Tablo App is not compatible with andriod Cell Phone

Yesterday, I was trying to set up my husband’s cell phone so he could cast to TV in our camper using his cell phone but as I tried to download the Tablo app it said it was not compatible with his android 4.0.4 version. Is there something we can do to get the Tablo app compatible with his phone or might this be compatible later if it is not now? Jan

What phone is it?

Huawei Glory

Yeah, that phone is not going to get updated at all and is very, very far behind on the Android OS. Given all the improvements in Android over the last 3 years, I highly doubt Tablo folks would spend time supporting that version, which Google no longer supports. It would need at least 4.4 to get Tablo to work.

Sorry.

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It’s a Tracfone but my LG is a Tracfone but it is android 4.4.2 version and it does cast to ChromeCast but like I say my husband’s phone doesn’t. Jan

Yup. 4.4.2 will do it. 4.0.4 will not. Despite the first “4” being the same, Google made huge changes as to how Android works with the new importance of Google Play Services that came out with 4.4 aka KitKat. Your husbands phone is still on Ice Cream Sandwich.

I believe you need at least Android 4.1 for the Tablo app to work.

You could try Chrome browser?

That is correct. Anything before that does not support the communication protocols that Tablo needs.

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Hi all,

Thanks for letting me know there isn’t a user error in getting my husband’s cell phone to work. I was looking for a way my husband could easily use Tablo in our travel trailer as sits in our driveway when not in use camping and is his “Man Cave” (a very nice man cave - I might say) and while he is the early stages of dementia, I wanted him to be able to watch up coming baseball games, etc. without much assistance as he would rather do things himself (and who wouldn’t). I have already commandeered his laptop (this is the one we are using for Tablo Ripper, etc. now) as he started showing he would not maintain it anymore (he couldn’t reinstall Windows and drivers, etc. when his computer started having major problems) so we have purposed a kindle for his internet use and thankfully, no maintenance issues for him. Last year, during our travels (I drive), he couldn’t figure out how to use his cell phone (it was a new device to him then and does take some getting used to from the Windows world) but thank God he has figured out both his cell and the kindle since but from what I see the kindle will not case to a Chromecast (I was testing to see what we currently own that might use in our travel trailer and therefore, what I need to purchase - a Chromecast, Roku, etc. to communication with the Tablo on the road or in our driveway). I guess from what I have seen we are going to try a Roku Stick to communicate with the Tablo as this would also allow us to watch NRB Network if we are able to get a WIFI signal strong enough as we camp at camp grounds. My sister is checking to see if she can get TWC installed at her “camp” (house on a lake) as we could then just transfer our TWC service while we are visiting her and her family. If so, we will take our Tablo, etc. and once again feel right a home - lol.

So all this to say, I was looking for a way for my husband to use Tablo whether we are here or travelling as you can see it would be easier for him to use on device and not have to learn several ways to access the Tablo (so I have been please that he can watch on his kindle - thanks everyone at Tablo for giving us all these ways to watch) - well, if the Roku stick works (we have a Roku 1 now so I don’t think speed wise we are going to feel like we are stepping down with the stick - I hope), he will have the Roku remote as the way to get round with in Tablo when he is watching our TV. Thanks for your help in helping me understanding why his phone doesn’t work for casting - he uses his kindle non stop so that is why I wanted to see if we could cast with his kindle - just thought it might be easier on him. Thanks, Jan

Do you have Tablo and the antenna installed in the house or in the trailer? If they are in the house and you intend to connect remotely from the trailer when out of your home WiFi range, then you will want something like the FireTV or FireTV stick rather than the Roku stick as the Roku stick (to my knowledge) cannot connect remotely.

On the other hand, if the antenna and Tablo and router are in the trailer itself, then this will not be an issue.

Hi Vonda_Z,

The trailer has it’s on antenna with booster and if it works better than my inside house antenna, I may just set everything up in the camper and use Tablo from there.

But to answer your other question about Roku - it has a “Tablo Channel” that syncs with your Tablo (if you don’t have a Tablo, it doesn’t do anything but tell you it can’t find the Tablo). You then use the Roku remote to fast forward, move around the Tablo options, etc. I haven’t really used it to set up recordings as I find using my kindle or phone a bit easier to use for this function. I haven’t use a Fire stick but that makes sense that I might be able to cast from my kindle but as I said we like the NRB Network and I think that the Roku is the only device that gives us access to it without going through my computer and casting that is (it used to be the only way to get their archive shows was through the Roku but now you get them on their website with a login and monthly payment).

Thanks for your help, Jan

Yep. I understand how Roku works, we have two Rokus and two Fire TVs (and 2 Tablos). I just wanted to make sure that you were not trying to login remotely from your trailer’s Roku to access the Tablo in your house. The FireTV can do that but the Roku cannot. As long as the Tablo is installed in the trailer on the same network as the Roku, the Roku will work fine.

Be warned that NOTHING ROKU works away from Tablo. Fire TV will work away from Tablo as will Fire TV, Nexus Player, and Shield.

Hi Vonda_Z,

I was just going to have my husband use the Roku stick from the travel trailer that is sitting in our driveway when we are not traveling and since we have the Tablo in the livingroom window it would be 15-20 ft away from the TV with Roku stick in the travel trailer.

I guess I am trying now to understand what you mean by “not trying to login remotely from your trailer’s Roku to access the Tablo in your house. The FireTV can do that but the Roku cannot.” I know (though haven’t done this yet and would like to know how to access the Tablo (just recordings or live TV as well? from the Tablo if we are out some where away from our house). And I don’t understand what the Fire TV can do that Roku can’t (like I said I know he could possible cast to the Fire TV from his kindle - I could see that but what else if anything can the Fire TV do that the Roku can’t?). Thanks for your help, Jan

Tablo has a feature called Remote Connect. If you turn on this feature in settings, then you can access your Tablo when you are away from home on your tablet, laptop, FireTV, and most other devices. You can then watch live TV or recorded TV or schedule recordings, etc, when you are away from home (eg, at a friend’s house or on vacation or at work). You do need to connect to the Tablo from that device at your home first (so you cannot go to work and try to connect from your work computer unless your work computer has been at your house, connected to your network, and you have accessed Tablo from that computer at your house).

The Roku, however, does not have this feature at this time. So if you were to go on vacation and you wanted to take your Roku stick with you and access your Tablo remotely, you could not do it. You can do it with the FireTV, however.

I think there are some settings that are not available from the Roku, but I cannot remember which ones at this time. You can always access those settings from the web app instead, though. I cannot think of any other features that are not available on the Roku besides the Remote Connect, but I don’t use the Roku with Tablo much. I personally prefer the Android/FireTV interface to the Roku interface.

Here is more info on the Tablo Remote Connect feature:

  1. How to enable Tablo Remote Connect: http://support.tablotv.com/hc/en-us/articles/207684196-Chapter-6-Connecting-to-Tablo-Away-from-Home-Part-1

  2. How to connect remotely using Remote Connect: http://support.tablotv.com/hc/en-us/articles/207738203-Chapter-6-Connecting-to-Tablo-Away-from-Home-Part-2

Note that you must have an active guide subscription to use Remote Connect.

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