Tablo Quad, AppleTV. Selected Channel (not a show in the Guide) to watch Live TV, there is a scheduled recording at the end of the show that I’m watching on Live TV, on the same channel, no other recordings scheduled. When the scheduled recording starts, the Live TV viewing stops saying the tuner was needed for a recording??? There’s three other tuners available?
What’s going on???
THX!!!
So you actually select the channel number / call sign and hit ok? Didn’t select the show name in the guide?
Exactly
@BobA2Z We totally understand why this would be very mysterious behavior. The reason is deeply technical and nerdy but we’ll try to explain it here for everyone…
Playlist files for streaming TV come in two flavors:
There is no technical way to convert a live playlist to a recording playlist. The live playlist must end and a new playlist must be started for the recording.
At the moment, the Tablo doesn’t understand that you’re watching the channel you’re about to record so it will go about its business of ending the live playlist and kicking off the recording.
The only exception is the Roku app, which will pause, let you know the interruption is coming and resume your live stream in a matter of seconds.
We’re hoping to bring that same capability to our other apps to keep the behind-the-scenes technical requirements hidden and give the viewer a more seamless experience.
In the meantime, you can resume that program from the Live TV grid or from the Recordings tab.
Hmm, So what happens if someone else in my house, on another Apple TV decides to Live TV watch the same channel I’m watching, does it drop my Live TV stream or does it just pick another available tuner? I guess I don’t understand why Tablo doesn’t just use a different available tuner, especially on the Quad???
I was trying to follow your logic… the tablo device must end one and start another - yet unclear why another tuner couldn’t be used.
Then you reference one of tablo apps/devices… that it has some control over a scheduled recording?
…“playlist” ?? users never see a playlist, access the playlist or knowledge of the playlist? Your explanation suggest a user can que a list of shows to be played… in a playlist.
Some/mamy users here understand the .ts segments are streamed via a playlist – even more have no idea.
That 2nd streaming device will just display the same stream from the tuner you’re already using.
It has the tuner on a channel but it needs to switch the mode of the playlist. In order to not create conflicts and complexity it will use the same tuner versus another one.
The Roku app has been updated to handle the process more gracefully than other apps. To warn the user of what’s happening and then rejoin the show once it’s been converted to the recording style playlist file.
So, although it appears as though another tuner could be used, it’s more complicated than that and beyond the scope of this “simple explanation”? Or maybe it could, but that complicates otherthings - so it doesn’t, again, the logic behind this is more than we need to get into.
Roku has no “control” over the recording process - it has “better communication” with the tablo about what’s going on? Then passes this on to the user, so as not to be so disruptive.
How many streams can be supported on the same tuner? Do remote connections use the same stream too?
Tablo tuber math below. It’s a pretty thorough explanation and should answer all your questions.
Well, not really, unless I’m missing something (which is highly likely). Earlier it was stated that At-Home users watching the same Live Stream/Channel use the same Tuner, so I’m wondering, how many At-Home users can use that same Tuner ?
6 concurrent streams. Remote connections should use the same stream and not use a second tuner as long as the remote streaming quality is set to Full.
beyond the posted graphic - there is nothing specific “per tuner” streams. How many “people” - users/devices can stream
along with the blog post. Beyond that you can try https://www.tablotv.com/ask-tablo/
So it’s bandwidth limited? My Tablo is wired and my Apple TVs are wired, and if all wired users are watching the same live stream, they are all using the same single tuner - correct?
So, does anyone know how many wired users can watch the same Live Stream/channel on the single tuner?
Sorry, this may be the wrong place to ask, and this thread has gone a little sideways…
I don’t believe there is any media information or Knowledge Base articles specific to “streams per tuner” beyond the what’s posted.
There are implications - but there does not appear to be anything specific to “single tuner”. It mentioned concurrent streams, but not necessarily the same content.
“If Tablo has a wired connection to your home router and uses 802.1 G or N technology, up to 6 devices can watch a live or recorded program simultaneously.”
I don’t know if that 6 devices is both the overall total for the Tablo AND if a specific tuner could also be used to account for that 6 or if they are independent limits and there is a different max for a specific tuner.
How I am understanding what Tablo says it only one tuner can be used on a certain channel. So the reason why if multiple people jump on a channel does not cause interruptions is because live tv is done one way while recorded tv is done another way. So when the recording starts it switches to a different way of saving it.
So to say it another way. When you are watching live tv it records as a JPEG but when you record it records as a GIF. Since only one tuner can be on a said channel when the recording starts it has to switch from a JPEG format to a GIF format. When multiple people jump on the same stream it is still all on a JPEG format so no need to switch how it is recording. (not saying this is what tablo uses just trying to show an example of how i understand what they said)
As far as number of steams on same channel I am guessing it would be unlimited but not certain. Once Tablo is broadcasting it is broadcasting to anything tied to it does not take more power or it thinking as someone is just jumping on the same stream.
What I’ve seen, and understand - when you watch live TV it starts a play list. Live TV “works” like recorded content, gets transcoded saved to disk then streamed to device (on local network).
Time to record show, technical reasons it uses same tuner. Current playlist isn’t indexed as recording nor has start of show so it must end. New playlist is created indexed/linked/referenced to recording - from the beginning of the show. This playlist last as long as the recording - then… well never got that far.
This would suggest it’s limited to whether you have a Tablo Dual or Tablo Quad [https://www.tablotv.com/blog/tablo-faqs-should-i-buy-2-tuner-or-4-tuner-ota-dvr/]
If you attempt to view more concurrent Live TV streams than you have tuners available, your Tablo app will show a ‘No Tuner Available’ error message.
Which may be. It’s unknown how it stores and references the playlist for that channel, it may be for the current user/device. So even if someone else watches the same show - on the same tuner it’s likely another playlist gets created for each user.
I haven’t look into it. - Check tuner status. Look for newly created directories (indicating playlists).
The do not record the same as a live vs recorded. It is stated earlier in this thread. Also if you watch live you cannot change to record and it records what you have already watched. It would start recording from that part. You also cannot come back hours latter and watch what you were watching live as it would be erased.
The article you mention is talking about different channels as both the 2 and four can stream to 6 at the same time. but once again I think this is 6 unique shows. on the 2 tuner it would only be able to be 2 live shows where 4 tuner could be 4 live shows.
I was referring to the the “mechanics” of it - a playlist is created as content/data is transcoded -> saved to disk *.ts segments are added to the playlist > streamed to device.
Earlier the noted difference:
As I noted -
The live TV playlist does not have “start of show” point. Live stop / recording start. Recorded content will now have a start and end point.
I just may not have the communication skills 
but that was what I was meaning.
I believe each user can all watch the same recorded content. The tablo, uses an HTTP server to stream content… like virtually any internet server. So each user will get a virtual playlist to stream and control independently.
As for live TV. Yes, the article implies you can only watch / record limited to the number of tuners.
I faintly recall tablo can stream the same channel (live TV) to multiple users beyond number of tuners, but don’t have any references for it, as long as nobody wants to change channels - since that would be messy… maybe not.
I’m not trying to be difficult – really 
just sharing what information I may have picked up along the way myself.
