“Massive” Tablo DVR update makes the Roku app unusable for some (including me)

Whenever Tablo issues a big software update for its latest over-the-air DVRs, I always hope it’ll finally make them worth recommending again.

So after reading about what Tablo called a “MASSIVE” update for its Roku app, I was excited to give the system another try. Previous Tablo models once topped our list of the best over-the-air DVRs for cord-cutters, but the fourth-generation version has been too buggy and unreliable to recommend.

My attempt to give Tablo another shot quickly went off the rails, though, as the aforementioned Roku update introduced a connection error that made the app unusable. While the bug doesn’t affect everyone, it’s indicative of the recurring issues Tablo users have experienced with the latest hardware and corresponding software. I’m still hoping Tablo’s close to turning the corner and living up to its promises, but it’s not quite there yet.

What is Tablo again?

A quick refresher: Tablo is an over-the-air DVR that lets you record local channels from an antenna. But Instead of plugging directly into your TV, the Tablo DVR streams video to other devices on your home network. Set it up wherever you get the best antenna reception, and you can watch through the Tablo app on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV/Android TV, LG TVs, and Samsung TVs. (There’s also a mobile app for iOS and Android.)

For newcomers, the concept can be tricky to understand, but the advantage is that a single antenna and DVR can feed multiple televisions throughout the home, with no extra equipment beyond what you use for streaming. The same recordings are available across all TVs, and you can watch without switching inputs away from your streaming device.

In 2022, The E.W. Scripps Company, a major broadcaster, acquired Nuvyyo, the company behind Tablo, and it oversaw a complete rewrite of Tablo’s software, which debuted on its fourth-gen DVR in 2023. While the up-front price is similar to previous models—$130 for a dual-tuner model, $160 for the quad-tuner version—it no longer carries subscription fees, and it adds a lineup of free streaming channels that you can record as well.

On paper, it’s a slam dunk. Most other over-the-air DVR solutions cost a lot more, and some require complicated DIY equipment setups. Tablo is simpler and has an unbeatable price.

So it’s all the more disappointing that things don’t work as they should. In my review, I ran into a long list of bugs and glitches, and the device had a tendency to go offline without warning. Last year, I ran into the same issues after setting up the device again, and it’s been sitting in my gadget drawer ever since.

Tablo’s new Roku app issues

Everything seemed to be going smoothly when I installed the Tablo again earlier this week. Device setup happens through Tablo’s mobile app, and within minutes it was pulling in live TV from my antenna.

But when I opened Tablo’s Roku app, it never got past the “Connecting to your Tablo…” loading screen. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, rebooting the Roku, switching to a different Roku player, and rebooting the Tablo itself. The app refused to load every time.

Laura Slater, a Tablo spokeswoman, says Tablo is aware of the problem, which has also been reported by other users on its forums. Tablo expects to have a fix out next week, but affected Roku users are out of luck until then. That’s a week of total downtime for a bad software update.

The update is a substantial one, with features that bring the Roku app into parity with other platforms. There’s now a mini guide for flipping through channels from the playback screen, for instance, and a new left sidebar for navigation.

But if you can’t get the app working, there’s no way to roll back. The only workarounds are to switch to a different streaming device (Tablo’s Fire TV app worked fine for me), or to use AirPlay or screen mirroring to send video from a phone. (I tried the former, but it wasn’t a great experience, with the video out of sync with the audio).

This isn’t the first time Tablo issues have prevented users from accessing their antenna streams. Last September, a prolonged server outage disabled live TV playback, even though over-the-air TV shouldn’t require internet at all. Tablo says it’s working on offline support, but in the meantime it had more server outages in January. In November, Roku’s OS 14 update removed support for AC3 Surround Sound passthrough, in turn preventing live TV playback on Roku devices. Tablo had to scramble to release a fix that let users disable surround sound entirely.

Improvements are coming

Current Roku issues aside, Slater says Tablo has done a lot of recent work to improve connectivity in Tablo’s firmware, apps, and back-end server connections. I’ll be checking to see if those claims hold up in the coming weeks.

But the bigger updates may come over the summer. That’s when Tablo plans to launch offline playback support and offer its new firmware as an optional upgrade for older DVR models. (Tablo originally planned to make that upgrade available in the fall of 2023.)

Perhaps all this means that Tablo will finally be ready for prime time in the months ahead. For the sake of all over-the-air DVR enthusiasts, I hope it’s not another false start.

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