Too Much TV: Tablo TV Offers A Lifeline To True Cord Cutters
Here is the best option I've found for people who are looking for an integrated DVR and channel guide without having to pay for cable or satellite television.
Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, May 16th 2025:
IF YOU HAVE EVER CONSIDERED TRULY 'CUTTING THE CORD,' THIS IS THE DEVICE YOU NEED
The phrase "cord cutter" is used in the television industry to describe viewers who have "cut the cord" of cable or satellite television in favor of a virtual cable lineup such as Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV. But there are plenty of people who have completely eliminated any paid live television option. They use an antenna for over-the-air broadcast networks and supplement that with Netflix, Prime Video or other paid and free TV platforms.
The upside is that there is a big savings involved and if you can live with just the live sports available over-the-air, it is very doable. But there are some disadvantages. You don't typically have access to a DVR option, so anything you want to watch on broadcast television, you have to watch live. And while local broadcast television offers a large number of digital networks to viewers, there is no integrated channel guide to let you navigate through the channels in an intuitive way.
I've been trying out Tablo TV over the past few days and it might be the perfect solution for viewers looking for a cable TV viewing experience, no matter what channels are locally available.
Tablo TV sent me a 4th generation evaluation model to test and after a few days, I'm convinced this is the device I'd recommend to anyone looking to live without cable or satellite television. And as an fyi, while they sent me the device, I'm not getting paid for writing about it and they provided no guidance on what they would like me to say (or not say).
Tablo TV is a small, circular device that measures about six inches across and one inch high. The only thing you need to hook it up is a smart television that is compatible with the Tablo TV app (and that seems to be most recent models), or a streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or Android/Google TV. You'll need a broadband connection and an electrical outlet to plug it into. It will also require some kind of over-the-air TV antenna, which you can purchase from Tablo or buy on your own.
Set up is incredibly easy. You download the Tablo app on your smart phone, set up an account and follow the instructions. The Tablo can be connected to your home's wireless connection or directly into the broadband router. You plug in the Tablo, make the broadband connection and attach the antenna.
Tablo scans the spectrum to find every available over-the-air-broadcast signal, and then creates a personalized two-week channel guide, which includes every broadcast and digital network, along with a bit over 120 streaming channels. And it's all integrated together for easy channel surfing.
There are two Tablo models available. The two-tuner model ($119.95) allows you to watch one channel live while recording another one. The four-tuner model ($159.95) allows you to watch and record up to four channels at the same time. The built-in DVR can record around 50 hours of programming, and you can record individual episodes of your favorite series or the entire season. The Tablo can be shared anywhere on your home network that has a device capable of using the Tablo app.
There are a couple of downsides to the Tablo. There doesn’t appear to be any on-demand content, but that’s not that big of an issue to me. And while the user interface is easy to scroll through, it's not always intuitive. So you'll likely be using the online FAQs a lot in the first days of using Tablo.
My biggest problem with the Tablo user interface has do to with the channel lineup. The default is to show every available broadcast and streaming channel in one long list. The streaming channels aren't organized in any sort of genre-specific way I could determine, at least not all of them. And while you can "favorite" channels, the only way you can get to the list of favorited channels is by going to main channel guide and filtering for "favorite channels." And if you do that, the channel guide will display only the favorited channels and nothing else.
My other big observation after using Tablo TV for a few days is that if you put it in your bedroom, you are going to want to cover that big, horizontal glowing blue status light on the front of the device. It's bright and while some people might not be bothered by it, I found it pretty irritating.
However, overall I found Tablo TV simple to set-up and use and it's the best option I've seen for people who are looking for an integrated DVR and channel guide without having to pay for cable or satellite television.
If this sounds like something you'd like to learn more about, visit Tablotv.com.
AN ADAM CONOVER UPDATE
You might remember that earlier this week I wrote about the controversy around the decision by Adam Conover to take money to gently hype something called "The Orb," which is a Sam Altman creation that has been attempting to create a worldwide identity scheme by convincing people to scan their retinas in exchange for a $41 crypto coin.
And earlier today, there was an update from Mr. Conover:
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend Rebecca Watson's video (and story), which does a nice job of explaining the entire adventure.
ODDS AND SODS
* Prime Video has canceled the supernatural Kevin Bacon drama The Bondsman after one season. Maybe they should have just spent the money to license the 1990s Fox series Brimstone, which was essentially the same premise, just a more interesting result.
* Season four of The Great American Recipe is premiering Friday, July 11th on PBS. Judges Tiffany Derry, Timothy Hollingsworth and Francis Lam are returning along with host Alejandra Ramos.
TWEET OF THE DAY
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY, MAY 16TH:
Deaf President Now! (Apple TV+)
Dear Hongrang Series Premiere (Netflix)
Football Parents Series Premiere (Netflix)
Matteo Lane: The Al Dente Special (Hulu)
Murderbot Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
Rotten Legacy Series Premiere (Netflix)
Shark Tank Season Finale (ABC)
The Quilters (Netflix)
SATURDAY, MAY 17TH, 2025:
I Was Honey Boo Boo (Lifetime)
SUNDAY, MAY 18TH, 2025:
American Idol Season Finale (ABC)
America's Funniest Home Videos Season Finale (ABC)
Girl Taken (Lifetime)
Naked And Afraid: Last One Standing Season Premiere (Discovery)
Suits: LA Series Finale (NBC)
The Chi Season Premiere (Showtime)
The Love Club Moms: Nila (Up TV)
Tucci In Italy Series Premiere (NatGeo)
Unknown Serial Killers Of America Series Premiere (Oxygen)
Vindication (Great American Family)
MONDAY, MAY 19TH, 2025:
Lego Masters Season Premiere (Fox)
MAGA: The Next Generation (Comedy Central)
Trapped: What Is Happening To Wendy Williams? (Investigation Discovery)
SEE YOU ON MONDAY!
You can turn the blue LED off through the Tablo app on phones and tablets. There is also an option to dim the blue LED, if you prefer that instead.
After a channel scan, you can select which channels you want to appear in the guide, and which you don't. For instance, if you want to hide home shopping and Spanish channels, you can de-select them, and they won't appear in the guide. You can do the same for the free streaming channels, too.