Please add an option to download recordings to the iPhone / iPad app for Offline viewing. Currently when I want to watch a recorded show remotely and I have no wifi connection, it kills my iPhone data plan.
That’s one feature I would be using all the time, as I commute quite a bit.
Thanks.
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This is a pretty common request. Until Tablo gets it natively, there are at least three different apps available to extract the recordings from the Tablo to a computer, from where it can be transferred to your mobile device. I use the SurLaTablo Python script to do it, then I store the video files in a Plex library.
I also use Plex to do this. You can download and install the Plex Media server for free (there is a paid subscription if you want Cloud Sync access to your content, but it is free for most other functionality). You can then install the Plex app for free on devices such as your streaming box and phone and tablet.
I use the TableRipper Windows program to extract the video from Tablo. You can then use MCEBuddy (also free but you can make a small donation to get the latest version in development) if you want to perform extra processing (convert to another format, cut out commercials, etc) or you can just have Tablo Ripper drop the extracted file into your Plex library to use it as is. From Plex, you can sync the video to your tablet for offline viewing later using the Plex app on the tablet. I do this a lot for watching TV on my tablet while waiting for my son during his karate class.
I agree that it would be nice to do this natively from Tablo, but in the mean time, it is good to have other options.
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Hi all, thanks for your replies. I couldn’t sync Plex content with my iPhone. The sync button doesn’t look enabled on my phone. Do you need Plex Premium subscription for that, or is there another way?
the sync function is in fact a Premium feature of Plex.
Plex feature page
Premium features are marked with the “Plex Pass” icon
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I wonder if that has changed since we started with Plex. We are Plex Pass subscribers - got a lifetime membership a long time ago when it first became available so that we could use the Cloud Sync functionality. I swear at that time that device sync was a free feature, but I could be wrong.
and remember, you can use programs like SurLaTablo to extract the media from your Tablo. It doesn’t have to go into Plex (though it is a nice option). So, if you have another media repository, you can put the media there as well, or simply copy the media once extracted to your iPhone or whatever.
You have to pay $5 for the phone app. At that point you can get access to the content of your Plex server… but not sync’d to the cloud.
Having just been on a long flight, I would like to reemphasize the usefulness of this feature. Please make this a priority. One of the main reasons people pick Tablo over Tivo is the seamless integration with all devices, and being able to take your recordings with you on the go would add to that advantage. I’m not a software developer, but I can’t imagine that the ability to cache recordings is difficult to implement.
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The TiVo Bolt, which has been out since October 2015, has this feature you want, see the link below. Why did you buy the Tablo over the TiVo when it does not have the feature nor was it ever promised in the future?
I quote: “Or loading up a dozen recorded shows onto your tablet and catching up on your next flight.”
Does the TiVo Bolt work with OTA. I don’t see anything that indicates that it does.
The Bolt supports OTA, check the link below. This was the original Bolt launched. The newer Bolt+ which came out after is only for cable TV. The Bolt is still a current device, not retired.
I remember why I didn’t go with this: support for multiple TVs and the $15 a month guide data.
You can buy a lifetime plan just like with Tablo, so no montly fee.
And you can use their Fire TV app and Apple TV app for multiple TVs. Or you can even purchase a TiVo Mini for another TV.
Yes, but the lifetime plan is $600 for Tivo vs $150 for Tablo, and $150 per TV for the Tivo mini, whereas I already owned an Apple TV or Roku for each TV. That means for Tivo $300 for the bolt plus $300 for two minis plus $600 for guide data for a total of $1200. Without the minis it’s still $900. The Tablo, meanwhile, is $280 for the box plus $50 for a dedicated hard drive plus $150 for the guide data for a total of $480. I suppose if money is no object, then the Tivo makes sense, but if money is no object then why not just pay the cable company?
You’d still recover that $1200 in one year of cutting the cord no? Then after that you’re laughing to the bank - all the features you want for free
Eh, I want the feature, but not at the price of paying double.
For those who don’t have a Plex Pass, you can use VLC instead. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962?mt=8