Tablo Quad HDMI Non Internet Observations

Started new post as not to clutter up

https://community.tablotv.com/t/tablo-during-an-internet-outage/23660/38

which is geared toward Streaming device questions

Disclaimer on firmware 2.2.40 (2207416) because don’t want to check for update yet as it would then re-populate the guide and mess up testing various functions with no guide data.

Purchased Quad HDMI after support (very good on my questions) said it would work using manual recordings and no Internet after initial install. Installed, waited a bit and then turned off WiFi (Internet). Got 2 weeks initial guide and let it run out after 2 weeks to see how it worked with no guide data. Great so far, no guide data and no problems setting up manual recordings. Actually did mostly manual recordings during this period to test manual setup.

Note: Am using App on laptop with a subscription guide service. Tablo subscription guide is very convenient, point and click, but other options are get info from channel guides on web, newspaper guide and such. Did consider purchase of guide but my payment method not accepted by payment processor, no problem.

Well just one issue, setting up Just Once recording am unable to set to my time unless first leave at Repeating (no need to choose days), setting time and then changing to Just Once. Minor annoyance. It seems to prevent from choosing earlier time than you are at even though show will be in future on a different day.

Probably one question would be how it handles date without Internet, my previous DVR averaged it from OAT broadcaster data which sometimes the time was off if station sent wrong data.

You have to think of it as a TV with no guide but capable of recording 4 channels. Tablo guide is very good but I have app on laptop with guide and search functions. Then this is about no Internet.

On manual entry you have to enter a name and for 1 off throw away recordings just enter a letter or two for name to keep simple and quick.

Note: Manual recordings do not handle Seasons. Also for regular programs, say for example if I want Gunsmoke which is on 6 days at same time can enter it using Repeat and clicking on days and it will create for lack of correct word a group and then in recorded shows it will show number of shows there.
But if show (even with same name) is aired at two different times have to create two separate schedules as no way to combine into a group.

In guide screen with no data just scroll to channel and press play or can click on channel number.

The skip forward / backward works nicer on finished recordings by putting up thumbnails that you can skip to end of commercials. In live it has no thumbnails to help. After a bit will develope knack. Don’t care to have to hit skip and then press play but think after reading other topics it provides a pause for streaming devices.

Did find a post when watching live TV you can press up arrow to show guide on left of screen and choose another channel (repeat 2 more times) and the four channels are live buffering (not saving) and you can switch between, pause and skip forward and backward. Initially channel acquisition is slow but once all are buffering switching is quick.

Haven’t figured out how to watch live and quickly tell it to record, go to schedules, a few hoops and it will now record it. Haven’t really explored to see if you can set to capture the buffering yet. This is due to no guide data to tell it when to start and end. Not a deal breaker. Actually with the four tuners it is probably better to plan and record in first place and then have thumbnails available to help skip commercials. Was just habit from old DVR when partway into live you find it interesting and tiring of commercials pushed record button.

Note Disclaimer above as possibly an update may fix some items.

Overall very pleased with purchase and customer support.

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Schedule screen

Have to enter a name manually for each file
Can have files with same name also need to be at least one character (letter or number) long.

In images

1:
Four 1/2 hr. episodes that air back to back. Can just
set to record 2 hrs. but scrubbing is cumbersome.
Created a file for each 1/2 hr. segment, Repeating,
Sat… Now each timeslot will show up in Recordings in it’s own file.

2,3,4:
Same basis 3 is at 10:00 a.m., 2 at 8:00 p.m and 4 at 10:00 p.m

5:
Repeating Mon-Sat

6:
Two episodes are back to back on Sun and weekdays is Mon-Fri

Example if click on Recordings Gunsmoke would show the number of episodes in the file.

7:
Showing failed recording

8:
In this shot have to press down arrow to enable choices.
Watch starts playing recording and if you exit and come back and press watch again it will start at where you left off.

9:
This sets recording as not watched and pressing Watch will start at beginning.

10,11:
Just what they say.

Very nice letting us know your results in detail. Even with the subscription unfortunately there is no way to record a show in progress and also record the part that is in the buffer unless that is something they added recently. That’s too bad as occasionally I will watch something and realize I want to record it after I started watching.

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Know the feeling. Old unit had record button for remainder or whole show, but it was using OTA guide.
Am able to halfway quickly record remainder if I know end time.
Go from buffering channel to Scheduled and + Add New
I just use a single letter for Title
Select channel
Leave Scheduling Frequency at Repeating
Skip Days
Select Time and enter ending time
Go back to Scheduling Frequency and set to Just Once
(I am unable to unable to create otherwise)
Press Create
Will lose a few minutes but after recorded will have skip Thumbnails.
Does not record program in buffer.

Did find out. At moment time is off two minutes 7:55 vs computer 7:57
Started noticing programs were starting part way in. As test scheduled a new recording a2min (quick named for simplicity) same as existing one (The Saint) with just changing the start time to 5:58 a.m. whereas The Saint is set to start at 6:00 a.m.

1: Shows The Saint and in red box paused at point where By Leslie Charteris is added below The Saint.

2: Shows a2min and in red box paused at same point as 1

Also watched on TV on antenna and a2min mirrored the show.

Just info


Edit: minor spelling correction

This is very interesting!

Guide screen (pardon poor cameraman workmanship)
Need a print screen for the TV.

Items 1,2,5 (off screen) are blinking red and recording

Item 3 is cursor? in channel area
To select channel can either press OK or the play button
Right arrow to right will turn that line grey and to select channel have to press play button

Item 4 am watching live

All four tuners in use

Have not found what determines length of live TV buffer. Seems to be 1 hour but have hit other time where it was 2 hours.

Have found when viewing multiple live the red channel indicator may not always show for shows buffering.

Have reset schedules to offset the incorrect time difference and get correct complete shows now.
Botched and missed one, not paying attention to date and a.m. p.m. settings. Lesson learned.

Will have to wait till fall for DST change to see what happens then. Old Dish DTVpal had issues where it was best to redo timers after change, mostly those during period of change. It’s guide was then off for certain channels which was probably due to time when channels sent out new guide data OTA and unit was not refreshed.

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Closing observations
Other night was switching recorded program and it hung and did a power on reboot. As expected it had recorded 1st half hour with no end or thumbnails and the next 1 1/2 hours with finish and thumbnails. All correct.
Updating schedules with another minute offset to match incorrect time and toward end got very very slow.
Encountered variances in changing offset, some were simple 1 min and others required completely entering the time.
Deleting recordings Have one with 5 episodes, started watching hit back then delete and box pops up Delete Recordings and only Delete All or Cancel, other times it offers additional Delete Watched. Pressed the Delete All from habit and all gone. Got bit once before on critical shows. Have to down arrow and to right and delete there.
In scheduled handy to switch to Coming Soon to get quick view of timer information at a glance versus opening each folder.
Watching live and was unwatchable with the spinning circle but next day recorded program was fine. Then went to watch 2nd episode of a show and just spinning circle.
Has a sound snap issue that is sometimes minor, sometimes loud and have had it go to black scren. Was waiting to contact support later on.
Final issue, did rescan of channels. Found all the channels I receive got to end and was there for a very long time before it exited. Watching live and went to Recordings and didn’t see show that is scheduled. Went to schedules and it had dumped 17 schedules. Did not change any channels.
Blew $200, next week food for the Blue Box.
Don’t wish to waste any more effort on it.

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Very strange. I don’t have an HDMI version so I can’t say much about reliability of it. All I can say is my streaming version behaves quite well. I’m truly not sure Tablo was ever a great fit for you since you want to stay offline but I wouldn’t have expected the experience to be this bad. I appreciate you sharing your experience with us in such detail. Hopefully most of your issues will be fixed in firmware soon.

Correction it is IDi0t issue. Was missing fact that default was autopopulating date and system was correctly keeping me from entering a time that had already passed due to date. My bad.

Quite the opposite, is perfect. Good portion of old DVR I had used manual mode and here with my offline guide see image it presents all the information for manual entry and will admit the Tablo remote is easier. Especially loved the thumbnail skip as seems like there is no longer anything close to truth in advertising anymore, just all out blatent no shame.

Can’t say whether a firmware may fix or if hardware itself is defective.
Firmware would be nice to include manual date setting as easier to go there than going in and offsetting start and end times on 30 or more schedules. Checked NIST and Tablo time showing is 3 min. off.
Also a not going to happen wishlist of 4 red dots on screen showing recording in progress.

New item on deleting a scheduled recording after clicking Delete it now goes to a full screen greyish blue and sits there, have to press back to go back to schedule screen.

I have double 4 bay bow antenna in attic with rotator down to amp close to TV and splitter to TV and Tablo. (splitter cables are short and have tried switching). Yesterday one channel spinning circle and on TV with antenna fine. The sub stations worked. Then switched to four different stations and back to offending one and it was now fine as if it had some issue buffering. Will have to wait for problem again to further check. Did see this before when it was doing this and was unwatchable live but it recorded fine.

Suspect other problems may be related to units from Amazon. They had on sale and before I could confirm no internet question with Tablo they went off sale. Now checked and on sale again about $20 off. Maybe dumping problem batch?

It’s very early in the life of the HDMI Tablo. I had lots of issues when I first got my original style Tablo. Each firmware improved the performance. That’s why I suspect you may see improvements over time with updates.

Have to do a partial retraction. Thinking back a couple may have been caused by above but further checking found this:

Scenario:
Create a new scheduled Manual Program for one time at 6:00 p.m.
Time Created 7:02 a.m.
Image:
1: Entered Title (Does not show in image due to lighting)
2: Entered Channel
3: Entered Just Once
4: Did not change
5: Could not change time to 5:57 p.m. (3 min offset for incorrect time)
3: Switched to repeating
4: Did not change
5: Now it allows the time entry
3: Switch to Just Once
6: Did not change
7: Create now works

Note: happened yesterday also but did not document steps (same)

Sad Memories
2008 went to Sears anchor store at mall and upper level in TV’s next to entrance to upper mall level found 2 Dish DTVPals. Bought 1 for $99 and in 2018 put $6 worth of capacitors in it to fix sound issue courtesy ATV Forum information.
Putting remains in Blue Box for next weeks pickup along with my Tablo Quad HDMI.
Paid my tuition, got an education and after 40 days of exploring I have decided it does not meet my expectations.

Manual schedules are easy and remote is great. Bought a low form factor 2 receiver remote for $7.88 at Walmart to run my TV after eliminating Quad.
Did like the recorded skip but not the live as should not have to click on play to continue versus playing when stoppin scrubbing.

Main points were time drift now off by four minutes with no manual setting. Real pain to set offset on 30+ schedules. Had created 30 schedules with single letter titles in case of dumping and decided not to bother with the four minute offset.
Dumped scheduled programs (17+ at once and 1 the other day)
Snapping noise and screen at various times even when muted.
Spinning circle issues

Scheduled for record two hours and checking the time was correct at two hours but it was at 4 hours and still going. Stopped it.

Bye all

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