Other types of recording devices, even VCRs, etc., have a record button that starts recording when you press it, without having to schedule a recording or pick a specific TV show. Why not add a Record Now button to the Live TV grid? The button or selection, which could be named Record Now or Start Recording, would immediately start recording when clicked. After it has begun recording, it would then ask when the recording should end, as in number of hours, until recording is stopped etc, but the idea is for it to start recording immediately when pressed, bypassing the need to select a show and click a show on the grid, click Goto Show, then click Record Now.
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The Tablo has that already. Go to the live tv grid. Click on a show. Click on âRecord Episodeâ. It can be a show that is airing live or in the future.
There is no way to just have a âRecord Nowâ without selecting a channel or episode. You need to tell the device what should be recorded (it doesnât just stay active on a channel forever like the typical cable/satellite DVR).
The Tablo does not have the function I am asking for, that is why I posted a feature request. Yes, while in the live TV grid you can select a specific show and choose to record it. That is not what I described. As for selecting a channel, when in the guide you are always viewing a single channel, because, well, itâs live. So thatâs your channel selection - you already have it selected. You hit a button on your remote and it starts recording that channel.
Why I think this feature would be useful: lets say there is a special news report that was unscheduled. It would therefore NOT be on the TV guide. If itâs not in the guide, how would I record it? If I select whatever show was preempted, then the recording will stop at the end of that show. Sure, when you click Ok with a show selected, you get a menu that says Record Episode, but there is no option to record past the end of that episode⌠without clicking through a bunch of other menus the select 3 hours for the âstop lateâ time. But the whole point it to make it more convenient to⌠Record Now.
The Tablos have either a dual or quad tuner unit, which means you can watch one channel while recording another, or 3 others for the quad.
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This is not completely accurateâŚ
Iâm in Live TV grid - and have not selected a channel. There is not necessarily an automatically selected channel just being in the grid.
Manual recording - yep, not the most convenient setup, but depends how bad you want to record it.
Wanting your DVR to work like a VCR⌠is kind of a retro-request. I can see itâs limited use, and this is the place for for #feature-requests âŚjust realistic suggestions why itâs unlikely.
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Since you are talking about a remote you must be talking about an HDMI model. And the HDMI port connection only. Iâm not sure what you are asking for could even be done on any network connected tablo apps. Or if tablo wants functionality like that to only work on the HDMI port connection.
I would think they would want any new app features to work in all apps including the HDMI port.
When you move the cursor you can scroll up and down to select a channel and/or a show. If there where a Record Now action it could figure out the channel from the show and the grid. I have a Roku (HDMI) based Tablo. You may have a different unit and so the exact sequence of key motions and click may be slightly different. Thatâs besides the point. Regardless of the exact model, the guide is rows and columns and itâs all software and you can pretty much do anything in software given the right construct and in this case itâs happens to be rows and columns⌠just like a selecting a cell in spreadsheet.
Your #feature-requests link is simply a message topic tag simply brings me to this subcategory, which is why I posted the request with that tag. There is no separate forum for feature requests, there are just tags on topics so the postings can be grouped and searched for. At least you agree that there is a use for it⌠again, which is why I posted with that tag.
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I donât think it is doable based on the softwareâs configuratio. I have Quad HDMI with no internet and thus no guide data. The guide just shows rectangles going off into the distance. A record now button would be nice if it had options for length not based on grid (in this case grid has no information).
I can go to schedules Add and enter a recording and adding end time manually of my choice and save. This records but lose a few minutes.
Even better allow recording the buffer. As to retro I (old one) remember being nothing if didnât have large screen TV. Then it went to miniature TVs AKA Smartphones and now retro is back with large screen TVs.
Yes, that is why as part of the request I wrote " it would then ask when the recording should end, as in number of hours, until recording is stopped " The grid is just where I would use the feature and would just be used to grab the channel, not the show itself.
Note even a channel in the left most column? I can understand, without a connection, that the grid would have empty boxes since there would be no info to fill it with, but isnât the list of channels still on the left? Anyways, it doesnât matter. Like I mentioned, they could always make a schedule, and thus a connection, a requirement for the feature to work. Even a smart TV will till you that for certain features to work you need an internet connection. If you donât want to use the feature, then no connection is needed. So if you donât want Record Now, then no connection is needed. Computer and smart phone apps do this all the time.
Yes, I am aware of this feature. Someone mentioned this previously as well. I find that process cumbersome for the situation I described. As I said, this is a convenience feature, nothing more. Not everyone uses every feature of every product. I thought the #Feature Requests tag was monitored by Tablo employees. Apparently not.
Hi @TBV,
We do monitor the forums and read almost every topic, though as this is a community forum, we generally only respond if someone is looking for an answer that the community is unable to give or to give additional context if necessary.
As far as this feature, the ability to immediately start recording the channel being watched (including any buffer that has built up) without having to leave playback to hit record in on the Live Grid has been a fairly common feature request, so we are certainly aware of it.
There are a number of limitations behind the scenes that have prevented us from implementing it as of yet (a big one being that the remote of every device with a Tablo app is different, and almost none have a ârecordâ button), but rest assured, itâs something we are aware of.
i like you request.
I donât know what Tabloâs challenges are for adding the buffer but it would go a long way if we could start a recording well watching live TV. Click a button and a menu would pop up with some options that included recording. Then a second option to extend the recording or stop it if the program is already recording. Nobody wants to leave actively watching a show to dig through menus.
As things are currently I usually pull out my phone and open the Tablo app if I need to extend a recording or start one well watching a show. Itâs a real pain particularly since the Tablo app is a bit slow to open when you have a big library of shows like I do.
@TabloForumAdim, thanks for chiming in.
The Record Now doesnât have to be a physical button, it can be a soft button somewhere on the menu. You already have this in other places. In the âScheduledâ view there is an âAdd Newâ button. The only difference is that a Record Now button would ask you the channel (if unable to determine from the grid) and recording duration. The software could even give the recording a default name like the date & time recording started and channel. Sure every device is different, not all remotes are the same, etc. But I would imagine that every remote or device must have some navigation keys, like arrows, right? And every device must have some way to select, like Ok, Enter, Accept, Select etc., right? So I donât see how that prevents the addition of a âsoftâ Record Now âbuttonâ. In this sense, the challenge of adding a Record Now, or any new feature, is no different than adding any other new feature. Anyways. My vote is cast. Thanks!
@TBV, in that case it seems that the functionality youâre looking for is already basically present in the manual recording option that you mentioned (âAdd Newâ button in the Scheduled screen).
You can schedule a recording with any details you like, including title, the channel, and recording duration. The start time should also default to the current time when you select it, so you can essentially start recording ânowâ on any channel for as long as you like. Certainly, it takes a few extra seconds to fill out than something that would autopopulate more of the fields, but it seems to still be what youâre asking for in your reply here. If not, would you be able to clarify further?
As itâs understood youâre making a request⌠others are sharing with you while itâs currently unlikely to happen. Just because you âdonât see howâ the technical limitations are there donât negate the devices short comings from this perspective.
There could be parallels to why canât I record I show Iâve been watching via live TV since it buffers live TV. TaboTV has attempted to explain this. Not everyone understood⌠but without a complete overhaul - it wonât work.
Many users state how it canât be âtoo hardâ to add a feature. TabloTV explains some of their [marketing] reasoning - not everyone is going to be happy.
It seems their target demographic is a âtypicalâ user - âset and forgetâ, âquick and easyâ. Many users in the Community Forum not likely âtypicalâ âŚin any category.
Their development not only involves somewhat different platforms now their devices work across multiple devices and apps, itâs not necessarily cost efficient to make something work for just one thing.
This!
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Hello @TabloForumAdmin. Thanks for your interest. Iâm not sure what I can say to describe my request/suggestion further. As previously mentioned, having a âRecord Nowâ on the Live TV grid view is a matter convenience. Sure there is the Add New button in the Scheduled view, but that does not seem intuitive, since âScheduledâ is past tense. I did not think to look there to add something new. I eventually found it. It would seem to be more intuitive if the Add New was in the Live TV grid view. That is just my opinion.
As for what the Record Now (or even Add New) behavior, again, if you are viewing the TV grid, and IF the channel information is already highlighted or selected then why not auto populate what you can, instead of having the user enter what is obvious and obtainable from the context.
I have a Roku front end. Others have said they have something different. Some have even said that they donât have a connection to the internet and that the grid is not populated. I donât have such a device to give my perspective on how Tablo would consider that condition. But I have to wonder if in that case, when the grid is blank, arenât there at least a list of channels on the left? IDK.
Also, (again, I have a Roku front end, other experiences may differ) if Iâm watching a show via live TV, I simply return to the live grid, select the show then choose "Watch"or âRecord Episodeâ. If I select âRecord Episodeâ it begins recording. The only difference between this and my suggested Record Now is that Record Now would not stop recording at the end of that episode, but rather it would ask me when the recording should end, as in number of hours, until recording is stopped etc. It seems, that this existing feature to âRecord Episodeâ doesnât exist or doesnât work for someone without an internet connection, but that didnât prevent Tablo from including that feature. A Record Now, in that sense, would be the same - if you donât have any data in the live TV grid, then the function would not exist or not work.
I have failed to mention use cases or scenarios where quickly being able to start recording would be desirable and convenient. Generally, any situation where the TV grid differs from what is being broadcast. One case that comes to mind, at the moment, is unscheduled interruptions a.k.a. âwe interrupt this broadcast for a special news updateâ. Youâre watching TV and something âbigâ happens and you immediate think âI should record thisâ.
@TabloForumAdmin , I hope this has helped to clarify the use case for the proposed Record Now feature request.
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All the remotes have a â*â (options) button which pops up a submenu without leaving the live channel, e.g. turn on captions. I think you can add the ârecordâ now as part of the choices. I would lile the record now as well. Coming from ATT Uverse world and they have a record now button. Very useful.
How does that help users of non-HDMI tabloâs or users of HDMI tablos using a network attached device?
The * is on my Roku remote. It would be nice to be able to hit * and select record if Iâm watching something.
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I thought during playback the roku tablo app used * to toggle closed caption.
Have another roku button?
Actually it brings up a menu of choices, so it might be possible to add an additional choice on the menu for a Record Now button.
Unfortunately my nVidia Shield remote doesnât have a * button, so if Tablo is trying to keep all of the different apps as similar as possible, they would have to find another way to implement this feature on Android TV apps.