I believe it will scan the drive and import the actual recordings on the hard drive. It should also pickup the scheduled recordings (I would make a list of them just to be safe).
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The 6 step process below will allow you to migrate your existing Recording Schedule and Recordings stored on an external disk to a new Tablo. Tablo models using built in or cloud storage are not supported. Recordings also cannot be moved from Network Connected Tablo models to TV-Connected Tablo models (and vice versa).
The Tablo Recording Schedule is stored in the Tablo, not on the attached disk. If you reboot the Tablo with the reset button, it will back up the database to the externally attached drive. If you attach that drive to a factory reset Tablo on the same firmware and network, it will restore that copy to the new Tablo. The new Tablo must be on the same firmware version as the original Tablo. The firmware version can be found at the bottom of the Tablo Settings screen.
For the migration process to work, your new Tablo must be taken directly out of the box. IF you’ve already run a channel scan on your new Tablo, you will need to factory reset it for these instructions to work. If needed, use this process to factory reset the Tablo device to which you are migrating.
- Reboot the new Tablo DVR by tapping and immediately releasing the blue reset button on the back of the device. Let the Tablo boot up for ~1 minute. The reboot is complete once the blue LED stops flashing - be patient.
- Remove the USB or SATA hard drive from the back of the Tablo DVR.
- Reboot the Tablo DVR again by tapping and immediately releasing the blue reset button. Again, wait ~1 minute for the Tablo to boot up. Wait for the blue LED to stop flashing.
- When the LED is solid, hold down the blue reset button for 7+ seconds. The blue LED on the front of the Tablo DVR will begin to flash at a steady rate. Continue to hold the blue reset button until the LED turns off. The Tablo will begin to factory reset. At this point, you can release the blue reset button. The LED will begin to flash again as the Tablo reboots.
Migration Process:
Step 1: Reboot your original Tablo with the USB drive attached using the blue reset button on the back of the Tablo. Wait for the Tablo’s blue LED to go solid. This can take up to ~2 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the USB drive from your original Tablo and set it aside.
Step 3: Attach a new Ethernet cable and power (in that order) to your new factory reset Tablo. You need to have both of the Tablo devices connected to your router at the same time.
Step 4: After your new Tablo’s LED is solid, attach your original USB drive to your new Tablo.
Step 5: After a few seconds (minutes) your new Tablo’s LED will begin pulsing. This is at a different cadence than what you see when it is booting up or cannot find an Ethernet connection.
Step 6: Wait. It took over 1 hour to sync. Leave it alone and come back after a while. Once the LED is solid blue, the process should be complete.
Remember that you will want to Delete the original Tablo from the Connect screen on each device used to access the Tablo (think Firestick and Roku and smartphone). When you Connect each device to the new Tablo it will go into sync mode. You have to do the delete/connect/sync for each access device. Also you will need to set up a static IP and port redirect for the new Tablo if you want to connect to it from outside your network.