Is The Tablo 4th Gen DVR Worth Your Time And Money? Must Read -

Did you come across ads online about the Tablo 4th Gen DVR? I’ve had the Fire TV recast ever since it came out. I have been searching for a way to record over the air programs with my antenna. I’ve always just sucked it up and dealt with the poor picture quality and awful reliability. But then I came across this product online.

it comes with the 2-week guide included and no subscription (new for Tablo), so I decided to take a chance on it. Plus, it was a Black Friday price which helped me decide. Here’s my unpaid review.

What Is Tablo Tv 4th Gen DVR

Tablo is a super-charged TV box that saves your favorite shows from antennas. You can watch live TV or your recorded shows using an app on your phone or streaming gadgets like Roku or Fire TV. The 4th Gen Tablo can get you about 50 hours of shows, but if you need more space, just plug in an external hard drive. The moment you order, you get

1 Tablo Tv Device
Power Cable
Hardware for mounting the Tablo to a wall

But does it work?

Why People Love Tablo 4th Gen DVR

Live TV: You can watch and record shows from popular networks and free channels.
Multi-Device Viewing: Use only one gadget to watch TV on your phone, tablet, or streaming device.
No Fees: You only need to pay once for Tablo and enjoy local shows without any monthly payments.
Record Flexibility: Record one show while watching another.
Easy Setup: Connect Tablo to your antenna and Wi-Fi, then follow simple instructions in the app to get started.

Setting Up The Tablo 4th Gen In My Home

After I ordered Tablo 4th Gen DVR from Amazon, setting up the Tablo was a hassle. It got stuck a lot, but eventually, it worked fine, and the picture quality was good. However, the software needs fixing. Sometimes it missed recording new episodes or recorded repeats by mistake. Deleting recordings was confusing. The library of recorded shows often just showed a black screen, so I had to watch them to figure out what they were.

Overall, it’s better for recording shows to watch later than for watching live TV directly. I’m sticking with TiVo for now because of their monthly fees, but I might switch back to Tablo if they fix these issues. It was nice being able to stream to any TV with the Tablo app.

I hope Tablo improves with updates. I’d like to use it again, especially since there are no monthly fees. But I’m worried about the tuner only supporting older technology, which could be a problem in the future.

Pros

Good price without any extra fees
You can record up to 50 hours of shows right away, even from streaming channels
Shows you what’s on TV for the next two weeks
The device is small, about 5 inches round, so it fits easily in small spaces.
You can use the Tablo app on different devices like smart TVs, phones, and tablets to watch recordings from anywhere in your home.

Cons

Can’t save shows to watch when you’re not online or stream to other devices
You can’t use any USB to expand your storage, you need a high end option.
The Interface around recordings in progress is nearly unusable.
The Processor is underpowered.
You can’t watch outside of your home

Does Tablo Tv 4th Gen Work

Yes it works but It can’t boost your antenna signal, so if some channels are shaky, it might mess up your recordings.

It can be tricky to watch a recording while it’s still recording the same show. So if you start watching a movie 30 minutes after it started recording, you might run into some problems.

Overall, it’s a good device with a few quirks. I use it every day and would recommend it, especially since it’s cheaper than cable.

Do People Love It

Yes, customers have bought this antenna have shared mixed reviews about it on Amazon, Reddit, BBB.

I have apple and Samsung products including phones, tablets and TVs. Even though a Tablo app will load on all but 1 device, the only device that it actually worked on was the 1 Apple phone so it got returned. It worked pretty well on that but it also meant that none of the TVs, tablets or other phones could use it nor could it record off of the antennae because those TVs would not do more than have the app come on and lock up. I tried all the fixes from everywhere I could find and nothing worked. Believe me, when they get it work with the other products, I am on board.
Had the Tablo for about 2 months now, and I’m thinking I might just skip it and wire the antenna straight into my TV… The biggest problem is that you never know if it’s going to work or not, and when it doesn’t work, the only solution I’ve found is to unplug the power and then plug it back in. In reading other reviews, it seems like it might be the Firestick app that’s freezing – but in either case, it’s frustrating to regularly have to unplug it to get it to work. Otherwise, the idea is great – I get something like 126 channels through the Tablo.

Is Tablo Tv Worth It? What You Must Know Before Buying

One thing I noticed about Tablo is that it doesn’t come with a remote, which makes navigating a bit tricky. Also, its channel guide only covers 6 days, there’s also a delay when accessing the guide or changing channels, which can be annoying. Plus, there are no quick buttons for channel surfing, and program descriptions are pretty basic.

Another thing I found is that if you switch to another app and come back, Tablo often starts from scratch instead of where you left off. Additionally, when browsing the guide, the thumbnail and info don’t update smoothly. And you can’t restart a show you’ve partially watched.

Storage-wise, the included 128GB might not be enough for heavy users, so you might need to get extra storage. Plus, Tablo has only 2 tuners, which might not be sufficient if you record a lot. Despite these issues, I still think Tablo is a good option for those without a DVR, given its price and convenience.

I recommend Tablo 4th Gen DVR device If you want to watch OTA and some streaming channels over the internet but it does a solid job at a much cheaper price point.

Overall, this unit is good, but it has some problems. Like sometimes staying connected is an issue. It’s slow to connect in the app, and it might even lose the connection completely.

But if they improve the software in the future, it could be a great option, especially since there’s no subscription fee. However, for now, it’s a bit limited in what it can do.

See other products we reviewed.

FAQs

Can I use Tablo without internet? – Yes, you need internet access to use Tablo.
What channels do I get with Tablo? – In the US, you can usually get FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, and CW. In Canada, you’ll likely get CBC, CTV, Global, CityTV, and regional or language-specific content.
How much does Tablo TV cost? – Nope, there are no subscriptions, contracts, or hidden fees.