Latest Tablo Dual has a dedicated remote control
Tablo released a new DVR for over-the-air channels that connects directly to a TV and comes with a dedicated remote control.
The Tablo Dual HDMI went on sale today at the company’s website for $149.99.
This OTA DVR marks a first for Tablo, which is made by Ottawa-based Nuvyyo.
Past Tablo models such as the Tablo Dual Lite only connected to a WiFi router. That’s pretty common with a number of OTA DVRs.
Tablo’s latest DVR plugs directly into a television’s HDMI port, but can still stream live TV and recordings to additional TVs through the Tablo app.
The Tablo Dual HDMI is a two-tuner model. So people can record or watch live TV on two channels at once.
The Tablo app is available on most major streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
Picture quality enthusiasts take note: This Dual HDMI DVR records and displays in raw MPEG2 video format at the same resolution as the broadcast, according to Nuvyyo. That includes 1080i at 60 frames per second when it’s available.
“We’re proud that Tablo has become a trusted brand among cord cutters,” Grant Hall, CEO of Nuvyyo said in a statement. “With demand for cable TV alternatives among all consumer demographics growing dramatically, the time was right to expand our reach into underserved portions of the market. That’s why we’re bringing the beautiful interface and advanced DVR features that Tablo customers expect to a more traditional set-top-box solution with the Tablo DUAL HDMI.”
The company said that all generations of Tablo OTA DVRs receive free regular firmware and app updates, as well as basic DVR functionality, including:
– 24 hours of TV Guide Data (traditional grid guide)
– Manual recording (one-time or recurring)
– Playback controls including pause, rewind, and fast-forward
– Support for 5.1 Surround Sound passthrough
Tablo Guide Data Service
All Tablo OTA DVRs include a 30-day free trial of the Tablo TV guide data service. The guide data service has episode and series synopses, cover art, and metadata for programs airing over the next two weeks.
A Tablo TV Guide Data Service subscription also includes one-touch series recordings, and adjustable start and stop times. There is automatic extended time for live TV recordings.
All Tablo OTA DVRs include a 30-day free trial of the optional Tablo Premium Service subscription which enables the Automatic Commercial Skip feature.
The new Tablo Dual HDMI is expected to ship before Dec. 1.
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Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
I was initially very excited to hear about this new unit. We’ve been looking for something to replace our Channel Master DVR+, since the program guide is no longer supported and is not consistent. But then I found out you cannot buy a lifetime program guide with the Tablo HDMI. Plus, if you want to stream to other TVs in your house, you have to pay additional monthly for their Premium Service.
From my understanding, the HDMI does not require the Premium Service but DOES require a Set Top Streaming Device as opposed to a Stick dongle or AppleTV.
You’re right- I was mistaken about needing Premium Service. But I think it DOES require a TV Guide Data Subscription in order to stream to other TVs in your house. And again, you cannot buy a Lifetime subscription with these units.
These Tablos are expensive and have hidden costs (guide and memory), I’ll stick with my iView STB3500 II DVRs ($27 at Amazon). I’ve had two iViews for six years and just purchased the latest model (that includes sub-titles). The’re crude (one tuner) and clunky (VCR like interface) but they work.