I’m wondering how many Tablo users out there use their Tablo like I do. I schedule recordings using the beautiful full-screen browser app via Chrome on a desktop PC where I can see the next week’s shows all at once and record anything that may look interesting to me or my family. I then view recorded content almost exclusively through my Roku 3 on our 50" Pioneer plasma - at first using the dedicated Roku TabloTV app, and now on the new Tablo Plex channel. Roku rules in my house for the built-in WAKF (Wife And Kid Friendly) factor.
I do have a Nexus 7 and iPhone but just can’t bring myself to use smaller screens to schedule and view content. I also rarely channel surf via any supported Tablo device, I go natively through the TV’s built-in tuner. So it looks like I’m primarily using Tablo as a DVR and not as a content enabler for tablet devices, which I think was the original intended use case for the Tablo (hence it’s name!)
We also watch recorded content from the confines of our bedroom via an old Sony Google TV (thanks to the Tablo Plex Channel!) and in the basement on a Lenovo HTPC, again running Plex.
What’s your preferred devices(s) for recording and viewing with your Tablo?
I set up all my recordings either on my PC or on my iPad (which reminds me that I need to set a manual recording for the Titans preseason game this Saturday).
I watch recordings and live TV mainly on one of my two Rokus, though sometimes I will watch on my PC or iPad.
I really think of the Tablo like Netflix. When I bring up the Roku menu, I have Netflix, Tablo, and Amazon all in a row, and it just depends on my mood. I still watch more Netflix than Tablo, though with the fall TV season and football season starting up soon, I hope to watch more Tablo programming.
I pounced on Tablo as a replacement for TiVo because I want to fulfill the basic requirement of watching a recorded program on the upstairs TV - preferably via the Roku since we already had one connected. If I was to do this with TiVo I would have had to buy another dedicated box (TiVo Mini) and pay more subs to TiVo for the Mini functionality.
Having TV functionality on-the-go through phones & tablets is a nice-to-have (again if I’d wanted that with TiVo I would have needed to buy a TiVo Stream), but it’s not a prime mover.
Chromecast/phone in the bedroom (always leads to my sweety telling me how stupid the Tablo is because it never works smoothly. Who knows if I’ll ever get her to come around after months of these experiences. I’m forced watching live TV via the TV tuner with my sweety. Who knew I would watch so many commercials out of love.)
Android tablet in the living room (neat capability)
Chromecast/phone in the guest room (guests like Chromecast but don’t have patience for Tablo… Gets embarrassing so I keep Netflix around for this reason… But I really want to get rid of it once Tablo works well.)
Phone in the bathroom (a wish really… if video skipping will ever be made to work on android 4.1.2, I would be able to catch up on the local news)
Windows 8 tablet in the bathtub (use to work… waiting for Tablo to support Intel atom processors again)
Family waiting to use the Surface RT in bedroom
Family and I are waiting for an android phone app for speedy use with Chromecast
similar to above post’s. Tablo viewed in Family Room and Mastr BDRM via Roku 3’s. Fm Rm via Ethernet and MstrBR via Wireless.
Oh, Tablo is connected in a third room via Power Ethernet direct to Mohu Sky, no TV.
Now, I use Tablo strickly as a DVR. Both TV’s have their own antenna where I watch Live TV. Set up that way for Football Season and in the case there is a conflict of recording.
I use my Tablo almost identical to the OP - basically as a DVR and to pause live TV. I view most everything through the Tablo Plex channel, which streams the video smoothly. If I go directly to the Roku Tablo channel both live TV and especially recorded shows constantly pause while loading content. The Plex channel rules!!
Tablo via roku 3s for the viewing (2 different tvs). Oh on occasion I might watch via my tablet (love my asus T300). Generally I schedule my recordings when I am at work from my phone via the browser. Having an android app for the phone would be nice but tablo via the browser from my Nexus 4 works perfectly fine.
My tablo is our main tv viewing device now a days. We have still have a simple tv unit (STV1) but other than older recordings and maybe a backup to the tablo we don’t use it much. Netflix and Amazon prime take care of the rest of our viewing needs. Way cheaper and more enjoyable than cable and that nasty bill we once had.
In preparation of December 1, 2014, the day our two year U-verse contract expires, we have added five Roku 3s, a Plex server, PlayOn Media server, one Tablo 4, one SimpleTV DVR, and we are experimenting with a Raspberry Pi B+ with Raspbmc.
We have one old HDHomerun dual tuner that has been working exquisitely for several years now. We have three Winegard FL5500A FlatWave Amplified Razor Thin HDTV Indoor Antennas stuck in different windows around the house. These antennas truly do work as advertised.
We plan to use Time Warner cable’s fastest internet service (ultimate) with our own cable modem and shed our telephone land line totally. We are studying the ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6183 cable modem as a potential replacement. We are also looking at Bluetooth devices such as Xtreme Technologies Xlink BTTN Bluetooth Gateway to connect our cellphones to our existing home telephone network.
We have Netflix and enjoy it very much. We stopped Amazon Prime Videos when they jacked up the price. Even with all the sunk costs, we may see a reduction in yearly cable expenses by half, and be pleasantly overwhelmed with endless content choices.
But as Steinbeck so eloquently said: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley.” Therefore, any constructive criticism of these plans, or helpful insights, will be greatly appreciated.
I think the Roku is a more popular viewing platform than Nuvyyo initially expected. Maybe a more extensive survey can help them plan their roadmap priorities for the many devices they support? What say you, Nuvyyo?
I’m in the process of configuring my house so that I too can get rid of Directv (after 17 years). I started with a Mohu Sky+ antenna split to 5 TVs. I now have a Tablo quad on 100Mbs Ethernet. Thanks to @Davidvr and the folks at PlexConnect, the Plex Tablo channel allows me to view my Tablo content via an Apple TV 2 instead of tying up my iPad. I also have a new Roku 2 and a Roku stick (for the bathroom TV). The Plex media server is connected to a projector and a 120" screen. I’m using the Plex Tablo channel and Chrome browser to view content via the projector.
The Roku stick is working great. I haven’t seen any signs of a weak Wi-Fi signal, but that be because I segmented my Wi-Fi network and have an N router for 2nd floor and a G WAP for the 1st.
I’m “testing” every streamer I can get my hands on to determine what the remaining TVs will get. After a week, it looks like I will be purchasing two more Roku units, I just don’t know if they will be 2’s (due to coming with a headphone jack remote) or sticks (because of their ability to be hidden on wall mounted TVs).
I’d also like to view Tablo content on a Kindle Fire and a Surface RT via a Tablo app or browser, but I understand the issues in dealing with Amazon and M$.
@doubleTap - Before you go buy a Roku stick I’d check out this blog post. We have some users who think they work great, but others have had difficulty in streaming to Roku sticks. We’ve found the WiFi antenna in them isn’t quite strong enough to work well in all situations.
For the discussion, we use the roku app for all our TVs (we have almost every roku in the house, Roku LT, Roku 2, Roku 3, Roku Stick and Roku HD) then we use Plex for all of our iPads, iPhones and Droids mainly because of two things:
1) We don’t track when shows are recorded and the IOS and web applications do not give you a view that shows recently recorded programs so that you know when you have something new to watch.
2) Syncing takes much much longer than opening plex, then clicking the Tablo Channel
@TabloTv - thanks for the advice. I actually read that blog before buying my Tablo and decided to setup a network segment specifically for my media streaming pleasure. The stick seems to function flawlessly when connected to a router set to N-only, with one channel selected, only streaming devices on that segment, and within 100 feet of the router. But that’s a discussion for another thread.