How Much Space Does Tablo Require to Record a Program?

The amount of space a recording uses depends on the Tablo model you have.

Table of Contents

• Recording Storage Space Usage for 4th Generation Tablo Models
• Recording Storage Space Usage for Legacy Network-Connected Tablo DVRs
• Recording Storage Space Usage for Legacy TV-Connected Tablo DVRs

Recording Storage Space Usage for 4^th Generation Tablo Models

Since 4th Generation Tablo models deliver and record OTA (over-the-air) TV in either the original uncompressed MPEG2 broadcast format or MPEG4 after archiving when using onboard storage, recording file sizes can vary.

The following chart is an approximation of OTA recording storage usage for onboard storage on a 4th Generation Tablo vs. a 1TB external hard drive.

This next chart is an approximation of free streaming recordings storage usage. This is identical for onboard and external storage on the 4^th Generation Tablo models. Bandwidth varies as free streaming channels are delivered at a bit rate that adapts to your external internet speed to avoid buffering. 

Recording Storage Space Usage for Network-Connected Legacy Tablo DVRs

Depending on the recording quality setting you have selected for your legacy network-connected Tablo, you'll use between 2 and 4 GB per hour of recorded TV. For example, a 1TB drive can record up to 700 hours of HD programming.

Recording Storage Space Usage for Legacy TV-Connected Tablo DVRs

Since legacy TV-connected Tablo DVRs deliver and record OTA TV in its original, uncompressed MPEG2 format, its recording files can be much larger than those of network-connected Tablo DVRs.