I received my 4 tuner today and setup was easy once I refreshed the app.The 4 tuner model is much faster than the 2 tuner model. However, the 4 tuner model does not pull in channels as good as the 2 tuner model. With the 4 tuner model my one problem channel (I did get to come in with some effort on 2 tuner model) I am not able to get to come in. Not only that but I’m seeing pixelation on many channels that I did not see with the two tuner model. You may need to get a better antenna with the 4 tuner model. I tested mine and I should be good once I mount my antenna outside.
I have a new SKY installed in down stairs family room (attic) and am testing out my TABLO upstairs with a cheap leaf knock off from Home Depot. Now the cheap one is higher than the SKY antenna but is inside the house and is connected to the Tablo. CBS is a hard channel to get. It took some moving but it is picking it up but with a weak signal.
Once I test this thing out for a week, I will be cutting Cable and moving to the downstairs SKY. Looking forward to that.
I just received my 4 tuner. I live in an area of relatively weak signal strength with heavy foliage about 20 feet from the antenna. According to my Tivo signal strength meter I am at 62%. Whether or not Tablo would work as well as Tivo in this regard was my biggest concern but I’m happy to report that the picture quality is perfect.
I am a little concerned about this, how in the world would the model of Tablo you buy have anything to do with antenna signal strength??
how in the world would the model of Tablo you
buy have anything to do with antenna signal
strength??
The Tablo 2-tuner splits the signal two ways. The 4-tuner splits it four ways. That’s ~3.5dB vs. ~7dB loss, respectively. I’ve read the Tablo has an internal amp, but that’s not quite the same.
Why would the signal from the antenna be split by two or four? I get it if it is recording four channels at the same time. Is that what you are saying?
Interesting, I will have to set it up to record four shows at the same time. If it can not record the shows then I may be headed to Tivo.
Why would the signal from the antenna be split by two or four?
Each tuner needs a signal.
if used
that being stated I recorded on all 4 with no issue.
if used
And if not used.
see I don’t get that. If you are using a signal you are using a signal. If you don’t then why would there be a pull?
Either way…It all works well for me so I am happy.
Each tuner requires a signal source, irrespective of whether it is currently recording or not. Otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to tune to four different channels at the same time.
Its no different than a cable modem coming into your house. They cable modem is usually put on a splitter and the split feeds the cable modem as well as another device like a STB or something of that nature. If you look at the splitter it has a rating on db that are coming out of each side… this is the same as the tablo except the signal is split internally… 1 in and 4 out each with a DB rating. when breaking the signal on the coax down there is ALWAYS signal loss and degradation… hence the need, most likely, for an amp like in my case.
Is that what you were saying you “see i don’t get that” ?
if not sorry i misunderstood what you don’t get… :-)
QUOTE I received my 4 tuner today and setup was easy once I refreshed the app.The 4 tuner model is much faster than the 2 tuner model. However, the 4 tuner model does not pull in channels as good as the 2 tuner model. With the 4 tuner model my one problem channel (I did get to come in with some effort on 2 tuner model) I am not able to get to come in. Not only that but I’m seeing pixelation on many channels that I did not see with the two tuner model. You may need to get a better antenna with the 4 tuner model. I tested mine and I should be good once I mount my antenna outside.
UNQUOTE
The noise figure is probably better on Tablo than on the tuner of MY TV, because I have lees problem with the Tablo, even if it is a 4 tuners model
Was that directed to me or just a general post to this thread? sorry not sure who it was intended for and if you are asking a question…
I can confirm that the signal the Tablo receives is weaker (as measured by my eyeballs looking at what’s being shown on the screen) than the signal the TV gets if I plug the coax into it directly. The picture is more pixellated, and the weaker stations do not show up at all if the sky is cloudy. I already have an excellent antenna, so have ordered an amp, which I hope will improve the situation.
The amp arrived today, but it made the channel reception much, much worse. With the amp, I received less than half of the channels that I received without the amp. Someone said that it may be because the Tablo has an internal amp (I do not know if this is true). So I am returning the amp, and I guess the channels I get are the channels I get.
I guess the channels I get are the channels I get.
That’s probably not true. Measuring the signal while adjusting the antenna can make a DRAMATIC difference. With ATSC, you can’t adjust an antenna for a good picture. It might be perfect, but will fall off a cliff (when error correction fails) at the slightest change of weather, time of day or change in season.
The price is not much fun, but a meter such as the following that I have might make a dramatic difference for you (as it did for me).
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=DIGIAIR-PRO-ATSC&ss=196413
Y’know, I didn’t even think about the 4 tuner split when I ordered. My Tivo Premiere pulled in all the local channels. Most were over ‘50’ on the Tivo channel meter, but one was ‘37’. Guess I’ll find out when the Tablo arrives. ;(
I read on another thread that the 4-tuner Tablo has its own built-in amplifier, so this shouldn’t be a problem
An additional amplifier will only be effective if you have an external antenna and it has to be as close as possible to the antenna.
Also the preamp has to be of good quality (read low noise figure).
In my case the Tablo has probably a lower noise figure (NF) than my TV, so I have no degradation of signal