Tablo TV 2 Tuner Review

Angry Mo's - Tablo TV 2 Tuner Review                                           Verdict: Mo likes it!

  Welcome to my second blog review.  Last time I brought you the killer Roku 3...  designed to bring you the best video/audio entertainment in a simple user-friendly device.  For this week, I want to you all to be aware of the Tablo TV 2 Tuner.

I also promised to bring you movie reviews, but I haven't seen anything lately... so stay tuned!

What is it?

Its an over the air tuner (OTA) that brings you free local channels.  It is basically  a small black box that you hook up to an antenna.  The antenna than receives broadcast signals over the air and gives them to the Tablo TV.  The antenna you have to supply on your own, but don't worry its not as complex as you think.  Antennas can be outdoor (on your roof or side of your house), or they can be indoor.  For my setup I use an indoor antenna that I bought from Amazon.  See the antenna section below.  The Tablo TV then sends the broadcast to the internet via its Ethernet connection on the back to your local network (connect it to your router).  You can access the channels via web browser.  I bought it to go with my Roku 3 for live TV and even better.. it can function as a digital video recorder (DVR) to record shows when your not home!  So easy.. its craaazzzzzy!









What do you need? 

First you need the Tablo TV itself.  I bought mine from : http://www.tablotv.com/
Then you need an antenna.  See antenna section below to give you an example.
Lastly, you need a hard drive to record shows.  I had an old USB hard drive .. it works awesome.

Before you have the above, you should have a router and a working internet connection.


What channels do you get?

I get the following :  Local NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.  Those are really the only channels I care about.  It really depends on your location.  PBS is also available.  The Tablo TV website noted above has an easy to use page where you can fill in your zip code and find out what stations you can get.  For my wife and I we like to watch : NBC Nightly News, Jeopardy, Hell's Kitchen and I can't miss my Judge Judy (I like it when she yells at people).

Is it easy to setup and use?

yes, yes, yes, yes!

Where did you get an antenna?

Like I said you can get an antenna for outdoor (I recommend this for people who know what they are doing), or indoor atenna (this is for people who don't know what they are doing). I do not know anything about outdoor stuff so I went with a simple indoor antenna.  I actually got it from Amazon.com.  See here:

 http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Extreme-Performance-Amplified-Antenna/dp/B00DIFIP06/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1398792120&sr=1-2&keywords=amazon+antenna

I have it taped to the inside of a window.  One end goes into an outlet to give it power, the other end goes into the Tablo TV.  Easy!



You mentioned Tablo TV can record shows?  how?

I have had it for several weeks now and it hasn't missed recording a single show.  And you know what?  The picture quality is fantastic.  All you need is a USB hard drive.  I had an old Western Digital Mybook, and it works perfectly.  You just plug it into the Tablo TV.  That is it for the hardware.  The Tablo then hooks up to your local network via your router.
Once its all set up you simply go to a web browser, scan for channels and your done.  Then you can setup recordings.



Devices that you can use with it?

You can use it with iPad, any laptop/PC via web browser.  For my setup as I already mentioned I use it with Roku.  I have several of them throughout the house.  There is a channel you can get for Tablo TV.  I am able to access live TV, recordings, and scheduled recordings.  Tablo TV plans on coming out with a 4 Tuner model.  Right now the 2 -Tuner means that you can be recording one channel and watch another one.  Or two people can watch two different channels.. you get the point.

















Can you cut the cord?

Yes !  I used to pay $70.00 a month for Dish Network.  Now I don't need it.  I get all the local channels, plus Roku gives me Netflix, Amazon VOD, Plex as I mentioned in last weeks blog (http://moangry.blogspot.com/2014/04/roku-3-review.html)

Can the wife use it?

Yes!  My wife knows how to use Tablo after I showed her how to use it on the Roku.  Simple as scrolling some icons.  Roku is the most wife friendly device.  It is also kid friendly.

Pros:
Nice looking solid made device (much better made than the Simple TV version 2)
Easy to set up
Excellent picture quality
Has not missed a single recording
Cost effective
Backed  up by a good company which is making regular updates

Cons:
No closed captioning
Can't resume playback after starting a video from your recordings (I believe Tablo is working on this)

Verdict: BUY IT!

Thanks for joining this week, next week we will review the Nvidia Shield, a portable gaming gizmo.

If you liked this review and would like to help support further Angry Mo's Reviews please donate at the following (is appreciated tons!):

Roku 3 Review

Angry Mo's - Roku 3 Review                         Verdict:  Mo like it!

  Welcome to my first blog review.  Every week I tend to bring you a new electronic product which I believe is the best of the best and talk about it here!  

For this week I want to review the Roku 3.  This is the most amazing device anyone who has a TV should get.  Its so simple to use... even my wife can use it!

What is it?  

Its a small box that you attach to your TV.  It gives you access via Internet to multiple video/music streaming services like : Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, Blockbuster, Youtube, Hulu Plus.. there are literally hundreds of "channels" that you can add to your Roku, I just named a few.  Some of the above services do require a subscription.  You can find more channels here: http://www.roku.com/now-playing

I use Netflix, Amazon, Plex and CNN news the most.  I have seen it go for as low as $80.00, which is pretty inexpensive for such an amazing device.  

Design:

Its basically a small black box.  It is very easy to hide.  There are attachments you can buy online  that make it easy to hide behind your flat screen TV, so its invisible.  The box has a power outlet, ethernet port (if you have a wired ethernet connection I recommend using this), HDMI output.  If you don't have wired ethernet, don't worry its wireless too.  The device is quiet, runs cool and is very, very simple.  My wife has used it for the past 2 years, and still doesn't know what it looks like.

Remote:

The remote is comfortable and easy to use.  It has a minimalist design.  Its fast, responsive, and even has a port on the side to hook up included headphones.  That way, if your spouse is sleeping, you can watch TV, without bothering him or her.  See photo below.  The remote is RF, which means the device can be hidden behind cabinets and behind the TV and still work.  The Roku 3 box is also IR, so if you have a universal remote it would work with it too (e.g. Harmony).  Roku 3 remote is also motion sensitive, so you can play games.  We don't use it for that function, but angry birds is available on Roku 3, and is easy to play with the remote.  If you use the Roku remote instead of a universal remote, you still need to use your regular TV remote to turn on/off the TV. 

Channels:

Kind of like apps for your phone, Roku has many so called "channels".  This includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora.  My favorite channels besides these include : CNN, CNET, IGN, Plex, Hulu Plus, Dishworld.  There are tons of options!  My wife watches Hindi channels via Dishworld.  You can even stream your moves/photos/music from your computer to Roku using Plex app.  Plex is a great piece of software, but this is a discussion for a different time.  Some of these services require subscriptions, some do not.

Cutting the cord?  Can it save me money?:

Roku 3 has allowed me to be without cable or satellite services.  It has tons of movies, TV shows, music channels, there is truly something for everyone including kids.   Again, you can even watch your own stored movies via Plex.  What is also a benefit is a nifty device called Tablo.  With Tablo, I am able to get over the air channels for free (no fees), record them, play them back on any connected Roku device.  It is simply amazing.  Right now I have 4 Roku's throughout the home.  Each Roku is able to acccess the Tablo for Live TV.  My next blog will be reviewing this money saving device.  So can you cut the cord?  Yes you can!

Picture and sound quality:
Awesome picture quality and sound.  It can do up to 1080p and Dolby Digital.  I have compared this device to Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV... they are all about the same

Pros:
Small box
Easy to use, nice remote
Headphone jack on remote
Tons of content including over the air channels (some channels require subscription fees, for over the air channels need external equipment)
Fast menu speeds
Wife and kid friendly.. this is a big one!

Cons:
The only con is there is no Airplay available.  However there are channels you can add like Trimeplay and Twonky Beam that allow you to stream content from your phone or pad to your Roku. Roku also has an app for your phone to stream your personal photos/music/video to your device.

Verdict:  BUY IT!

Thanks for joining this week, next week will be reviewing the Tablo TV 2 Tuner

If you would like to help support further reviews please donate below.