Scripps retools Tablo and puts ATSC 3.0 on the roadmap

The E.W. Scripps Company has created a new gambit to keep free, over-the-air TV relevant.

Scripps, a company that operates 61 TV stations in 41 markets, has relaunched the Tablo, a device that supports over-the-air TV, a selection of free, ad-supported streaming channels and a local DVR with about 50 hours of storage.

The relaunch enters the picture more than a year after Scripps acquired Nuvyyo, the company behind Tablo, a device popular among pay-TV cord-cutters in recent years, for $13.8 million. Nuvyyo is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Scripps. The Verge reported in March 2023 that Nuvyyo had shipped more than 200,000 Tablo devices and had about 80,000 active customers at the time.

The Tablo device allows users to record over-the-air TV content and access a lineup of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels without a subscription. The device also features a guide that enables navigation of live local TV networks and a curated mix of more than 40 FAST channels.

Tablo's website provides an online tool for consumers to determine, by US zip code, how many channels they can get over-the-air and via its FAST service. For example, a zip code for Highlands Ranch, Colorado, shows that the new Tablo currently delivers 103 channels for free � 59 over-the-air and 44 FAST channels.

To support whole-home setups, the Tablo device can also be linked to mobile devices and a range of connected TV platforms, including Roku, Google TV/Android TV and Amazon Fire TV, the company noted. Support for Apple TV boxes and Samsung, LG Electronics and Vizio-connected TVs are currently listed as "coming soon."

ATSC 3.0 on the roadmap

The company confirmed to Light Reading that the new, fourth-generation Tablo currently supports legacy ATSC 1.0 over-the-air signals but noted that plans are underway to add support for ATSC 3.0. ATSC 3.0 is an emerging, IP-based broadcast signaling standard that carries the consumer brand of "NextGenTV," and is designed to support enhancements such as 4K video, advanced advertising and immersive audio.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently pushed ahead with new rules that aim to facilitate the transition to ATSC 3.0 after some US broadcasters warned that the transition to the new standard was "in peril" without more action from the Commission.

New Tablo is subscription-free

Scripps is selling the redesigned Tablo for $99.95 online at TabloTV.com and BestBuy.com, and will follow with access at brick-and-mortar Best Buy stores and at Amazon.com. Scripps is also pitching a "Tablo Total System" package that bundles the Tablo device with a 35-mile indoor TV antenna for $109.95.

As a key addition, no subscription is required for the fourth-gen Tablo. Legacy Tablo models still require a subscription to a TV guide data service that costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. However, Scripps is working on an upgrade that enables those legacy Tablo devices to connect to the new Tablo app, which does not require a subscription, according to this FAQ.

"We've completely rebuilt the Tablo experience from the ground up to provide consumers with an amazing free TV experience that you can't get from an antenna alone," Bo Schuerman, VP of enterprise strategy at Scripps, said in a statement.

— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading