Poor picture quality ... Fixed!

I just reordered another Tablo 4 from Jet … which BTW: is $269.99 delivered, for new accounts by using code TRIPPLE15 (and $6 more off if you waive the free return, so $263.99 delivered) with a 30 day after delivery return.
So that covers the cost of the 180. :slight_smile:

I’ll give the 180 and Tablo 4 a shot to see how it works out for me.
I suspect you guys are right, and that it’ll be very close to a Tablo with an HDMI and digital 5.1 audio output, albeit just a wee bit more fiddly … but certainly much less fiddly than my multi-180 suggestion.

Thanks again to smurph and MarkKindle for suggesting a hybrid system!
Much appreciated! :slight_smile:

I’m one of the group using Homeworx as a supplement for my Tablo 2 channel. It makes for an ideal addition by providing HDMI output along with 5:1 capability while providing an additional tuner as needed. Also the ability to play well with a flash drive makes for convenient portability for use with my PC. But stand a!one? Way too funky for that. Impossible remote and a horrible navigation system.
According to many reviews, don’t expect more than a year or so lifespan. But at $30 bucks a throw, no biggy.

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BTW @jerryg1 there are firmware upgrades for the 180. From the Mediasonic support page at the 180 forum, there is a listing of firmware upgrades. The one pertinent to me had some EPG and recording bug fixes. One has to email them asking for the latest firmware file giving them the box’s serial number.

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Gotit. So there is actually a support department working on upgrades, my my! And they’re not robots - I spoke to Vinny. He set me straight on how the 180 upgrade process works. If only the Tablo staff knew…:wink:

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FWIW: I also got the update after sending my V11 180’s info to Mediasonic support (as they caution to do to avoid bricking your 180) but the FW update they sent was version 11.3 and not version 12.X.
So I emailed Mediasonic support again, asking about getting the update to version12.X and Vincent at CS told me this:

“V11.3 and V12.3 are not compatible in hardware”

And after my request for further clarification he said this:

“In performance, V11 and V12 are the same. The reason for change is cost down. If you really like to have a V12, Amazon may not full fill it. They just pick one randomly on the shelf. It is very possible you will receive V11 again.
Or, provide your name, address and a copy of receipt, we will swap it for you.”

Which is true because both were advertised as being “Latest Version” on Amazon’s site.

But since I wanted to be sure to have a path to the latest/future updates, and in the probably slight chance that they might abandon version 11s at some time … I sent the V11 180 back, and got a V12 180.

The only difference I see so far is that the V12’s the green light is much brighter, and it’s remote works significantly better.
But I suspect that’s probably just a luck of the draw thing tho …

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Thanks for the heads up. I will check it out. Have you noticed any changes?

Yup same experience here. However my 180 version 11.1 has worked so well I didn’t want to exchange it for a V12 (not taking any chances). So now I’m at 11.3. I’m still amazed at the picture quality it gives my projector! And the channel switching is instantaneous (I’d swear it’s faster than my TV).

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When I saw a bug fix for recording I got the upgrade. I thought there might have been a glitch when I was recording with the earlier version but I’m not sure whether it was their firmware or my antenna signal. However this past Sunday I recorded Sunday Night Football (3 hours) without a single glitch after I got the upgrade.

And like TabloFan said, the PQ is outstanding!!! I wouldn’t watch football any other way and can’t wait for NBC hockey this winter.

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I thought I would update this thread.

I did get another Tablo 4 and it is working fine with the HW180STB.

But, something weird … the image quality of this new Tablo is ‘much’ better than the last one was.

My experience with image quality goes like this.
Originally on my 90" LED/LCD TV OTA is best … and my old DTV satellite was a close second that required earnest A/B comparisons to see any difference, then came Roku streaming with an easily noticeable quality drop, and then an equally as easy to see drop came my second Tablo 4 … in a ‘definite’ last place (BTW: the first one was DOA).

But now this third Tablo 4 is ‘maybe’ just slightly less than my than my DTV was, and although pretty darn good, still discernibly not as good as my OTA from the HW180STB.

My 60" did see a difference between 2’nd Tablo 4, but it also required earnest comparison to see that difference.
On my smaller TVs there was really no difference.

Now with this new 3’rd Tablo 4, the 60" and other TVs are (for all purposes and intents) pretty much OTA like.

My Tablo is hard wired E-net, as is the Roku for my the 90", with the other TV’s Rokus on WiFi.

Anyway … I’m ‘very’ happy with this latest Tablo 4 (which as I posted in the other thread, did the update with no issues) and find myself using it alone for most of my viewing on the 90" because the difference in it and the HW180 are so close that I prefer to use the easy guide on the Tablo instead of the funky HW180’s guide and functions.
That said, for anything where I want the best picture attainable on the 90" (like specials, sports, or Victoria’s Secrets show :heart_eyes:) … I use the HW180. :slight_smile:

Once again, Thanks to you guys that encouraged me to try again and to go to a dual system.
This is working out even better than I thought/hoped it would, :slight_smile:

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Happy to hear the new Tablo is working for you. Weird when something like that happens, isn’t it? The hardware should be the same, but then you get different results between units. I wonder if there was a manufacturing issue, or if there’s something else going on like dual sourced suppliers for some components that make a difference.

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Yeah, it really is weird because it wasn’t even close.

The last one must have had something going on, but since it’s digital, I have no idea what may have made the difference.
It wasn’t pixelated, it just looked like it had an altogether different compression method going on.

The last Tablo’s picture looked like it had some sort of gossamer fabric over it, with a washed out and less defined image.
This new Tablo has much better sharpness and more contrast … or just “pop” to it, using the same exact Roku, same antenna, and the same TV with the same settings.

Both my wife and I noticed the significant improvement right away.
Had I not already bought the HW180, I would be satisfied with this Tablo’s picture alone.

You realize that transcoded outputs such as Tablo provides is never a match for OTA direct HDMI output as provided by Homeworx. I have one Tablo2 and one Homeworx. Each compliment the other nicely while providing me with one additional channel for recording, and pure direct from antenna HDMI output.
For me Homeworx at its current price is a no brainer addition to Tablo.

Absolutely, but do you realize I was comparing 2 different Tablo 4s to each other, not to my HW180.

For some reason my other Tablo’s picture quality looked like it was … semi-buffering (for lack of a better description).
It wasn’t quite as bad as internet buffering (as sometimes happens for rural folks with DSL and Netflix, etc). But it was ‘significantly’ worse than the Tablo I am using now.

This one is very close to the HW180.
Close enough that my 180 gets only occasional play.

I’m a happy camper. :slight_smile:
But I still think Tablo should have an HDMI, with 5.1 DA output (like the $30 HW180) … even if it cost 20 or 30 more bucks.
Anything less is just uncivilized. :wink:

No thanks. There are other products available that have that.

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Yeah … like the HW180 … :stuck_out_tongue: