My main TV has conked out so I’m looking to replace it. At the moment, LG’s C4 is looking good. Now I already have a webOS TV and the Tablo app on it is pretty good (in some ways better) but it doesn’t do CCs. Is that going to be the same story for all webOS TVs?
And more importantly, is there an easy way to know just how well a Tablo app is going to perform on any TV? In the past (like several years ago) Roku was the recommended platform, but I might want to keep other options open. I just don’t want a bad Tablo app to go w/it.
Outside of Tablo (really, it’s that singular), Roku IMHO is still the “best answer” to a unified ubiquitous solution that covers most everything with an easy to use UI (well, until you get into the heavy handed apps… yes, youtube…).
Tablo 4th gen throws a wrench into that sadly. I think that Tablo will get everything ironed out eventually, but if I were Roku, I’d pay a lot of attention to what the 4th gen has done to their reputation. If Table where a “no name”… sure, who cares. But Tablo gets a lot of attention. And Tablo’s problems on Roku, reputation wise, slices both ways.
I think “smart TV” OS’s are gross. However, like the majority, I standardized on Roku (btw, not Roku TV, which is also a mistake). If that is “you” (Roku user), it sort of makes Tablo a “bad choice”. While I have other reasons for not looking at current gen Tablo, I also can’t recommend them much until all Roku issues are sufficiently resolved.
I know people in the Apple camp probably would say something similar. It’s important to have your “ducks in a row” before you deploy new product. Too late for 4th gen Tablo. Customers are forced to wait for improved experiences. But it doesn’t mean “Roku is crap” or “Apple is crap”, etc. Tablo made design choices on their new 4th gen device that cause problems for popular (always works, supported) style devices. In some ways, I wish Tablo wasn’t popular.
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Personally, and this is just me, I prefer to use a separate streaming device rather than a smart TV. Of course, now, it is next to impossible to find a TV that is not a smart TV, so there isn’t the available cost savings.
In my experience, smart TV are comparatively expensive, and the manufacturers only support them for so long. When they crap out, they are too expensive to replace, so you end up buying an external device anyway.
I have never used webOS so cannot comment on it, but I can tell you that Roku has between 40% and 50% of the streaming market. Next is Amazon Fire with about 15% of the market. After that is everyone else. So, where to you think the app producers; Netflix, Hulu, Max…and yes Tablo, are going to focus their resources.
Roku is not perfect, and there are some nice features on some of the others, but right now they are the most stable.
Just my opinion…
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I run a TCL Roku Smart TV. Granted yes things can go wrong but what system runs perfectly. In my experience running my 4th Gen Tablo 4 Tuner on said TCL Roku Smart TV I would say at least a 75% success rate that’s my truth on the matter but it’s better than 0%.
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BTW, my Tablo is even older than my Roku stick, so maybe 5 years old. And it only has 2 tuners.
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Smart TV? never heard of it; I think our Samsung is at least 13 years old and I can’t imagine junking it as long as it works. We are not intense users.
I bought Roku as the STB b/c it is the big seller and there is incentive for both Roku and the apps to work together; no one is perfect of course. 
Also the Roku UI is simple and they have not changed it much over the years, which I like. It is familiar to me and that’s half the battle IMO.
Got to add I have many times been amused to read one post here about how great one system is, then the next post is about how awful the same system is. There’s an element of risk and the unexpected in everything.
YMMV
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Yes, good points to plan by. If using a Roku or FireStick, you can just replace that dongle for under $100 with the latest processor, memory and wifi tech for a fraction of the cost of a new TV. I’m getting great results on Wifi6 (802.11ax) router at 400+ mbps after upgrading to the FireStick Max that is also Wifi6 capable.
One of the best things we can do as a Tablo owner is to know how our network is configured simply by asking our Internet provider (or searching online) what our router emits. Then, match our streaming device to that router. And, of course, connect our Tablo to our network using an Ethernet cable.
We originally had a Roku but jumped ship to the FireStick during all the issues in late 2024 and early 2025. IMO, the Roku has a much better interface but is missing some features we found on the FireStick. However, the FireStick feels a bit klugy with lots of button presses. But now my wife doesn’t want to switch back to the Roku.
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i have an lg with an nvidia shield and an onn 4k and its working on all devices that said i dont use it on my lg much i think most people will have the best experience on an android device JMHO
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to grab closed captions from LG on Tablo.
This article has the details.
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