Every time I try and watch certain channels I get the “Player Error - Unable to tune to channel. This is usually caused by poor reception” message and about 3 seconds after that my tablo will reset. Does this on all devices I’ve tested it on.
Should also note that with the scan, these channels strength is showing up as 5 green. So not sure why I am getting the weak signal message.
Can anyone advise as this has become quite annoying.
Should also note that HDD is WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBU6Y0020BBK-WESN. bought brand new for my Tablo; and has 1.86 tb available. So it’s not a HDD space issue
Depend on tuners you have (2-tuners/4-tuners), sometimes you get this error too when you used up all your tuners… Check your overlapping recordings to make sure…
Next step to look is your setup… Are you setup wired or wireless? Maybe a hiccup on your router/modem? People here recommend to use wired setup to make sure you have solid throughput… Also, Tablo gets warm, it’s normal but it helps if you put it in a place where airflow is plenty… Some people recommend using laptop cooling device or just put your Tablo on its side vertically… Is this symptom just happened? Maybe its a broadcast issue?
Setup is wired. Have put on its side and no help. It actually doesn’t even feel warm like I know it can, so not sure.
Not sure about the broadcast issue. As I assumed if signal strength is 5 green then that shouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately I don’t have tv anywhere near antenna to easily check. But that is probably next step I need to make.
I had the same issue about 1 month after setting up a new 4 tuner unit with WD drive. It had been working perfectly then the same symptoms you have. I finally fixed it by first restarting my router (new Netgear 1750 AC) then restarting the Tablo. Have not had an issue since.
Thanks J; i did do a quick restart of router, but might be worth trying again and doing a proper shut down and restart of router, modem, and tablo. Will try that when I get home.
I just had the same thing happen this weekend. The station must of changed how they were broadcasting. I unchecked the offending channels and updated the guide. After it updated, I scanned for channels and added them back to the guide. Sure enough, the one channel had changed from Grit to Charge. I had this happen about a year ago and Support told me to do this to fix the problem.
Thanks for suggestion Leaning6; i checked and channels are still the same.
Tim from Tablo support has now contacted me and stated the following:
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I took a look at your logs and I’m seeing some video errors that are likely at the root of this - I just want to dig a bit deeper for you to get to the solution!
I’d like to take a look at the Tablo from our end, but before I can, I just need you to put the unit in remote access mode. No worries, it’s super simple and I can walk you through the process!
First, locate the blue reset button on the back of your Tablo and press it 3 times quickly, about 3 times within a second.
If this is done correctly, you’ll see the LED on the Tablo blinking two times, and then a short pause. It should look like a heartbeat.
Watch the Tablo for about 2 minutes after you’ve pressed the reset button. If the blue LED returns to solid, it didn’t work and you’ll just need to give it another go. It’s usually just because the reset button wasn’t tapped fast enough, so just try once more as quick as you can!
While your Tablo is in remote access mode, it’ll continue to have its full functionality, so you’ll be able to keep using it as you normally would. It should stay in remote access mode until one of us is able to log in and reboot the unit.
Just drop me a line when you’ve done this, and I’ll log in and take a look!
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So i’ve now put my tablo in remote access mode and am awaiting them to get back to me…i’ll keep this thread updated with any findings
Thanks for setting that up so I could take a look! So far I’ve noticed Tablo resets linked to a couple of channels - 26.1 and 2.1. What you’ll want to do on your end is remove the channels, then re-add them using these specific steps:
Head to Settings > Guide > Edit Channel Lineup
Uncheck channel 26.1 & 2.1
Click Add to Guide
Enter the “Edit Channel Lineup” once more
Re-scan
Check channel 26.1 & 2.1
Click “Add to Guide”
If there are any additional channels on your end that you’ve noticed are also causing issues, you’ll want to include them in the above steps. This will re-commit them to your Tablo’s memory, ensuring they have the most up-to-date info attached to them.
I’ve also pushed a firmware update to your Tablo that has a number of “under the hood” improvements included in it. While it’s a beta update, it’s been rigorously tested on our end and is fully stable.
Give that a go and let me know what you’re seeing on your end! If you’re still running into issues, throw it back into remote mode and I’ll take a look at the most recent error logs generated. It would also be helpful to know - if you do continue to see issues - what the “bad channels” are you’re having problems with. It’s always helpful to know what dots exist before I try to connect them
Talk soon!
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I completed the above steps and everything seems to be working great again.
thanks for everyones suggestions/help on here, much appreciated.
And also awesome customer service from Tablo themselves.
I detail how I experience extreme instability when I have a trashy signal (ie antenna indoors). The tablo simply cannot cope with a weak signal and will crash. I was forced to mount my antenna outside. Ever since then it has been pretty solid.
Tips I can recommend that works for me is to keep only the solid green signals and avoid at all cost those red or even orange signals to be put in your Channel checklist/guide… You should make sure you scan those channels thoroughly (3-5 times) and if possible in different weather conditions to avoid those channel signal fluctuations…This will help minimize error or pixelation on Tablo’s Database/Recordings which can cause restarts/lockups… Also, try and lower your channel count to 35 or less to optimize Tablo’s Database… I found this will help load faster on any devices especially on laptop/desktop… Lastly, just make sure your Tablo is in a good ventilated area or get a portable fan like everyone here recommended… I ended up getting a laptop portable fan and used it on my Tablo & HD… It definitely helped… I’d say 90% of the time it’s been glitch free for me… 10% of that prolly’ network/updates/server/broadcast/device glitch and that’s something I can live by… Enjoy!
Other Recommendations:
Get a good quality Outdoor Antenna for best results on your Tablo…
