Playback error on live tv

Support & Troubleshooting
1

I just got our 4 tuner Tablo yesterday. We have great OTA antenna reception and everything was set up and working great yesterday. Today we are receiving playback error messages d/t poor reception. We disconnected the antenna from the Tablo and in to the TV and found we still had great reception. Upon reconnecting the antenna to Tablo and restarting the Tablo device, the live TV worked great for a few minutes and then we get the playback error message again on EVERY channel. We have relocated the antenna with no improvements and our previously recorded shows from yesterday still playback just fine. Any ideas?

2

Are you using DHCP reservation for the Tablo? This will make the Tablo always have the same IP address.

3

A 4 tuner Tablo splits the signal 4 ways. So it is not surprising that you may have receiption when go directly into the tv vs. into the Tablo. There are others who have more experience than I do with distribution amplfiers and other solutions to what may be a weak signal (even though it seems strong when you go directly into the tv). Reception depends on so many atmospheric factors, it is also not surprising that you may have a good Tablo experience one day and a playback error the next day.

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4

What is the make and model of your OTA antenna? Is it amplified?

How long is the cable run from the antenna to the Tablo?

5

I don’t exactly know what that means😕 But I will look into it and find out. Thank you! @beastman

6

@theuser86 We are using a 6 foot cable and the Mohu leaf metro FFP. MH-110633 . . Not amplified.

7

see http://lifehacker.com/5822605/how-to-set-up-dhcp-reservations-so-you-never-have-to-check-an-ip-address-again?sidebar_switch=off&utm_expid=66866090-53.WJHsK0uiTqG2KukuD0irIA.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com

9

@beastman’s focus is not relevant to your problem (but may a good idea for other reasons). Your problem is a reception issue. theuser86’s focus is relevant to your issue. Shortly you will get some suggestions from the community about: 1) your antenna; the length of the cable run; 3) the potential need for amplifcation etc. These are the relevant issues to your problem which is a reception issue.

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10

Your antenna is likely too small. Get the Mohu Leaf 50 which is amplified.

Mohu Leaf Metro (way too small of an antenna)
http://store.gomohu.com/leaf-metro-indoor-hdtv-antenna.html

Mohu Leaf 50:
http://store.gomohu.com/the-leaf-ultimate-hdtv-antenna.html

This is similar to the Mohu Leaf 50 and very good, Winegard Flatwave FL5500A:

An Amazon product similar to the Mohu Leaf 50:

11

You might want to look at http://www.tvfool.com to see what channels you get and where they are located. Also see http://www.antennaweb.org
I have a Mohu Leaf 50. Position is very important. I get more channels with it in the bedroom window than the living room window.

IF your disk is almost full, Tablo will give false error of bad reception.

12

They just got their Tablo yesterday, I don’t think the HDD can be full yet :stuck_out_tongue: lol

13

@theuser86 Thanks, everybody. My Hard Drive is nearly empty😉 I will look into a more powerful antenna with an amplifier. If I get good reception with the antenna located next to my television or window . . Will I benefit by moving it up to the attic to possibly further optimize the signal, thus requiring a longer cable to connect it?
Also, all of the transmitters in my area are within 14 miles. But we sometimes experience problems with signals bouncing off of nearby mountain ranges (I’ve been told). Do I really need a bigger antenna, given the close range of my transmitters, or could I just supplement my current one with an amplifier?

14

For the price of a good amplifier, I would just return the Metro and get the 50.

15

Have you tried the other two Mohu comparable antenna’s you suggested in your previous comment? If so, do you prefer one to the other? @theuser86

16

I have the Winegard FL5500A, works well.

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17

I have the Mohu Leaf 50 and it works good, now that I found the best location for it. I had a TV close to the Tablo, then got the channels coming in on the TV. Without moving the antenna, disconnected it from the TV and connected it to the Tablo.

Note: Prior to 2.2.2 the channel 17s I get did not work on the Tablo, but did on the TV. They are 480 stations and they DO work since the upgrade.

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18

I have a Winegard FL5500A and it works well. But it all depends on what tvfool.com indicates. Just because it’s only 14 miles to the transmitter doesn’t mean you have Line of Sight(LOS). Plus low-VHF signals are hard to receive.

Sometimes it’s best to find an old boyscout and borrow his compass for antenna alignment based on info in the tvfool report.

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19

@TabloTV I have now tried 3 different/much stronger antennas including the Winegard 5500 and Leaf 50. The same problem happens. Regardless of what channel (strong or minimal signal) I select after I first restart the Tablo, it comes in great. After a minute or two, however, I get the weak signal message and can’t tune in to ANY of the stations, even the ones with the strongest signals. It’s almost as if the Tablo is somehow scrambling our signal after is initially established.

20

There is an Antenna Tuner app in the Google Playstore, that will use your phone’s GPS.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=potkay.tvantennahelper.free&hl=en

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21

Ok the stronger antenna should work if it’s pointed properly. And of course you have the amplified plugged into a power outlet.

Last thing to try, disconnect your USB HDD from the Tablo. Reboot it by tapping the little blue button on the back of it (holding it down for 1 sec only power cycles it, does not factory reset it). Then try watching Live TV. You can watch Live TV on one tuner without a HDD.

Let us know how it goes. This will let us know if your HDD is disconnecting from the Tablo causing issues.

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