Tablo vs AirTV 2: Which Over-the-Air DVR is Better?

Tablo vs. AirTV2 is a common debate cord-cutters have when comparing over-the-air DVRs. This is especially true of cord-cutters looking for a good replacement to the Fire TV Recast.

Both are good devices, but deciding which is best for you comes down to numerous factors.

We’ve tested and use both the Tablo Quad 1 TB and AirTV 2 OTA DVRs, and both work great. However, there is one that stands out and we like better.

Watch our AirTV 2 vs. Tablo comparison video now to learn how the two compare and which is best for your needs.

Quick Jump Sections
0:00 - AirTV 2 vs. Tablo
0:37 - Tablo vs. AirTV 2: Price
1:54 - AirTV 2 vs. Tablo ORA DVR: Functionality
4:32 - How to set up and use the AirTV 2 and Tablo devices
6:48 - Tablo vs. AirTV 2: Features
8:00 - Is the AirTV 2 or Tablo DVR better?

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[FrugalRules]

What do you look for when choosing an over-the-air DVR?

[morrismaloney]

you compared budget AirTV 2 with high end Tablo quad. Wouldn't a better comparison be the AirTV 2 against the Tablo dual lite? Or the Air TV anywhere against the Tablo quad?

[scottbarton]

We have the Tablo Dual Lite and the yearly premium service. $50 a year is still cheaper than paying for DVR service through your cable provider or paying a live TV stream service. The kicker is getting the antenna placed just right to maximize your channels, but that can be done fairly easily if you are patient and do a couple of locations and re-scans.

[dna]

The Airtv 2 is the best for me, no added costs for program guide and i can always my 2tb ssd when and if, my device goes obsolete.
Thanks...

[jasonmollman]

Are you hearing anything about why Sling wont allow purchase of Air TV devices right now? Their site says "Due to systems issues, AirTV devices cannot be ordered at this time."

[delladearest]

Thanks for the info and can you record ad free?

[shackdaddy]

Excellent video. You laid out all the information right there.

But as usual, I have a couple of comments and a question.

When you talk about paying extra to be able to get full functionality out of a service. The only one that does not charge you is air TV.

Amazon fire recast used to be that way but as you both know, Amazon does not sell or support that device anymore.

Not only Tablo, but every other DVR brand charges you something do use all the features. The only piece of electronics I have ever heard of that charges you extra do use its full functionality.

Here’s my question does tablo still have a lifetime option for what they call their premium features. I believe they used to charge a one time fee of about $150 and you would have those extra features forever. And would carry over to another tablo device. If you bought a new one.

Also, when you buy a tablo device, the full functionality is available for a 30 day free trial. And then you have to pay after that. Ridiculous.

How did you guys enjoy March madness. I thought it was the greatest one ever. No top three seed made it to the final four. I think that is great.

I know you’re sad about the Wildcats of Kansas State but they’re always next year.

[pkanaitis]

Hi, would you be able to do a review of the new Tablo 4? Also comparing the Tablo 4 to the AirTV 2?

[jensotube]

At this point, I think I will wait until the latest ATSC 3.0 DVRs come out. From what I understand, Tablo had to postpone the release of their ATSC 3.0 DVR because some stations decided to encrypt their signal.

[paulblack]

Thanks for that comparison. I wonder if the AirTv gives better out-of-home viewing than Tablo. Tablo seems to work on Wi-Fi than 5g when watching away from home. Plus there’s a 6 to 10 second wait time when watching on the Tablo away from home. Do you also recommend Ethernet connection for better viewing?

[centralfloridagmrs]

Don't forget HD Homerun. It's the best one I've tested

[wootage]

When does the airtv2 and/or airtv anywhere become available to current sling customers?

[paulbyers]

Does the Tablo merge locals with Sling like AirTV does? I've had and AirTV 2 for years
and it just seems old. I like the Tablo user experience.

[MikeCee]

Very nice review. But I don’t have Internet connection in my home. I just have an antenna. Can I still use either of these devices? or do I need to have Internet connection at home as well? (i.e. for Sling?)
Because I thought the purpose of using an antenna TV, is to “cut the cord”, but having Internet in your home is pretty much having a cord come to your home.

[lroussarie]

I own the original AirTV that I bought 5 years ago. Do you know if there are any advantages to an AirTV 2? My AirTV is a bit quirky but I have never had any big issues using it. I have searched for this information but I can't find any comparistions.

[seaweedeable]

What about whole home? Can I watch on another TV with the 1 airtv?

[rsanmiguel]

Which over the antenna would be better for me. I live in an apartment complex?

[BobbieGWhiz]

To clarify, ca you use the Airtv device with the Sling app, which doesn’t require you to subscribe to Sling?
Another question, my Tablo takes about 10 seconds to display the video of a channel using Roku and about five seconds on my iPad. How long does it take with Airtv? Thanks

[williamferguson]

Do you have a tech support phone number or web address for AirTV2? My AirTV2 lost local channels so I reset it. In trying to reconnect, Sling assigns and, now, Sling code A-444 "device registered with another account". It connects to the internet but I cannot get it to connect to my Sing account. Any advice?

[MSDOGS]

I bought my first OTA dvr the other day. A Tablo Gen 4. It's going back. Too many bugs and no it's not my antenna. My antenna has worked great with the tv itself. I'll go w/o recording OTA.