After setting up your 4th Generation Tablo, it's a good idea to go to the SETTINGS screen in your Tablo app to review and make adjustments to your device if needed.
Format and Add an External Hard Drive (Optional)
Adding a compatible 1-8 TB external USB hard drive to your Tablo not only expands its storage but also makes playback of over-the-air recordings crisper and clearer.
Connect an empty hard drive or one whose contents you're fine losing to the USB port in the rear of your Tablo unit. All hard drives connected to a Tablo must be formatted (contents erased and filesystem rewritten) before they can be used. Unfortunately, there is no way to transfer previously created recordings to a 4th Generation Tablo.
To format your hard drive, go to SETTINGS > STORAGE and select FORMAT DRIVE.
Auto-Delete Recordings
Auto-delete is enabled by default. Your Tablo will delete its oldest non-protected recordings before you run out of storage. It's recommended to keep this setting on, especially if you haven't connected an external hard drive for expanded storage.
However, if you'd rather manage your recordings in other ways, you can turn it OFF by going to SETTINGS > STORAGE > AUTO-DELETE RECORDINGS.
Tweak Your Tablo's LED
The Tablo's blue LED is an invaluable troubleshooting tool. For that reason, it is recommended that it remain set to the ON or DIM setting.
If you need to, you can set the LED to OFF (though it's not recommended).
Enable or Disable Antenna Amplification
The 4th Generation Tablo has a built-in TV antenna amplifier to compensate for signal loss caused by splitting the signal between multiple tuners. If you're already using an antenna amplifier, you should disable Tablo's in-line amplifier by going to SETTINGS > GENERAL > ANTENNA AMPLIFICATION and selecting OFF.
Extend Live Recordings
Extend Live Recordings is enabled by default and will automatically add 30 minutes of recording time to any program marked as 'live'. This is particularly helpful for sports fans. If you would rather pick and choose which programs get additional recording time, go to SETTINGS > SCHEDULING > EXTEND LIVE RECORDINGS > OFF and then use Advanced Recording Features to extend specific recordings by up to 2 hours.
Change Your Tablo's Name
By default, the 4th Generation Tablo's name is 'Tablo'. We suggest giving your device a more distinctive name, especially if you decide to add more than one Tablo to your network. To do so, go to SETTINGS > ABOUT YOUR TABLO > NAME.
Adjust Your Channel Lineup
Tablo set up requires you to run a channel scan and select which channels you'd like displayed in your Live TV Grid. You can edit your channel lineup at any time by going to SETTINGS > GUIDE > CHANNEL LINEUP to add or remove channels.
From here, select RESCAN CHANNELS. Once the rescan is complete, verify that any channels you want in your guide are checked, and those you don't are unchecked.
Note the dots to the right of every over-the-air TV channel, which represent the channel's signal strength during the last scan. Channels with four green dots will have adequate signal strength to watch or record with your Tablo. Those with three yellow or one red dot are likely too weak to play or record dependably.
Once you have selected the channels you want in your lineup, select SAVE AND CONTINUE.
Change Your Location
In rare cases, you might find missing or incorrect TV guide data information in your Live TV screen. Your Tablo device's nightly maintenance processes may identify and automatically resolve this, so please wait 1-2 days for it to settle. If the issue persists, try changing your zip code to one from a neighboring city where the TV guide data may be more accurate in the SETTINGS screen of the Tablo app on your smartphone or tablet.