Sorry Tablo - TiVo has beaten you to the punch

This is one problem I have not had.

95% of the time the Tablo is a rock star. Ditch the Rokus and get Apple TV.

Apple TV doesn’t support Tablo Connect remote streaming, does it?

Not yet.

The ATV Tablo app doesn’t have many things at this point. It seems to be a proof-of-concept. Yes, it will let you view LiveTV and your recordings and schedule shows (from guide only). It hasn’t even caught up to the other platforms’ capabilities yet, let alone getting much desired new features (but then again, the other platforms aren’t seeing much in the way of new desired features either).

It’s got a long way to go to become a robust, feature-rich DVR (and app), let’s just hope the wait isn’t (too) detrimental.

This is what makes me excited for the upcoming Android TV feature update. Hopefully they will show that they are capable of taking advantage of platform-specific features.

Couldn’t wait any longer. Been continuing to pay TiVo $15/mo for the past 8 months waiting on Tablo to get a usable AppleTV app. I gave myself a $100 limit to wait for the app (I exceeded that, oh well). Could have saved that money if I had just went ahead and bought the Roamio back in January.i

This arrived today :slight_smile:


Lifetime sub.

Will install a 3 TB HDD and then I just need to transfer my settings and shows from my current Roamio and cancel service on it.

I shouldn’t have a problem selling the Tablo, it has worked near perfectly since I got it in January. Of course, it just sat on a shelf recording a bunch of series I scheduled with my phone when I first got it to check it out. Using a phone to set it up and watch is not desired though. It had one problem with weak signal error issue, but I rescanned the channels, added them again and it again continues to record without problems. It’s a sunk cost at this point, so I many hang on to it to see if a usable ATV app ever materializes.

All is good, so my family will continue to be happy TiVo users, blissfully unaware that I had intended to convert them over to Tablo and AppleTV.

What’s wrong the Apple TV app? I’ve only heard good things about it so far.

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As a proof of concept, it passes. It just needs usability. Viewing LiveTV, Recordings and being able to schedule from just the guide doesn’t cut it. It should be fleshed out by now. As a TiVo user, the Tablo (using the web app or iPhone) is far from feature-rich as is, but I was hoping that the ATV app would bring some new features, yet it has barely gotten out off the starting line. I decided to quit waiting for the app and just go with a lifetime sub TiVo.

So just to clarify if the Apple TV app was as feature rich as the iPad app you wouldn’t be satisfied with it?

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No, even as feature-poor as the iPad/iPhone/etc apps are, having that functionality on the ATV app might have been acceptable. It’s academic, since I cannot present that experience to the family on the ATV to even see if it would have worked for us.

What additional features do you want the Apple TV app to have exactly? Personally, to me, being able to watch, record and schedule is all I really need. Also with the ever expanding app-engineering I pretty much use my iPhone for everything anyways (home automation i.e. lights, cameras, garage door, door locks, etc. & as my universal remote, to start my car and so on). So using the phone as the main controller of the Tablo is just as convenient as the rest of my devices. What can the TiVo do above and beyond the Tablo?

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[quote=“MisterJoji, post:173, topic:7351, full:true”]
What additional features do you want the Apple TV app to have exactly? Personally, to me, being able to watch, record and schedule is all I really need. Also with the ever expanding app-engineering I pretty much use my iPhone for everything anyways (home automation i.e. lights, cameras, garage door, door locks, etc. & as my universal remote, to start my car and so on). So using the phone as the main controller of the Tablo is just as convenient as the rest of my devices.[/quote]

As I said, even if it had been released with the same features as the iPad/iPhone/Webapp/etc., it would have been functional enough to try to persuade the family that it was acceptable. Using a different device to set up scheduling (past 24 hours and not limited to just the LiveTV grid) or not having any kind of sorting of recordings, or no listings of shows/movies, etc. for the ATV app just doesn’t cut it as usable. Possibly I could deal with it myself, but not for family.

Is this question really just a way to beat up on Tablo? Tablo is fine for what it does, it’s just lacking in features. Check the Feature Requests forum and you’ll find a lot that Tablo lacks and consumers want.

But to answer your question, the list can get large, but a few are:
Ability to add extra time (up to 6 hrs) to any recording AND/OR start recording early.
OnePass (schedule by keyword or set up season passes, etc).
Keep X number of recordings.
5.1 sound.
TV preview in corner while browsing guide OR small guide overlay while watching TV.
Instant channel changes.
Record from the buffer.

Suffice to say, the TiVo meets our needs. I was just tired of paying a monthly guide fee and I also wanted a one device solution so I wouldn’t have to switch inputs between the AppleTV and the Tivo. I decided to give the Tablo a shot when they announced they would have an AppleTV app. The current state of that app does not suffice and I decided not to wait any longer for Tablo.

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I have to admit, I also bit the bullet last month and bought the TiVo as Best Buy had it on sale for $359 with the lifetime sub. I just had too many issues but probably the biggest deal breaker for me was the live tv experience and laggy guide. As a DVR it was acceptable but some channels it would not record that had weaker signals, probably due to the split tuners. I haven’t experienced that problem with the TiVo. I’m anxious to see how far Plex will take the new DVR with possible Live TV and Time Shift. I’m a huge Plex User and Lifetime Member.

I switched from TiVo over a year ago and do not regret it one bit. I got so tired of the fees. I had a TiVo HD (for a decade!) and was looking to upgrade. No loyalty from TiVo. I chose to jumo ship to Tablo and have not regretted it once. I am tech savy so whatever issue I have had I have solved and enjoyed doing it. I understand that complanies want/need to make money, but where is the loyalty to decades long customers? Why should I have to buy addition $150 boxes to watch on another device when it is PROVEN it can be done with an app? Simply put: To make an additional $ from you. Thanks, but No Thanks.

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I’m good with the cost as it stands now. Someone gave me a Romeo last year. I refused to pay over $500 for the sub. When they came out with the OTA, it was a no brainier at the reduced price and the $150 for minis I could live with. I wanted a replacement for the hopper and this is exactly that. Let’s face it, if you were to try and buy that type of hardware you would have to pony up the cash for something like that which unfortunately isn’t offered anywhere else, at least not yet. The best part is it just works as expected. The Tablo is still sitting on my network but hasn’t worked since my provider started pushing out IPv6. I gave up after that and wasn’t really using it much before that. The thrill was gone a long time ago.

Thanks, now I have that song stuck in my head.

LMOL! I knew some people would be thinking that!

I am not going to spend $150 bucks a pop to watch on another device (which in my household would be $600!). Let’s put it this way, Apple has wanted in the Streaming game for years. They now have hired a Cable exec. They will end up recreating the same racket the cable companies have already done…which people HATE! So let’s support those those that are trying to break this vicious cycle.

Wel, I thought that’s what I kinda just did. If I added up all the years with Commy Cast, Dish, and DirecTV I bought this equipment a dozen times over. So this is a drop in the bucket compared what I already paid and nothing to show for it. Even experimenting with the Tablo and buying the TiVo, I feel I’m still ahead and probably will drop a few bucks on HDHomeRun Tuners and see how far PLEX takes the DVR experience.

So what are you using to watch on additional TV’s now?

While streaming sticks work, they are extremely lacking in performance, & If you use streaming boxes then you are looking at $100 per. That is still a substantial difference, but for people who want better performance on live TV & channel surfing…

I went Tablo & am happy, but if Tivo simply would have offered a PS Vue app I would have gone that route. The biggest issue is most people have different goals/wants/needs when building their entertainment systems, and the ever evolving technologies/choices are only going to get better & more diverse going forward.

I do share your fear that in the end the big companies will win in creating the same racket that we consumers have had to endure over the last 2+ decades.