NEW - Tablo Roku Channel Update (2.1 - Build 34)

Announcements
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If your primary viewing device for Tablo is Roku, you’ll be very excited to hear that an update is available bringing several new features to the interface including ‘most recent recordings’.

Here’s a list of the changes:

Adds a ‘recent recordings’ screen
Recordings in this view are sorted by descending chronological order (start time) and then by title so you can easily find fresh new content.

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Adds a ‘coming soon’ screen
This provides a list view of upcoming scheduled recordings.

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Adds ability to check for and initiate Tablo firmware updates via Roku
Starting with the next firmware update, you’ll not only see a notification that an update is available but be able to process it or delay it without getting up from the couch.

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Adds support for two-way communication between the Tablo and the Roku channel
Two-way communication between the Roku channel and Tablo means screens will refresh dynamically instead of requiring that you leave the screen and re-enter it.

Ability to focus and select Live TV channel vs. airing
In most other apps, you are able to click on a channel ID vs. show ID in the live grid guide to initiate an ongoing stream of a live TV channel. We’ve updated the Roku channel to provide this functionality as well.

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Performance improvements (especially noticeable on older Roku 2 models)
Faster is always better and we’re always working to optimize the Tablo Roku channel. Those with older model Roku 2 units should see a particular boost.

You can check for the channel update by navigating from your Roku Home screen to Settings > System > System Update.

NOTE - Now that the public Tablo channel has more features than the Roku Legacy channel, we’ll be moving towards migrating any of the stragglers from that side of the fence. 2.2.10 is the last firmware that will support ‘Legacy’ so if you’ve been hanging on waiting for ‘most recent’, it’s time to make the switch!

If you have any issues or any feedback you’d like to share with us, please let us know.

7 Likes
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The ability to hit the Play button to start live TV has always been there.

Never mind, you mean selecting the channel name itself. That’s new.

I see you can now check for firmware updates on the Roku. Can you install them from the Roku?

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Yes! Great improvements!

1 Like
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Sweet baby Jesus, excellent. Brings us several key features (some that used to exist in the old app).

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While both of those can be useful, we really need to be able to do the same (date sorting) to the listings (TV Shows, Movies, etc.) so we don’t have to look through the whole list each time to find what has been added since the last time we looked.

Yes, this was brought up in other threads and it seems that adding these features to recorded and scheduled programs proves that it can be added to the other lists.

2 Likes
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Last night I was able to watch the entire hockey game w/o a single LPW or kick-back to the menu! The kitchen TV (a CRT with a Roku 1) updated this morning and has been very solid for several hours now. Thanks!

After the kitchen roku updated this morning, I was getting “Weak Signal” error messages, and I don’t know if these were the app telling me my wifi was weak or the tv signal was weak. I got them on 5 different channels, and unplugged the roku to reboot. Haven’t seen the message (or had an LPW or kick-back fault) since.

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You have to be careful about analyzing signal strengths at different times of the day. A signal will be much stronger in the evening and at night; weaker in the mornings and weakest in the afternoons. A signal can be up to 30% stronger at night than during the day. The weather, time-of-day and the environment (position of sun, appearance of clouds, atmospheric pressure, etc) affect the signal’s path, curvature, bent, etc.

Your signal was great in the evening during the hockey game and weaker in the morning. Pity the Penguins lost the game - Crosby is the greatest player in the world! Don’t know how that Sharks fan in Ottawa (@TabloTV ) wound up supporting a west coast team 4,000 miles away??? Must be the uniforms…

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Yes.

1 Like
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Hahaha… I was wondering when the trolling was going to start. :stuck_out_tongue:

Actually been a Sharks fan since the Arturs Irbe/Igor Larionov days and always love cheering for the underdog, especially if they’re playing against the Penguins! Currently enjoying cheering for Brent Burns (love his offensive D style) and Joe Thornton who I remember looking more like this:

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The grey beard makes me feel old.

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Great updates to the Roku Channel!

RIP Gordie Howe :cry:

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Just had a chance to play with it a little more this morning. Love the new “Coming Soon” feature under Scheduled… now I can easily see in one place what’s scheduled to record and on which day.

I have to say that the app has really come far since the early days when there was no live TV grid.

4 Likes
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@lkahhan - I have not had a chance to see the new Roku channel update yet, does the live TV grid and guide grid wrap, or must you still move down the channels to get to the higher ones? Would be nice if when on channel 2.1 you could arrow up and go directly to the highest channel.

1 Like
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You still have to scroll down… the grid works mostly the same way, but now I think it’s a little easier to “tune” to the channel, maybe a little more intuitive. At least I find it’s that way for me.

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Thanks for this information.

1 Like
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Guide not working on my TCL Roku TV with Roku build 7.1-4055. It just shows hash marks. It is working on my streaming stick. I deleted and readded the channel but still the same.

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Is it he same version of the Tablo programme on the telly and the streaming stick? It would be passing strange if it works on one and not tother.

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It’s the same tablo firmware and the same updated tablo channel. The only difference is the Roku build. My streaming stick roku build is 7.1- 4096.

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LOVE the changes. Very nice to be able to hit channel ID in Live TV and start immediate view vs pop-up to then select watch. The addition of Recent under recordings was much appreciated. We missed this when we made the switch from Legacy. We also love the “coming up” in the scheduled selection. All of these changes were much needed. The last thing we would love to see is the addition of “new episodes” or “prime time” to the guide on Roku. As it is, browsing through the guide to find current shows is too much for these old eyes. We use the Android app on our mobile for this purpose, but since that is the only reason we use the mobile app, we always have to wait a while to let it sync. It would be a great addition to the Roku channel.

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I have one of the older Roku XD units (2nd gen Roku)… so proably not supported as far as you’re concerned.

With that said, new version Tablo channel is noticably slower and more buggy (navigate too quickly and it will die and bounce you back to the Roku main menu). Just saying. Not a big deal for most since most won’t have the older gen unit (or at least not one that is used much).

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After playing with the new software for a while, I find it’s noticeably zippier on my old version Roku sticks (3400x & 3500x). I like the new features and functionality, and am particularly happy that, at least for me, they didn’t break anything with the latest updates to the Tablo software, as well as the new Roku channel.