Tablo connect is flawed

Just got a new Tablo and i enjoy the device very much. It has huge potential. My only main issue is with how backwards the whole Tablo connect works (for my needs, and from what i have read on these forums, for many others as well).

The whole needing to “pair” our mobile devices the first time on the same network is wrong. Just give us a login option so we can connect from whatever supported device we want, wherever we want and be able to watch our Tablo devices.
Sling media has done it, i’m sure you can too (i’m referring to their sling box products, not sling.tv).

I placed my Tablo in my office as i get very few stations at home. Now i need to make sure i bring all my devices to work to pair it for the first time.
Roku also doesn’t work remotely which is an issue. I use Plex on Roku and the Tablo Plex channel to bypass this restriction but it’s not consumer friendly at all. I’m sure that just like Plex has http://plex.tv/link, Tablo can do something similar to allow remote viewing on Roku.
I bought a fire TV stick, had to bring it to the office to pair it so it will work in my bedroom.
My home desktop can’t be brought to the office so i had to spend a day or so learning how to VPN into the office and pair my desktop to the Tablo.

The whole remote viewing process if flawed. And no, setting up a VPN is something that 99% of consumers would not know how to do. There should be a simple, friendly solution.

I did a search on the forums and back in February the Tablo team stated this is one of the most requested features but could not find any update since.

Other than that, it’s great device with huge potential for cord cutters. The mobile apps are great, the Roku app is great. The Fire TV app can be much faster.

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Just curious… why would you buy a product that did such a poor job of meeting your specific needs. Why not return it and get something that fits your specific needs better.

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I was wondering just who do you think should do the authentication. each individual tablo server(s) or a third party server. What type and level of authentication would you expect to protect your tablo server(s). Kerberos, LDAP, or ?.

While I agree a login process would be nice and helpful, your situation isn’t exactly the norm. You state that 99% of consumers wouldn’t know how to use a VPN. I would agree but then argue that 99% of tablo users also aren’t operating their tablo out of their office. The connect feature was designed for use outside of the home, implying you are leaving the home. Presumably in that process, you are taking a devices to use while abroad that has been on your home network quite frequently and been able to pair with your tablo.

Tldr while a login system would be convenient, your use case is a poor example for why it should be implemented

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While i agree that my use case is not the norm, most people will use their Tablo’s at home but that does’t mean that the connect feature is not lacking.
Even if you do setup your Tablo at home like most people, your at a friend’s house and would like to open a browser on your friends computer to watch something - you need to pair first.
You just reinstalled your phone and not at home, you can’t use the app until you get home to pair it again.
You purchased a new device while away from home (say visiting your parents somewhere), you will need to wait until you get home to us the app.

As for the other replies here, my intention is not to bash the product. As i stated in my earlier comment i do think it is a good overall product and there is huge potential. I’m not sure there are any other competing products that can do the same. I had a slingbox for years and wanted to cut the cord and Tablo seems to be the only option out there.

If other companies were able to create a login system that connects to your hosted server or box (Plex, sling, logmein and many others) i think it should’t be too hard. I think the main idea behind the pairing purpose was for security reasons but it just ends up being more of nuisance.
Not everyone has to agree with me here but after doing a search on this forum seems like this is indeed one of the most requested features and there is no arguing that if so many other companies that create media consumption services were able to use a login system, Tablo should be able to do this as well.

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Tablo Connect works just fine as it was intended. Tablo is up front and clear about the pairing requirement.

Return it and get a TiVo Bolt.

Sounds like a lot of work. Why not pair things up at home then take the Tablo to your office?

@theuser86 - I would slightly disagree. It works fine until something happens like your ISP giving you a new IP (power hit causing modem to reboot, lease expiration, etc.) which if it happens 5 minutes after you walk out the door, Connect does NOT work just fine until you are able to return home and re-pair. Now if just going to the neighbors for the evening, it’s a minor inconvenience. However, if going on vacation for a week or a month, it’s just flat “not working” until you return. Who needs Connect while at home? There seems to be some recent improvement that has made it to , so hoping it is about to be resolved.

@JohnLuther That sounds like a good idea, but will the pairing work when the Tablo’s address changes when it goes back to work? Might be worth a try since the Tablo is quite portable (wouldn’t even mess with the antenna or scanning channels at home) but I suspect that when the Tablo gets back on the remote network, the normal pairing will be broken, but maybe the will still work…

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Tablo recently released updates to the Android apps and iOS apps so that IP changes do not break pairing.

You guys need to rethink your vacations if you’re sitting in the hotel room watching TV.

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When I voted, I voted for remote login and password being more important than 5.1 but I’m sure some will say 5.1 is more important. I got my FireTV Stick because I was going on a vacation and KNEW the Roku did not work remotely. As it turned out it was the Best Buy deal of the day when I got it. I only use it for vacations.

Lets see what @TabloTV does this coming year. The famous list that everything keeps being added to needs to be prioritized and one or two (or more) be addressed PRIOR to adding Tablo to SmartTV.

And now they’ve updated the my.tablotv.com website to handle IP changes better for Tablo Connect. See below:

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I think Clubtech is correct. I used to be a Simple.tv user. Tablo is clearly a superior product in every way … except when it comes to remote connection. Not a deal breaker for me but definitely something that could be improved. I would really like to see remote location login capability.

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@Andrroid there are ‘vacations’ where watching TV is not a priority. But there are ‘trips’ where watching TV is a useful thing. Business trips with some free time in the evenings, Snow-bird trips where going to warmer climates during the winter for weeks or months at a time. And there are those times where we go on work-vacations … working during the day, vacationing during the evening. In those times, the Dear Wife likes to watch her Voice / Dancing / X-factor / sappy Christmas movies, etc. during the day while I work. Being able to watch her normal shows in the familiar way eases the “tech support” questions.

Many users, many use cases.

It was a joke m8

No, I seriously get it - vacation and having to keep up on current TV is sort of an oxymoron. But it is becoming more and more interesting as to how many people spend a LOT of time away from “home” for one reason or another. Example, the decline in “land line” phones as opposed to the increase in mobile. And we are getting more demanding that we be able to take “home” with us wherever / whenever / why-ever.

Fascinating times we live in…although not sure it is all for the better.

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Exactly. I carry all my music and books on my phone whenever I leave the house. Our songs, books, and films “travel” with us.