Currently Tablo has the ability to skip forward or backward in 10 second increments. Most commercial breaks on an hour long show are between 4 and 5 minutes. Skipping forward 4 minutes requires 24 clicks.
Most DVR’s skip forward in 30 second increments, which would take only 8 clicks. So my feature request is to change the skip forward to 30 seconds, leaving the skip backward at 10 seconds.
The OG/Legacy has a persistent FF, with 1 press of the FF button being 2x skip speed and another press is 4x skip speed, and skips forward until you press the Play button again.
Haven’t used the OG in a while, so it may be slightly different. Just one more thing that the OG users miss about the Gen4 device.
Hi @Ybot, would you let us know which device you are using your Tablo app on? In general, single presses should seek 10 seconds, but you should also have the ability to press and hold down the buttons (FFWD/RWD buttons or left/right directional buttons, depending on remote control) in order to seek faster.
Apple TV 4K with touch pad enabled. I have tried holding the forward button down and many times it will either jump all the way to the end of the recording, or will not stop going forward when I release the button and go to the end. It isn’t the button sticking because it doesn’t happen on any other device or app. Other than that, the Apple TV app and Tablo device have been working perfectly.
Pausing and swiping may help fast-forward/rewind in a more controlled fashion.
This page illustrates how the Tablo functions with the Apple TV remote: Tablo on Apple TV - Tablo TV
Today I was skipping forward 10 seconds at a time and suddenly it jumped from about 10 minutes into a 30 minute show all the way to the end. Why can’t the skip forward be changed to 30 seconds. I have to use my thumbnail to click so I don’t touch the track pad.
I totally agree and I have posted the same request in a few different threads here. This is what I posted in the thread titled “What features would make the 4th Gen the very best OTA DVR?”:
Please change the skip ahead from 10 seconds to 30 seconds (leave skip back at ten seconds).
Most commercials are at least 3 minutes long. That means you have to press skip ahead 18 times to get past the commercial. When watching late night TV some commercials are over 5 minutes long. that means 30 presses of skip ahead to bypass the commercial. When I had Dish Network and Amazon Recast, they both skipped ahead 30 seconds at a time, and it was a lot easier to use.
If you want to skip ahead 10 seconds, you could skip forward 30 seconds, and skip back twice. Skipping forward through commercials is done much more frequently, so skipping ahead 30 seconds at a time would be much more useful.
If you gracefully unhook the hard drive and look in each directory. You will see thumbnails created per show/movies. It looks like it’s for the FF and RW feature.
However the thumbnails line up to start/end of every commercial. I bet the code or function is there. Just needs to be implemented. I wonder if commercial skipping needs a license or something.
My wife has found a good work around. She lets her show record 30 mins (halfway though) and she FF through the commercials. Towards the end is live TV.
edit: she holds the FF button down until the commercial ends. She is quick with the fingers.
I press once then hold on the second press (Roku remote)
@TabloTV suggested to me to look for the hidden functions of the apps they support and I did come across a couple of items. Using the Amazon Fire app, there is a 20sec skip forward and back. (̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶r̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶i̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶A̶m̶a̶z̶o̶n̶ ̶T̶V̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶u̶m̶b̶ ̶T̶V̶.̶)̶ I just tried it out and it does give a 20 Second Skip Forward or Back, BUT, you still have to hit the select or play button to resume. 
Still, it is something!
And Roku has a 25 Sec Instant Replay/Skip Back. (I get a 20 sec skip back on mine.) (I would much more prefer that to be 30 sec forward, though.)
I primarily use the Tablo app on my android phone and an iPad and it’s odd that the android app has a 10sec skip back and forward. However the iPadOS app has a 20sec skip back and an 30sec forward. I’d think that app the mobile apps would be the same even though they’re on different OS.
Agreed. Maybe different programmers for different platforms?
@PL1, Thanks for that tip. I never knew that the Fire Stick had a built-in 20 sec skip.