Your sheet is wrong I think… you have to pay for EACH Tivo subscription… its not a 1 shot thing. you have 2 minis… well then you pay 2 additional subscription fees.
Also where did you find that Tivo Minis are supported?!? The only thing i have been able to find is that the Tivo Stream is supported which is completely seperate hardware…
Also the Tivo OTA has a 500GB HDD included. you put 80 for an HDD for the Tablo… is that also a 500 GB ?
Yea, maybe it was sent out as an offer to current Tivo owners?? I don’t know I was suprised to see the offer and made me realize they are feeling some pressure.
If you go to Tablo’s Tivo OTA blog article, there is a link to the twitter post of a TIVO employee stating that the OTA DOES NOT have Mini support. Her final reply to the original tweet on 9/16 states that she was incorrect and it does have Mini support: https://twitter.com/tivodesign/status/504023673628422144
@MattMan13, huge cost difference, thanks. Even so… Tivo is taking a bath cost wise on their device. Now… one can argue that they make that up “somehow”, but those that say it’s due to “subs cription” cost are wrong. They are taking a voluntary bath on their device… my guess is that TabloTV (and other devices) must be having an impact on their marketshare (?).
Not sure if using the highest end Roku is “fair”… but still shows good cost savings. And I’d take out the Netflix… isn’t needed for the comparison. Might also be wise to take out the cable stuff just because that makes an assumption that your Internet is via cable (just saying). I guess it’s ok to leave all that in as long at it’s the same for both… maybe make the “same for both” isolated somehow or via a 2column span.
From what I’ve read the Tivo is a premium experience. Also the Tivo Stream allows recordings to be downloaded and viewed offline. Even without my Tablo video issues the Tivo OTA is compelling.
@MattMan13 one thing to keep in mind is that Tablo is actively updating software on a pretty regular basis. Tivo may update software, but not anywhere near the speed of Tablo.
Saving video is something people have asked for, so I believe that will come, maybe not tomorrow. But, I know they will add new features.
On my Tivo HD I have not seen ANY updates for years Now, not knowing what will happen in the future, I think Tablo will continue to provide updates in the long run. But, I cannot guarantee that.
Tivo’s temporary deal with their minis does make the Tivo quite a bit more competitive. Instead of spending $250 per remote TV ($150 cost + $99 lifetime fee), it is only $150. With the Tablo, you do need something per TV, though the user has some flexibility. If the Chromecast setup is improved, a user could potentially only spend $30-$35 per TV.
Note that the mini is not wireless. You need either a wired ethernet connection or a MOCA connection (ethernet over cable). Most Tablo TV media devices have built in wireless connectivity.
For the long term, the $200 Tivo Roamio with $500 lifetime is still a better deal than the $50 OTA Tivo with $15 per month, though you need to own it for a few years before you break even.
One weakness of the Romio is the 500 GB hard drive. It also has ads that it inserts. The Tablo can support 4 times that amount with no ads.
On the other hand, the Tivo has the better user interface that has been proven for quite a while. I am sure there are a lot fewer issues with the Tivo than the Tablo.
I understand that Tablo is updating their software and I have accepted that from day one. But my biggest concern from day one (over at AVS Forums) was the quality for sports. I am giving up alot of channels and sports to cut the cord. I don’t want to give up my local NFL experience and up until now every NFL game (NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC) that I have recorded is not displaying the game at a normal frame rate. To ME it is unwatchable.
I still haven’t noticed any frame rate differences watching NFL games. There is a different overall feel to the game vs. when I watch it straight OTA on the tv, but not a frame rate issue. I am watching more internet sports via the WatchESPN app, so I think I am getting used that experience.
I do watch my Titans games straight OTA because I can’t stand the almost 1 minute delay between watching it live and watching it after being processed by both the Tablo and the Roku. But I go back after the game and watch the Tablo recording at some point
Can you describe the different feel? If it is recording the native HD OTA signal, it shouldn’t have a different feel?
Different feel is what led me to compare it closer to my FIOS DVR experience. Upon closer inspection I notice that frames are not displaying and the same rate as the FIOS. It is like I am watching the game while blinking my eyes really fast. For non-sports it is not as noticeable.
