Not sure I want to buy another one. First dies after 6 months , replaced under warranty in Jan. 25, replacment dies May 25, again, now that one died yesterday 9 26. Anyone else have this type of issue?
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My first one died after 13 months. Although technically just out of warranty, Tablo was generous enough to replace it.
I set up the new one with an external fan in hopes of extending its life. That replacement is now just over a year old and I have had no further troubles. I hope it lasts a long time.
Now here is my thinking on Tablos going bad. Yes, I do wish that they had a better track record for longevity, however it is a relatively cheap product at a little more than $100.00. I have kept track of my savings since switching from DirecTV to an antenna with Tablo. As of today, even including the expense of the antenna and mounting and the external hard drive, I have saved over $3600.00. So, if this one burns out, I will just buy another. I don’t know of a competing product that does what I want it to do.
Tablo, if you are listening… If you used better quality components that were more reliable, and the price went up I would buy it. Also, it would be REALLY NICE if when replacing a Tablo unit, you could moving the external drive to the new puck and save your recordings and programming.
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Mine died a month short of my 1 year warranty and I did got a replacement but obviously I won’t be surprise if this one dies as well any day now, luckily I still have my Tablo HDMI version an am planning to only use that and not buy there New and Improved product anymore.
I know you are going to say I am not comparing apples to apples. I have a legacy unit and like with all Tablo’s heat is a major thing I watch. Years ago I bought a nifty little metal mesh basket and turned it upside down and my Tablo is sitting on it about 6 inches off the table it WAS sitting on. Plenty of ventilation now and it runs way less than half as hot as before. Most electronic devices even though it is stated they can handle the heat — in fact will love you and make you happy if you keep them cool!
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Its odd that you have such bad luck. Could the unit be on a circuit that gets a lot of spikes?
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It’s plugged into a Monster surge protector along with Sony TV and soundbar , no issues with TV or soundbar during this time. Great suggestion though, thank you.
My 2yr old 2 tuner just died after several severe thunderstorms. My new one is now on a surge protector, but I notice the top measures 113F at idle (no recordings or updates going on). I like the mesh basket idea and will try it, but has anyone experimented with a small fan to actively keep the temp down?
Ken
I wish a thunderstorm would kill my 3 year old 2-tuner. Whenever there is a firmware update or an update to the fire tv stick app or roku app I turn it on to check to see if anything has been fixed. Nope, I turn it back off.
It’s been off since 6/22. I guess I’ll just keep using my 12 year old legacy units.
I had to look way back to figure out when I got mine. November 2023, still going strong.
Yes, I use a 4" or 5" USB fan on top of mine, with the Tablo flipped upside down, so the fan can draw out the heat.
This is my set up. I have mine in the ceiling of my basement sitting on a shelf I made from ½ inch hardware cloth. I also have a small USB powered fan (NOT powered through the Tablo) that blows up through it all the time. I also have an external SSD. I do have a thermometer up there, and it usually reads about 75°.
This is the fan I have.
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Tablo run hot they say there OK but I still put a small fun on the lowest setting I have my 4 tuner Tablo since 2018.
They don’t make them like these anymore.
Yes they don’t but they don’t cost 3 times too think $299 plus you pay for guide, I pay 150 for lifetime if not 4:99 a month and this is before inflation. Still worth it use to pay Dish 130 something a month save me more than 12K so far.
Unfortunately, you are in a tiny minority. 99% of customers would not pay more than the current prices for a “feature” (better components) that they cant see, use or measure.
Welcome to the Brave New World!!!
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If it is cheap then it makes sense why this things don’t last, I rather pay for a long lasting product than a cheap made product.
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As would I (along with KGBnut). But we are in the minority.
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There’s a fine line manufacturers have to walk… manufacture the product to sell at a price point that will drastically increase their customer base OR manufacture the product to appeal to a buyer willing to spend more for a more(?) durable product but but not increasing the customer base as much keeping in mind that the product feature set remains the same.
Want a fan in your Tablo just like TiVo has and that fan is complained about being a bit noisy and has to be replaced often and then the Tablo will be larger and not as cute 
.
IMO the 4 tuner 4th Gen Tablo is an absolute steal at the current price especially considering there is NO monthly or lifetime charge for the guide or DVR functions. If it dies every three years I will but another as long as the current prices and no charge bennies are in effect.
Nope, it usually dies short of a year, I personally wouldn’t spend more money on Tablo since I also have my Tablo HDMI Version I’ll probably just wait till ATSC 3.0 becomes the norm and buy something for that.
“usually dies short of a year” wouldn’t that be covered under warranty… unless you buy it at Amazon or Walmart