I would like to add a 3rd client device for a TV and was slanting towards the Nexus player based on feedback from another user on my Amazon review of the Tablo 4 tuner DVR. The problem with the Nexus player is NO ONE has it in stock, not even Google. Some places show it with a price of $49.99 but out of stock. Best Buy is supposed to have some in on Friday, but they are asking $79.99.
I am currently using a Roku 3 and and Amazon Fire TV box. The Roku 3 used to get the loading screen and was a bit sluggish on the Live TV guide, but those issues were resolved by moving it closer to the wifi router and adding a microSD card, respectively.
I recently tried a “QacQoc MXQ Amlogic S805” purchased from Amazon, but it was slow slow and had so many pauses during playback, Tablo and non-Tablo, that is was basically unusable.
Does anyone have suggestions on reasonably priced client devices that work well with Tablo?
I would wholeheartedly recommend both the Nexus Player and the Shield TV. Tablo went from the slowest app on the Roku to one of the fastest apps on Android TV.
Also, I should mention that @TabloTV did an excellent write up they posted above, though personally I think they are a little optimistic about the Roku capabilities at full quality recording.
Yeah unfortunately these boxes exist. They are boxes that run older versions of Android and connect to your tv. They are not Android TV boxes.
I have a Nexus player that I used for ~1.5 months before upgrading to a shield. All original boxing/paperwork and an ethernet adapter as well. Let me know if you want them.
If you don’t mind me asking, what made you decide to upgrade to the Nvidia Sheld? I looked at the Shield and it looks great, but out of the price range I am looking to spend. Plus I’m not too interested in the gaming functionality, so no need to pay for that. I just want a device that works well as a Tablo client and maybe to use with Plex and/or Kodi.
SlingTV was one of the most common to freeze/crash. Its a demanding service.
Noticeable lag while an app installed in the background
I got it for $50 but then I bought a controller. And an ethernet adapter. And a USB hub. And a thumb drive.The numbers added up fast to try and make this thing do stuff that the shield does out of the box.
1GB Ram vs. 3GB ->noticeable difference in performance (load times, UI lag)
X1 nvidia chip is truly incredible
I do game, so gamestream + optimized android games were a big draw for me
Issues with hdhomerun + live channels - crashes/can’t find tuner
This ones a big one. I factory reset my NP twice. Each time I had a game controller paired with it. When I went to repair, the controller would not repair. To anything. Not the NP, not my phone, not my tablet. It was like its pairing to the old NP image was stuck in limbo. I solved this the first time by exchanging the controller. The second time, I bought the shield and returned the controller.
Basically, the NP fits the Nexus name well (until this year, with the 6P, which is the first ever premium Nexus device). It does the job okay, but it makes compromises.
The Shield is a premium streamer because it was designed for games. If you want a seamless experience, the shield is the way to go.
My tablo comes tomorrow so I have no experience on NP vs. Shield. But my suspicion is that tablo is fairly demanding and that while the NP might get the job done, as with other apps, the Shield will make it shine.
@Greg_DFW This is a correct assessment. The NP handles Tablo (even at 10mbps quality) really well, much better than Roku or Chromecast, but the Shield TV usually cuts streaming start up and resume from FF time in half. In addition, navigating around the UI is much smoother and elements load faster. It’s not that the NP is a bad experience - it’s really quite impressive considering the price. The Shield TV is simply a pleasure to use - it impresses me almost every time I use it.
I also upgraded 2 of my NP to 2 Shields after using them for about 2 months.
I should also mention that, at least for now, the picture quality on the Shield is better due to the washed out colors and grey blacks bug present in Android 6.0 Marshmallow on the Nexus Player. It still looks good (it took me a while to notice it), but it is noticeable if compared to other devices. Google is aware of the problem and is working on a fix, but a Google engineer said not to expect a fix in the next month because they have to work directly with OEM’s for the fix. You could hold off updating to 6.0 if picture quality is extremely important to you, but you may experience more bugs.
@Greg_DFW it’s just so FAST… ridiculously fast… I have no interest in the games either - although Pac Man is fun-ish. I have XB1’s for gaming.
If you can spare the extra, it’s so worth it. I have a pile of devices that are now unplugged. After my first Shield was plugged in, I immediately ordered two more for one hour delivery with Amazon Prime Now. I had endless problems with Tablo and Roku - but that’s not really why I bought the Shield. However, having my Tablo problems go away was a nice benefit. What’s weird… is the picture is so much better with the Shield - this I did not expect, nor can I explain. SlingTV, for instance, it immediately responsive with no hiccups… Kodi is great… it’s just the perfect device, IMHO.
I appreciate the feedback from everyone. I’m now slanting towards a Shield for the living room (our main TV viewing area) and will go from there. I already had my AFTV box and Roku 3 before deciding to cut the cord and buy a Tablo DVR.The fact that I already owned those 2 devices contributed to my decision to buy a Tablo instead of something else like the Channel Master or Tivo options.
At $117 a month for Dish Network, buying a $200 - $300 Shield depending on which model, instead of a $50 NP, will add a couple of months to our ROI, but that still has our ROI at 8 - 9 months. We’re thinking of going with the Tablo 1 year subscription when our free 30 days is about to expire [Hey Tablo, please don’t punish users for buying a subscription; make it take effect AFTER the 30 days of free subscription, not immediately ].
We have looked at SlingTV as well as Hulu commercial free (e.g. limited commercials, depending on the program) but have decided, at least initially, to stick with OTA and our Netflix & Amazon Prime TV services. I’ll stick with that. We don’t want to keep adding to our monthly TV expense by paying for multiple services as that defeats the main reason we cut the cord. We stay so behind most shows/movies we have recorded as well as on our watch lists with Netflix & Amazon, that watching the last season of The Walking Dead on Netflix when the new season is broadcast is okay with us. Basically the only “live” TV we watch is the local news.
Thanks everyone! Now we just need to decide which model of the Shield to buy.
@Greg_DFW I would probably recommend saving $100 and getting the smaller $200 model. You won’t run out of internal space installing all your apps and even a few casual games and one or two larger games (depending on size).
Additionally, there is a slot for micro SD expandable storage on the Shield, as well as external hard drive support, so you can add a variable amount of storage based on your budget. I have a 32gb card in each of mine, with about 30 games and apps installed and I have plenty of space remaining. With the upcoming Marshmallow update, external/expandable storage can be “merged” with internal storage so you don’t have to move apps manually between them.
@mbellaire - I’ve noticed zero fan noise from any of my three shields. The first is inside a media hutch behind glass in the living room. The other is in our bedroom, close enough that I’d definitely hear it, and the third is in a media room.
One of my main complaints about the Roku 4 is the fan noise - nothing at all noticeable from the Shield. The build quality is remarkable.
The Nexus Player went on clearance for $14.99 a while ago. Alot of the stores are just selling their last items. The new NP to get is the Shield TV, which went on sale too, for $150 (or less), whereas the Nexus Player was originally $100.
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