Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Tablo TV experience has completely revolutionized my approach to television. As someone who opted to cut the cord, I was in search of a seamless method for watching and recording live TV without the complexities of subscriptions. In this regard, Tablo has unquestionably lived up to its promise. The setup procedure is incredibly straightforward, with the Tablo app providing excellent guidance every step of the way. With just a few simple clicks, I successfully initiated my Tablo and had it operational. It's worth noting that the model I chose did not include an antenna, but there's an alternative "Total System" model that comes with one. Given that I already had an outdoor antenna installed, which I connected to my home's coaxial system to cover the entire house, this arrangement better suited my requirements. The elegance of Tablo's simplicity truly shines during the process of connecting to your internet network. Through the use of the provided Ethernet cable, I seamlessly integrated the Tablo into my home setup. A standout feature of the Tablo is the option to augment storage capacity using a USB hard drive. While the built-in memory of the Tablo can accommodate up to 50 hours of high-definition recordings, the ability to link an external drive with a capacity of up to 8TB is an absolute boon for those who enjoy binge-watching and avid recording. The absence of any subscription obligations, contracts, or hidden fees is a much-appreciated relief. With Tablo, I've been able to relish both broadcast programming from my TV antenna and access to over 40 streaming channels via the internet, all without incurring any costs. The freedom to watch what I desire without the burden of recurring payments is genuinely liberating. The incorporation of a 14-day TV guide data cycle is a notable advantage, ensuring that I'm consistently updated about my favorite shows and upcoming events. Overall, the Tablo TV has completely transformed my TV consumption habits. Its user-friendly setup, compatibility with existing systems, expandable storage capabilities, and steadfast commitment to subscription-free entertainment make it an absolute game-changer for anyone in search of high-quality TV without the usual cable clutter.

I really wanted to love this device. I was excited to be able to record live tv and play it back on any other tv. I have had similar devices in the past and they were overall just ok. The size of the Tablo is supper small and easy to tuck away and not worry about. You can also add an additional hard drive to expand storage. Without adding the additional hard drive, you can record up to 50 hours of video right out of the box. It does have two built in tv tuners so you can record two shows at once or watch one and record another. Overall, this is pretty great product, and the price point is on par or better than the competitors. With all the great things this device can do I don't think it's ready for consumers. I tried setting Tablo up on my google pixel 7 phone and it wasn't working and kept crashing and or not responding to anything. I gave up my android and tried my iPhone and it worked and was easy to get setup. Once I finally had the device on my Wi-Fi network, I then tried to use the Roku app. I was met with a loading screen and nothing showing for my device. My Roku is a few years old but works fine, but I tried another device android tv and was met with the same loading screen. In both situations I did let it run for about 5 minutes to see if the app was updating Tablor or something, but nothing happened. I spent some more time messing around and trying to get it to work. Came to the conclusion if I hard wire it to my internet it will get passed the loading screen. I was able to use the app on my iphone to pull up the TV guide and was able to setup the shows I wanted recorded. The menu, when it works, is very simplistic and easy to use. You can select just record this one episode, or you can also select the series. Your recordings show up in the Library and are easy to navigate through. I went back to using my Roku for the Tablo app as it seemed to function. I was able to browse my library and live tv. I tried out one of the recordings I did, and it was flawless, the sound was great, the screen clarity, everything was perfect. Next, I tried live TV, the tv guide takes a moment to load and is choppy to scroll through. I selected a show and it was streaming totally fine, then after 5 minutes the video was no longer in sync with the sound. I figured I will reboot and try again, and then the Tablo app was no longer working. Overall, I feel like this is a pretty simplistic device but somehow it doesn't work. I was pretty bummed out because I wanted to love this and overlook the setup issues, but there are too many issues for me. Maybe Tablo will do an update to fix some of these so the device can be used.

I'm impressed with the tablo. Setup was easy. I'm able to get the major networks. I previously had a streaming service that cost a lot of money. Tablo does have some quirks. I get some error messages and sometimes it freezes, but if I back out of it and come back it seems to resolve the problem. The dvr is ok although it recorded something other than what I wanted once. You can also fast forward the commercials on recorded material. Because it is a 2 tuner, you can only record one program while watching another. I would recommend the tablo.

As a long-time Tivo user, I was looking for an alternative that doesn't require a subscription. The Tablo 4 seems to fit the bill. It is easy to hook up as long as you have wifi and a good antenna that you can connect to the unit. The app works well, but sometimes takes awhile to load. I wasn't able to stream directly to my LG smart TV, but I was able to use a Roku player plugged into the TV, and this seems to work very well. I can also easily stream to my android tablets and phones. Picture quality is excellent- as good as the antenna feed. You also get a bunch of extra free streaming channels which is nice. You can record the streaming channels as well as the over-the-air channels, watch them later, and skip through commercials. Very easy to set up recordings of entire TV series and adjust times, channels, etc. My only reservation is that the Tablo works only when it has an internet connection and the Tablo servers are up. My unit quit working after just 3 days and I was about to return it but decided to contact Tablo. They said their server was down and I should wait 4 hours and try again. And sure enough, 4 hours later everthing was working again. But it seems like I should be at least able to watch live TV or my recordings even if the Tablo servers are down or if the internet glitches. There are no technical reasons why a remote Tablo server would be needed to view content that is locally received and stored. Otherwise, the Tablo seems like a very good alternative to Tivo. Time will tell whether Tablo server reliability becomes an issue.

Easy to set up. Only need one unit to watch on several devices. When I scanned the antenna channels there were 189 channels. Easy to select favorites. So far have had no problems with the recordings after I discovered that not all of the stations can be recorded due to licensing issues. The only bug I see, is that you have to reset the unit quite often by pushing the button on the bottom. Over all I am very pleased with the Tablo.

The device works as advertised. It is easy to setup and works great. The built in DVR is all I need, I don't need to add more space to it. The app works very good and makes it easy to watch TV and recordings on multiple TVs.

PRODUCT TABLO - 4TH GEN 128GB OVER-THE-AIR DVR & STREAMING PLAYER - WHITE SKU:6554313 SOLID HARDWARE AFFORDABLE OTA DVR – GUIDE DATA NOW INCLUDED FREE Some context for this review. I other have OTA (Over The Air) DVR’s (Digital Video Recorders) from the top 2 DVR sellers and have been using DVR’s since around 2002. QUICK IMPRESSIONS This is an attractive DVR in a small package. It includes 2 HD ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) 1.0 (up to 1080i resolution) tuners, a physical ethernet connection as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. What really makes it a great value it that it includes 14 days of guide data at no extra charge, has built in storage (128GB) and also includes free OTT (Over The Top) streaming channels that can also be recorded without using a Tuner. For many consumers this can give the top DVR a run for their money. Certainly, it packs a lot of value compared to other offerings in the marketplace. It also addresses one my main objections to using TABLO devices in the past, and that is to get rid of fees for guide data or advanced features. WHO IS THIS GOOD FOR • Casual OTA viewers, who want to time shift their viewing • When your Antenna is in a different location (room) from your other TVs. This allows you to put the antenna where it gets the most channels and then stream to the other TV’s instead of running a wire to every TV (assuming you have good Wi-Fi coverage). • Users where their TV or Monitor does not include a Tuner. • Viewers who want free OTT channels (which don’t require an antenna, such as Bloomberg, ION, CourtTV and other “generic” channels) WHAT IT IS NOT (no points off, just sharing information) • It is not 4K / ATSC 3.0 / NextGenTV compatible, so it has a limited life as currently ATSC 1.0 is set to be phased out in Mid 2027 (though it has been extended in the past, and will probably be extended again). But ATSC 3.0 tuners are much more expensive 2X or 3X or more and there is virtually no native 4K content to watch on ATSC 3.0 in most areas. • It does not connect directly to your TV, you must access it through a streaming “stick” like ROKU / AMAZON / APPLE or on your mobile phone. It does not have an app on Samsung TV’s. • It does not work with 3rd party recording software like PLEX. • It does not have DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) support which makes channels show up as folders to many generic devices. • There currently is no way to watch content offline (eg download a TV show to your phone to watch later). • It does not have commercial skip, but you can fast forward manually. • Does not natively allow streaming outside the house, unless you have your own VPN. These items are not critical for most users, they are nice to have features and easily given up for not paying extra fees, and a relatively low initial cost. SETUP For the most part Setup is straight forward. Attach an Antenna, Load the App on your phone, and follow the prompts. SOME MINOR ISSUES (chalking it up to new release) Some features are only available on the Mobile App, while some are only available on the streaming stick app. I assume over time this will all get harmonized. • External Drives – If you want to add and external hard drive, as of the time of this review, the Roku app does not give you an option for Formatting the Drive, which is required before you use it. I had to switch to the Mobile App to format the drive, then everything worked well. I was able to use an old SSD laptop drive in a cheap external enclosure and it worked perfectly. • Searching the guide - The mobile app does not allow you to search the guide, you need the streaming stick App to search for your favorite show. If you are watching on the phone you have to scroll around the guide to find something to watch. • USE THE BLUE CHANNEL ON ROKU NOT THE WHITE ONE. The Blue TABLO is for the 4th Gen DVR’s. RECOMMENDATION If you want an easy to use and probably the most affordable consumer DVR solution, then the TABLO 4th Gen OTA DVR is a great fit. If you want / need some of the more advanced features that are not included at this time, then you probably need to spend 2X-6X more depending upon what solution you go with and what features you need. For what is included in the price, you get a lot of value. Just don’t expect it to do everything that more expensive DVR’s can do.

Set up was fairly easy. But a couple of times, I've had to do a complete reset from scratch, kind of frustrating. I use Wi-Fi instead of plugging it directly into my internet router. Kintd of wish the program guide would go farther than 2 days. Nice to have the ability to do series recordings and to extend recording of live events. Giving it 3 stars for now.

I needed a replacement for my older OTA (over-the-air) DVR and this looked like a great choice. However a couple observations on ownership for this Gen4 Tablo to consider when looking to purchase. The good: - Setup is easy via smartphone - The interface and mobile app are easy to learn - Setting up an external USB hard drive is easy - Picture quality is great - Setting up a recording is easy - Works good with my Roku TVs and Amazon Fire TV - Customer service is an email away and responds within hours. The Bad: - The channel guide is free but may not list channels correctly. (a known issue as I contacted support for help) The solution for now is to select other zip code(s) rescan channels, and update the guide, and this MAY straighten out the channel guide. It finally worked for me. - I knew this at time of purchase but no outside the home access for viewing. Every device you view this on must be on the same home network. (Your smartphone as well) - No app for Windows PC's So for now it stays in the house, the guide seems to have settled down and is working to show correct channel data. The DVR with my external HD is working great and the software is responsive with very few hesitations. I chose to hardwire (CAT5) my connection vs WiFi and I have a good outdoor antenna. The guide data is the biggest concern I have because without a dependable guide the DVR is useless. So fingers crossed they get that fixed soon or my zip code trick holds and keeps things going. Since the DVR isn't really that expensive I'm not to worried about my purchase.

This replaces a Magnavox DVR that has worked well since 2017 but is now starting to fail. The Tablo is GREAT! Pulls in more channels than the Magnavox, easy to set up and operate, excellent visual scan feature (after the second software update). Picture quality is excellent. Not being ATSC 3.0 isn't a big deal for me. At this price, simply replace it when one is available if that is important to you. I doubt I'll need to add an external drive as I record, watch, and delete shows on a weekly basis. Works flawlessly with my Roku Ultra. Can watch on any Roku in the house. Couldn't do that with the Magnavox. I have slow DSL service (7Mbps), but that hasn't been a problem for the Tablo. But I mainly use the off-air channels and not the streaming channels available with the Tablo. Love the small form factor compared to the Magnavox. Technology can be great, and it is with the Tablo! I couldn't be happier!

I wanted to share my experience with the Tablo DVR which I purchased in October 2025. The current OTA antenna I have itself is excellent, picking up numerous stations with minimal issues. However, the Tablo setup has been problematic. Initially, the installation and setup of the Tablo were straightforward, and the concept seemed promising. Unfortunately, once configured, I could no longer access my OTA stations as before and had to use the Tablo app on my TV to watch those channels. In my opinion, the Tablo app on the phone is essentially useless, and I never use it. While setting up recordings for OTA TV series and sports was simple, watching them was not as smooth. Often, I had to exit the TV app entirely and then reopen to get it to work. Additionally, the app was very finicky when trying to skip commercials, rewind, or fast-forward, frequently causing it to stop working altogether. This issue occurred far too often, and I had to reboot the system repeatedly. Overall, I would not recommend Tablo as it has proven to be more of a hassle than it's worth. There must be a more reliable alternative out there that offers the same concept without the ongoing issues.

A few years ago, I decided to cut the cord from cable and try out the first generation Tablo and that version was not very good where it was unreliable where it does not pick up stations from a rural county 25 miles out from the city even with the recommended indoor antenna and needed external hard drive. It was so aggravating setting it up back then and most of the time it failed to record the TV program and had screen freezes. This year my parents were in need of a device to record their shows on TV since their dvd recorder broke. This is when I gave Tablo a second chance since on the 4th generation and hoped the product had matured. This version had the built in storage which was enough for their needs and a welcome addition. When setting up it was much better than previous device. Since parents live closer to the towers they could pick up stations easily. In short this 4th gen is a winner and so far working fine. I will review again after a year of use.

I love this device. It was very easy to set up. If you are sick of paying subscription fees and have over-the-air shows that you want to watch and also skip the commercials, this the way to go. I was fed up with paying for streaming services that still bombarded me with commercials. The Roku app has more features than the IPhone app. You cannot stream your shows away from home as you have to be on the same WiFi as your device.

Works great. Easy setup and got over 55 free channels.DVR allows easy recording and playback. Would definitely recommend buying this item

Wow. This works really well. The Tablo is my first over the air tuner that wasn’t built into a TV. Somehow, the Tablo, even with amplification turned off, can pick up stations that my TV cannot with the same antenna in the same spot. From one antenna, I can stream the game to my TV with surround sound in 5.1 while my wife watches from her phone in another room. This thing works. I am so impressed. Only caveat is that the Apple TV, Samsung, and LG WebOS apps are still listed as “coming soon.” There is an older Tablo app on the Apple TV Appstore, but it won’t work with this device. But if you have an Amazon Firestick, this device is great. Setup: You can mount the Tablo on a wall, but I chose to lay it flat on my entertainment center. There is Wi-Fi built-in, but to minimize variables, I hooked my Tablo up to a wired ethernet switch. You will need the Tablo app on your phone or tablet to set the device up. There were a couple of firmware updates available out of the box. There is a blue light on the Tablo, but you can turn it off from the app if you think the light is too bright. Experience: Even with amplification turned off, I received more TV channels over the air using the Tablo than I did from the TV’s built-in tuner. I had no problems with signal drop, but my antennas are up high. I’m about 6 to 15 miles away from the towers and I picked up over 50 stations. I’ve been watching TV on the Tablo for a week and a half. I’ve had no buffering. I’ve had no signal drop. The built-in guide and DVR are simple and effective. The college football games on Saturday looked and sounded great. My one complaint is that the Apple TV app is not currently ready, but I just have to be patient. I wish that the Tablo application had guide integration with Amazon’s Live TV interface. Conclusion: But that is really it. This thing has worked great. I love it. This is the perfect OTA device for cord cutters. I highly recommend it. 5/5

The Tablo Over The Air DVR is pretty impressive hardware. At 128GB the storage capacity is very good. The setup is very smooth with use of the Tablo app. You are required to have an OTA- Over The Air antenna to hook up with your Tablo DVR. It works with my Fire Stick and with Roku, Apple, Android TVs. You can connect by wifi or ethernet. Ethernet is prefered. You can't beat the stability of a wired connection. When connected I was able to get a few more channels than I did previously. In all I get nearly 25 stations. The number of channels one can get is based on your area in relation to TV towers. The Tablo performed well. There were a few hiccups that I seem to be straightening out as I go along. The unit froze on me a few times, but I got it going again. Then froze again the next day. It has been fine since.The app and device needed an update of firmware out of the box and that went off well. The channel guide is good and has proven to be very helpful. The 128gb drive is supposed to give more than 50 hours of DVR ability. The DVR functions work quite well. This little device is not without some flaws, but it is a nice DVR option if you are looking for DVR ability for Over The Air channels. Combine the hardware of the unit with the the DVR capability, a good app, and this device is recommended by me.

Works well. Good picture from the tv tuner. Easy to hook up and use. Just one issue. It will not connect to screens on both wi/Fi and Ethernet at the same time.

I purchased this to watch football during the Disney / YT TV strike. Setup was straight forward, as long as you are used to dealing with phone apps for device setup. It streams live OTA tv over the air nicely. It scours the internet and generates a very handy guide to both OTA broadcasts, ant the many independent streaming channels it enables. Only reason I did not give it 5 stars is my Netgear Armor reports Device Hijack vulnerability on the device.

Pros: Easy to install, great signal sensitivity, can be used with all of my devices (PC, tablets, TVs, phones). Cons: You must be connected to your home network, limited recording time( you can add external storage for more recording time), not able to schedule recordings from outside of your home network.

Just purchased the TabloTV 4th generation DVR, and I must say, I love it..!! No monthly fees, and it works perfectly with my FireTV Stick 4K Max..!! For the best reception please pay attention to what I’m going to tell you. I bought a “Must Have Flat Antenna.” It was suppose to be the best. Not quite the best. I was unable to receive OTA channels like Fox & CW without losing reception. Yes, others blamed their Tablo 4th Gen tuner, but they were wrong..!! It was their antennas fault. Yep, here is my proof. After I became so frustrated with my new flat antenna and lousy reception, I researched different antennas. I was impressed with reviews about the Channel Master FLATenna+ (plus) indoor Antenna so I ordered one online. It had a signal amplifier that impressed me. I installed my new CH antenna with the included amplifier along with Tablo’s built in amplifier turned off. Channel reception was fair, but not perfect. I then tried a different method. I ran the enclosed Channel Master coax cable direct from the FLATenna+ to the Tablo 4th Generation DVR WITHOUT the CH enclosed antenna amp, splitter and filter. I then turned on the built-in Tablo Antenna Amplification (on) & rescanned my channels. All my local channels, the ones I watch, including Fox & CW received “100%” perfect HD reception. (See enclosed pictures) I am 100% happy with my Tablo 4th Generation DVR… — Note: — I tried several locations for my Flat Antenna. Different locations means different outcomes. “Rescan after “Every Change.!!” Go online to establish where your broadcast towers are located. Direct your Indoor Flat Antenna toward the broadcast Towers. Try both with signal amplification on & off, always “Rescan” when you make a change..!! This review does not reflect on the Antenna Tablo sells, I never tried theirs..!! Good luck…