I think more clarification is definitely needed. Otherwise, Tablo needs to make things “universal” over all situations. I would think that it would (eventually) be possible to have a Tablo that does manual (VCR like) recordings with no show meta data whatsoever without Internet.
Problems for Nuvyyo (Tablo):
Channel/guide updates (but possibly “ok” if stated that Internet is required for this).
Web UI which is a weird app thing that requires the Internet. Maybe something could be cached to the device itself?
Some end devices are better than others. Some are using an api style to get info off the Tablo that doesn’t require Internet. Would be nice for that to be “the way” everywhere. I think “then”, you could easily move toward “manual only” (VCR like) recording scheduling. Of course, there are many variables. So you have to handle the case of sometimes I’m “on” the Internet, and sometimes “off”. Where it’s important that I get a fuller experience while “on”. Yet somehow things don’t totally go south for stuff I did while “off”. If you think about it, you can see the complexities.
So, while is sounds oh so easy. Because this wasn’t how things were designed from the start, it could be painful to do.
They do claim to listen to request, but for the most part they know what they’re doing. If you sort through some of the “top” several are marked COMPLETE, they never stop.
web UI requires an HTTP server… like the lightweight one on the tablo
few minutes “overnight”… not for basic use. Well, maybe kind of… you need the info for scheduling.
sad truth… it was engineered for people with access to reliable high speed internet, who just discovered OTA programming and subscribe to OTT services as well. A large demographic, with disposable income… since dumping their cable/satellite subscription. That’s just a good business model.
Isn’t the tablo browser UI a cloud app. And if so it not only exists in the cloud but could be dependent on services that only exist in the cloud and not on any local stripped down http server.
It’s not a web page? loading ~2mb .js file? After it gets the local IP, aren’t all the art tile stored on, what you refer to a “local stripped down” server? My tablo stores all the pictures… the URLs all point to it. All the scheduling information is local, my tablo keeps it all, no cloud needed since I get my guide data downloaded every night.
Doesn’t your tablo browser UI just need to get the local IP and the complete page loaded one time?
Once a static javascript file loads aka web app – what services are you using that exist in your cloud? with browser UI?
Who decided that? Cord cutting means something completely different from one “cord-cutter” to another. Ask fifty people, you’ll get anywhere from 2 - 50 different answers / views. In my view, for example, hoisting an antenna up on the roof and plugging it into a Tablo is “cord-cutting”.
Somebody else may say “cord-cutting” is building a bunker underground and cutting off from civilization at large. For others, it simply means quitting cable and ordering up a fresh helping of Philo.
There is a difference between uses the internet and requires the internet.
If you didn’t want a subscription and tablo stopped checking for a subscription, you were happy with the firmware and app releases(no updates), you could set the tablo time and you wanted to sandbox a Roku(s) away from internet you could probably make it work if you set up a LAN only router with it’s own DHCP server.
I was asking, based on the OP’s premise, if such a cord cutting device existed?
A device similar to Tablo but with no internet required to access OTA TV.
I envision this would be equivalent of a pure wired environment from the antenna to an amplified splitter to X number of TV sets. So I guess what the OP wants is that functionality (+DVR) but using their LAN.
Collection of Media Center PCs. One with TV card for recording, networked to thin clients at each TV. No, it’s not ideal… but it wouldn’t require internet, just a lot of do-it-yourself.
The now discontinued Channel Master CM7500 DVR+ does not require Internet (or even network) connectivity. It can likely be found on eBay.
This unit connects to the television using HDMI, so it must be located with the television and cannot stream to the computer or other devices. If it does have an Internet connection, it will use this to download 2 weeks worth of listings. If it does not, it will give up to 48 hours of guide data using PSIP.
The PSIP data does not contain the flag indicating if a show is new or not, so the ability to schedule it to record only new shows will be lost, but this will allow for a DVR that supplies guide data without any Internet connectivity. That being said, an Internet outage will not affect its usage ability and all already downloaded listings will still be available during the outage.
If the goal is to have a DVR that does not requireany type of Internet connection, this device night be worth considering.
If that is your goal, try this. I’ve had one of these for over a year now, it is outstanding. As a bonus, you also get a streaming device as well as a DVR (it’s built in). You can plug an inexpensive 1GB or 2TB external hard drive for storage of your recordings, just about any type will work.
Because it is not on your network, it is good for one TV and one only … but you can take it to another room and plug it into a TV there, of course (it is small and light). The guide is free and the User Interface is beautiful. Because it is not having to transcode signals, there is no delay when pulling up a channel (or when changing them).
Just last night I ordered my 1st Tablo unit. I am in the process of jumping from Tivo to Tablo. My Tivo is getting rather full and it is difficult to add extra storage… and the Tablo looks to be more efficient (storage wise) and supports up to 8tb. We will see…
Anyhow, I can see that using Tablo during outages of internet service would be a boon. Outages in my area seem to happen routinely, i.e. a couple of times per week. I hope the Tablo will allow me to access recorded shows and continue to record pre-scheduled shows during such outages. Tivo can do that, so it would be a big step down, if Tablo requires my internet service to be active all the time.
Recording OTA has no need for internet - other than having the guide/schedule data available. With subscription, there’s 2 weeks for a concern. Without, I believe you more or less use manual scheduling.
An alternative or work-a-round for some is the use of #tablo-apps:third-party-apps-plex 3rd Party Apps to off-load their recordings to watch via other means.
