Following a sneak peek at CES in January, Tablo has unleashed a new tool for cord-cutters in the form of a native app for fourth-gen Apple TV devices that works in tandem with Tablo’s over-the-air HDTV DVR.
Update: The company reached out Friday to note that its new app is under approval with Apple and that Nuvyyo will be pushing the app live as soon as it gets the green light.
And updates and discussions around the unexpected delay were playing out on Twitter on Friday afternoon:
@majikp3@thebauminator Sorry guys... Ran into some logistical issues with the App Store... Working on it & will be there soon.
— TabloTV (@TabloTV) June 17, 2016
Update 2: The company said the app went live Friday night:
@jazzynaturist Rolling out now! Keep hitting refresh :)
— TabloTV (@TabloTV) June 18, 2016
Nuvyyo, the Ottawa-based maker of Tablo’s product line, said the new 1.0 version of the app is free, and enables users to discover, record and stream live TV and playback recorded shows and movies via the Apple TV, which also features an integrated voice navigation system.
According to Nuvyyo, Tablo users can also skip commercials simply by asking Siri to jump ahead in the stream.
Tablo won’t say how many consumers have its product, but said most of its customer base is made up of cord-cutters.
Its HD DVR connects to digital OTA antennas to bring in free, local HDTV broadcast signals, and connects to the home network over WiFi or Ethernet to stream to supported devices, including the new Apple TV (and through AirPlay on previous-gen Apple TV boxes), Roku (as a channel), via Google’s Chromecast streaming adapter (on Android devices and Chrome browsers with a Chromecast extention), and by using the Tablo web app with an HDMI-enabled computer linked to a TV.
Its two-tuner OTA HDTV DVR sells for $219.99, while the four-tuner runs $299.99 (the set-up also requires a USB-connected hard drive for watching live TV and recording programming). Tablo also recommends that its users subscribe to its optional guide data service, which runs $4.99 per month, $49.99 per year, or $149.99 for a lifetime membership. The company is currently promoting free antenna bundles for its two- and four-tuner DVR products.
“Cord cutters and cord nevers have a plethora of choices when it comes to set-top-boxes and our goal is to offer Tablo support for as many as we can,” Grant Hall, Nuvyyo’s CEO said, in a statement. “Now that Apple has expanded its App Store to the living room with the latest generation Apple TV, we can deliver Tablo’s easy-to-use live TV and recordings interface on all four industry-leading streaming media devices.”
Tablo’s competitors include Channel Master, which makes a subscription-free DVR that’s also tailored for cord-cutters, and TiVo, which recently added storage and eliminated monthly subscription service fees for the Roamio OTA.
Here’s now Tablo promotes and positions its product for cord-cutters:
[embed]https://vimeo.com/100905776[/embed]
