The company behind the popular Tablo digital video recorder (DVR) says it is pushing out a software update for its fourth-generation models that will allow customers to have access to their local broadcast TV stations without an active Internet connection, The Desk has learned.
The update follows a prolonged server outage on Sunday that affected users of the 4th-generation Tablo DVR, during which customers were unable to watch broadcast or free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels received through their devices.
The outage came at one of the worst possible times — during the opening weekend of the National Football League’s (NFL) 2024 season, when Tablo users were trying to watch their locally-televised games on CBS and Fox.
Tablo pulls in free broadcast stations with a conventional antenna, and pairs those channels with free streaming content channels. The channels are streamed to smart screen devices like phones, tablets and connected TVs through the Tablo app, which has required an active Internet connection to work since the 4th-generation Tablo DVR launched last year.
The reason for requiring an active Internet connection has never been made fully clear, though the 4th-generation device doesn’t require a paid TV guide subscription plan and retails at a lower price than the older network-connected models.
The outage on Sunday suggests the 4th-generation model has the capability of earning revenue through dynamic ads inserted into FAST content streams available on the device, and potentially through the Tablo home screen, menus and electronic program guide in the future — all of which would require an Internet connection to deliver to the user.
After The Desk reported on the issue early Monday morning, a spokesperson for Tablo parent company E. W. Scripps said the company was investigating the root cause of the outage and would implement a number of fixes, to include pushing out a software update that will allow users of the 4th-generation model to watch their free broadcast TV stations, even if there is a server outage on Tablo’s end or an Internet connection issue on the user’s end.
The Scripps spokesperson also said Tablo will be “updating our communication policies order to inform our customers immediately when any kind of outage takes place.” The spokesperson apologized for the inconvenience caused to Tablo users on Sunday, and said the company appreciated their patience and loyalty.
