Has anyone tried both the network Quad version and the HDMI Quad version to compare? I can get by with only main TV if I had to, for OTA. and my other TVs are not Smart. (but any new ones I might buy will probably be a smart TV)
The HDMI version needs a hard drive. Would this need to be a usb connected hard drive? Is so, then if the usb got unplugged for some reason, would I be able to plug it back in and not lose all my recordings?
I think I learned that there are no apps on the Tablo for streaming, like Netflix. Is this correct? If so, I would have to keep my fire stick plugged in? and have to change my HDMI source to go back and forth?
I have a few more questions, but hoping you guys chime in and help me out first.
Too keep the answer short…The HDMI Quad allows for direct viewing on a TV (via the HDMI cable), and displays the picture in native format. The regular Quad transcodes the video, and you need a device like a Roku or FireTV to view it on a TV. The HDMI Quad will allow viewing on a second TV with a Roku or FireTV.
Both versions need a hard drive to record or pause live TV. My personal suggestion is to get a USB drive that has it’s own power supply. You can unplug the hard drive and plug it back in without losing your recordings (I have unplugged mine many times). You just can’t easily “swap” hard drives on the Tablo and keep all the recordings.
Tablo only works for over the air broadcasts - so no streaming sources will record.
Since you already have a FireTV device - I would suggest the regular Quad, and you could view the Tablo via an app on your FireTV device - so you don’t have to change the TV port.
The only ‘con’ to a network Tablo is that you need an app to use it, whereas the HDMI models you just plug in the TV and use directly. It sounds like in your case, you should get a network (non-HDMI) one, especially if you already have a Fire stick, though you will need a device like that on any TV you want to watch the Tablo content on. Reliability differs based on network quality, but in general it seems like if your home network is decent, you should be fine. It’s certainly better if you are able to connect your Tablo into an ethernet cable, but it does work with wifi.
As @ronintexas mentioned, all Tablos need a hard drive, that’s how you store your recordings. You can use a standard USB hard drive, or a powered USB drive for extra oomph. But a regular one should have no issues for years unless it’s faulty. Get at least 1TB. The hard drive can be unplugged and put back in without issue, though as a general rule it’s not good to pull a hard drive without the power being off, especially in a read/write cycle. But if it happens accidentally, it should definitely not be a problem to plug it back in, you won’t lose your recordings.
Tablo is just a DVR for OTA signals, it’s not a set top box with its own apps like a Fire stick or Roku or Apple TV. In fact, you can use those devices to download the Tablo app and watch the content on it. This makes it so that you don’t have to do any HDMI switching too, all of your apps (Netflix, Hulu, Tablo, Disney+, etc) will all be in the same place.
The HDMI Quad will allow viewing on a second TV with a Roku or FireTV.
Thanks ronintexas I am curious with this. My other TV’s….I do have a fire stick plugged in the HDMI port. So you are saying if my wife records her soap opera on the HDMI Tablo, she can watch it on her other TV in the bedroom. I really like the idea of the HDMI with the simplicity of no network.
Just for clarity, there is network involved at a very basic level. The FireTV or Roku on the other TV in the bedroom has to have network connectivity to be able to stream the content to that TV.
To view on any FireTV (or other device), it will need to use the network. To view via the HDMI cable (directly connected to one TV), you don’t use the network.
it should definitely not be a problem to plug it back in, you won’t lose your recordings.
gdiff
Ok, I’m confused. Are you sure?? last night I read a message that says you can’t do this. I can’t find the post anymore, maybe it was removed? There seemed to be some tension with the OP and everyone responding. The post mentioned a third party app that you would have to back up recorded shows to your computer. The OP was very disturbed about not being able to swap drives.
Or… are you talking about just unplugging the usb hard drive and then plugging the same one back in?? I guess that would make sense.
Thanks
To view on any FireTV (or other device), it will need to use the network. To view via the HDMI cable (directly connected to one TV), you don’t use the network.
Let’s just assume I am going to buy the HDMI version of the Tablo.
You said I can record an OTA with the HDMI Quad, and then watch the recorded show on another TV. Is this correct? If this is correct, I think I can make this work.
Or… are you talking about just unplugging the usb hard drive and then plugging the same one back in?? I guess that would make sense.
Thanks
Yes, exactly, I just meant if it came unplugged and then you plugged the same one back in, it should be fine. Those other posts you saw were referring to if you try to swap to another hard drive. There is a process to do that, but it’s not as simple as just swapping one for the other.
Let’s just assume I am going to buy the HDMI version of the Tablo.
You said I can record an OTA with the HDMI Quad, and then watch the recorded show on another TV. Is this correct? If this is correct, I think I can make this work.
Yep, as long as you have a Fire Stick/Roku/Android TV device. Doesn’t work on the others like Apple TV or windows yet to my knowledge.
Just take into serious consideration how frequently you’ll be recording and (more importantly) how many shows/series you might need to store on the drive.
The general consensus here (which isn’t always realistic) is that everyone records and deletes routinely. That may be true for some but not for others…and the information provided by Tablo regarding this is confusing and misleading!
If you lose power or need to disconnect the drive, then you can reconnect it without issue.
You can’t use the drive elsewhere once it’s been formatted on the Tablo, so disconnecting it would serve no purpose. Therefore, my recommendation would be to leave it connected at all times.
HOWEVER (and so there are no misunderstandings), you will NEVER be able to replace that drive on the Tablo and then reconnect it in the future!
Once you do that, all of your original drives recordings won’t ever be accessible on the Tablo!
This is why, if I were recommending a drive, it would definitely be something larger than a 1 or even 2 TB drive! You’d be surprised as to how fast these drives fill up.
Especially on an HDMI unit (as it uses more space for recordings).
Of course, if your intention is to record conservatively and/or delete recordings routinely, then a 1 or 2 TB may be adequate.
Every situation is different and therefore, the advice to use a 1 (or even 2) TB drive isn’t always neccesarily good advice.
I’ll be ridiculed (as always) but the ability to swap drives has existed on a variety of other DVR’s for the last 20 years or so. It’s not rocket science!
Nor should it require someone to get involved with more complicated measures (such as Plex).
This was either overlooked accidentally or avoided intentionally by Tablo.
Regardless, it’s a mistake!..and instead of defending the company, discussing investing money on other potential solutions and “work-arounds” (for using multiple drives) and ridiculing me in the process, it would be far more constructive if the general consensus agreed that it’s absolutely ludicrous that you’re unable to swap drives with recordings produced by the same exact Tablo unit! There’s really no excuse for this!..and zero concern about it by Tablo!
Having to invest in a larger drive (just in case) is not only increasing your investment but it’s not a solution! It’s merely another “work-around”…based upon the fact that, in this regard (and others) it’s actually a less than ideally designed unit.
No bias. No spin. No manipulation.
…“just the facts, ma’am!”
A little more detail for you. Streaming to a second TV with an Tablo HDMI does require an active guide data service subscription as detailed on this page…
Loosing power - or even power cycling your device to restart it with or with out drive attached will not negate you from re-connecting the drive later. This is unfounded. There are many post recommending power-cycling -loosing power- as trouble shooting. There are also post suggesting disconnect the drive, as trouble shooting and watch live TV… the reconnecting the drive - issue free.
Tablo formats as ext4 - used on many Linux based systems. The drive does not become useless. There are posts of user cloning/coping and even recovering shows with the drive connected to a PC.
grave misunderstanding! If your drive dies, you can always use a new one! If you want to use a bigger one - there is no official path, but many step by step posting how to copy/move/clone your old drive to your new drive.
Drive prices has became so much more affordable for terabytes of space compared to 20yrs ago… this really shouldn’t be a concern. Tablo is a modern DVR meant to be used with modern larger affordable drives by users in the modern age.
This is technically possible. One user claims to do it. Using the Moving your recordings to a new Tablo – Tablo technique you can accomplish the “swap”. It’s not suggest, recommend nor even what the procedure is for… but does work.
As noted, searching you can easily find these are believes and not necessarily accurate accounts. bla bla bla
This is technically possible. One user claims to do it. Using the Moving your recordings to a new Tablo – Tablo technique you can accomplish the “swap”. It’s not suggest, recommend nor even what the procedure is for… but does work.
I have read this, can you clarify something please?
It says in the beginning you can’t use the cloud or built in storage for this to work. Then later in the steps, it says if you are using a SATA drive you have to remove the power adaptor from Tablo before removing the SATA drive. Isn’t a SATA drive built in storage?
For clarification (as information you’ll read from Tablo can and will be confusing)…
Moving recordings to a NEW Tablo is possible (I’ve done it). However, you would need to follow the instructions very carefully.
This is unrelated to “swapping” drives (so that you can simply replace the previous drive and still preserve your previous recordings, which you CANNOT do).
Additionally, in the instructions, it specifies that it will take “a few minutes”. That’s totally false (another fact)! Perhaps if you have two shows recorded on that drive (or it’s a 120 GB drive)!
It has (literally) taken hours to move data to the new Tablo!! I feel sorry for the users that base the time frame of this process on Tablo’s misleading instructions!
Especially if they’re doing it for the first time!
…and especially if it’s after 5:30 PM* (or even earlier depending upon where you’re located) or over the weekend…since you’ll be left wondering (hmmm, they said that it would take a few minutes but it’s taking forever!..what do I do now??).
BTW, on several occasions, I urged them to change the verbiage. They acknowledged it but in true form, left it as is. The disconnect prevails!
Take advice from the end users?
What do we know??
*and it better be earlier, since if you’re left in the que at 5:30 PM, they’ll hang up on you!
Debunking ALL of your contradictions/distractions…
I never stated that disconnecting the drive would either cause corruptions or a loss of data!
I stated exactly the opposite (and you even quoted what I stated)!
Also, why would you need to disconnect the drive to watch live TV?
As I stated in my OP, generally speaking, you’d have no reason to disconnect the drive.
In fact, doing so could potentially present risks.
While attaching the drive to a computer (for the purpose of offloading data) may be possible, it’s still a risky proposition and could potentially cause errors which could potentially render it useless again as a Tablo drive.
Again, focus on potentially, as this may not occur.
If you’ve replaced that drive on your Tablo (in the event of a drive failure, not for convenience purposes), then you obviously have no other alternative but to attempt to recover the data on a computer. What you do with that drive at that point wouldn’t be much of an issue, since it won’t be able to function as a Tablo drive.
Wrong!..a completely misleading response (relative to what I was stating in my OP)!!
Once you’ve replaced the preexisting drive on the same Tablo unit, the original drive is toast!..since, if you were to reconnect the previous drive, it will automatically be reformatted on that same Tablo unit (and there’s no control over that)!
That’s the crux of my entire argument!
Perhaps you should read my (facts) carefully!
Again……“swapping” drives and needing to migrate a drive to a NEW Tablo are two entirely different things!
Please explain what the cost of drives today has to do with having the ability to swap drives on the same Tablo unit?? I’ll save you the trouble, as the answer is……nothing!
That’s irrelevant and just (yet another) method of distraction!
Here we go again!..Swapping drives on the SAME Tablo isn’t possible (as your previous drive will be rendered useless on that SAME Tablo and/or a DIFFERENT Tablo)!
It’s NOT the same as migrating your previous drive to a NEW Tablo!
Therefore, it is NOT “technically possible” and it does NOT “work”!
These are NOT simply “beliefs”, these are FACTS (aka, accurate accounts)……and are based upon my own personal experience and others that are left scratching their heads as to how this product could have (and has maintained for so many years) such a design flaw!
Your distractions have officially been debunked!
No, not really, as I don’t practice the art of constantly defending and/or making excuses for a poor design (with no intentions of resolving it) and the art of intentionally distracting people here!
I’ll go with the FACT that all of your above distractions could easily have been avoided if they put greater thinking and effort into the design originally or at least were willing to invest in making it a better product (not just a decent product) and/or if the end users had any influence here…which they obviously don’t!
So if tablo’s response we’ll do it but each unit will need an additional 25% ram and thus cost $10-$15 more. And to cover R&D costs this will only work with a subscription. And oh by the way the subscription fee will go up 15%.
How many users would care about your definition of “design flaw”?
So (based upon your theory/assumptions) they actually didn’t get it right originally and now it’s on the backs of the subscribers, right??
Tell you what, I’ll take the bait.
Charge me $2 more a month for this option, instead of paying for the ongoing beta version of commercial skip (which almost never works well!)…-and- perhaps add a one touch record option (actually on the TV screen) -and- faster access to the guide listings (that can be excruciatingly slow!)…and there’s more…
Wow!..improving on an (originally flawed) product design vs. telling their customers to find another product…(or basically to “go fly a kite”)
…what a concept!!
It unrelated to unsupported drive swapping, yet taking a drive from tablo1 and connecting it to a freshly factoyreset tablo2, following along starting it reads the backup dB becomes tabol1 with all recordings intact!. Reseting it and putting its drive back it becomes tablo2 - drive swapping – absolutely not recomended!!!
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