Tablo device owners can soon enjoy fully refactored and updated 4th Generation Tablo apps on their Samsung TIZEN and LG webOS smart TVs.
These apps have been rebuilt from the ground up to improve navigation and performance and add many new features.
Keep reading for details and app availability.
What You Can Expect
With the updated Tablo apps (version 2.0.6) for Samsung TIZEN and LG webOS, users enjoy several new features previously available on other Tablo apps, including:
- A left-side navigation menu
- Category View for the Live TV grid
- Offline Mode so you can continue enjoying live and recorded TV during internet outages
- Record Live so you can start recording what you’re watching without leaving live playback
- Fully redesigned Guide (shows, movies, news, sports) and Library screens
- Updated connectivity screens with device details and troubleshooting tips
New App Building Blocks = A Better Experience
In mid-2024, we launched 4th Generation Tablo apps for Samsung TIZEN and LG webOS, enabling users to enjoy free TV without a separate streaming device. However, these apps were built on older, slower web-based technology that is also difficult to update.
Thankfully, switching to a newer set of app-building tools and components called React Native allowed Tablo’s engineering team to create a new Tablo app codebase that:
- Offers vastly improved navigation performance compared to the previous web-based apps
- Allows quick and easy development of bug fixes and new features
- Works cross-platform, meaning it can be modified to run on multiple devices, not just Samsung and LG smart TVs
For example, this new Tablo app codebase enabled us to work towards compatibility with the new Amazon Fire TV Vega operating system. If you have an Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (newest model) or Fire TV Stick 4K Select running the Vega operating system, sign up for an opportunity to beta test here.
Availability and Supported TV Models
Over the coming weeks, the Tablo app will update to the newer React Native 4th Generation app (version 2.0.6) on compatible Samsung TIZEN and LG webOS smart TVs with automatic updates enabled.
The app will NOT be available immediately for all supported models.
- SUPPORTED SAMSUNG MODELS
- The newer 4th Generation Tablo app will be supported on Samsung TV models manufactured in 2019 or newer running TIZEN 5.0+.
- The app will be available first on Samsung TIZEN TVs manufactured in 2024-2026.
- Older Samsung TVs, particularly those manufactured in 2021 running TIZEN 6, are experiencing approval delays. We expect the app to become available on those models soon.
- SUPPORTED LG MODELS
- We are awaiting LG’s approval to distribute the new app to compatible models.
- The newer 4th Generation Tablo app will be supported on LG TV models manufactured in 2020 or newer running webOS 5+.
Unfortunately, LG smart TVs manufactured in 2019 running webOS 4 are not compatible with apps built using React Native. The current web-based version of the 4th Generation app will remain accessible for those users. A final update will be made available soon to include the side navigation menu and redesigned Guide and Library screens, but not all the new features mentioned above.
For a full list of Tablo apps and compatible devices, visit tablotv.com/apps.
