Slated to ship in the spring, the Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI OTA DVR ($300) boasts four hybrid tuners, making it easy to watch or record up to four unencrypted NextGen TV broadcasts without upgrading your television. The device can also be used to watch or record standard ATSC 1.0 high-definition broadcasts and includes a traditional grid-style live TV guide with one-touch recording
Availability of the Tablo DVR comes at a time when the availability of NextGen TV broadcasts is on the upswing. The broadcasts are currently available in 40 markets covering 45% of the U.S. population and projected to reach 75% of American households by summer, according to the latest statistics from the Pearl TV coalition of broadcasters.
Hookup involves connecting the Tablo DVR to the TV’s HDMI port and a TV antenna. The device is compatible with external USB hard drives with 1 to 8 terabytes (TB) of storage and supports ATSC 3.0’s internet-enabled advanced interactive features, including emergency alerts, where available. Streaming live or recorded OTA TV to other devices inside or outside the home is not supported.
All generations of Tablo OTA DVRs receive free regular firmware updates and provide 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, and support for 4K/HDR and 5.1/Dolby AC-4 surround sound passthrough.
Nuvyyo includes free 30-day trial subscriptions to the Tablo Automatic Commercial Skip Service ($2/month) and Tablo TV Guide Data service ($4.99/month), which provides more program detail and greater control over DVR scheduling and viewing. The TV Guide subscription provides episode and series synopses, cover art, and metadata for programs airing over the next two weeks in addition to advanced DVR features including one-touch series recording (all or all new) and advanced recording options including adjustable start/stop times, keep X recordings, record by channel, extended time on live recordings, and avoidance of duplicate recordings.
“With the emerging NextGen TV standard set to reach at least 50% of US households by this summer, we felt it was the right time to introduce a Tablo over-the-air DVR compatible with ATSC 3.0,” said Nuvyyo CEO Grant Hall. “And since current ATSC 1.0 broadcasts are set to continue for many more years, we chose hybrid ATSC 1.0/3.0 tuners to ensure cord cutters can maintain access to free over-the-air TV throughout the transition.”
For more information, visit tablotv.com.
