Facebook Portal TV- transform your biggest screen into a smart video calling device
Usual price $220. Now down to $129 with free shipping until 20/09/2021
If you have privacy concerns- Camera & microphone can be turned off with a sliding switch/ camera cover can be used to physically cover the camera
Buy a new Meta Quest headset from any retailer and both referee and referrer will get A$47 in Meta Quest Store credit once the headset is activated.
We've got one and love it. Can call family overseas without having hold the phone in one hand and toddler in the other hand. Camera can see the whole lounge, and it zooms in and follows us around the room.
As for the paranoia, I assume you don't realise the camera had a lense cap built in, and the mic has a physical mute button, and the remote has a power button?
Do you have Facebook anyway, or something?
Same could be said for Google Home and Alexa - probably all ends up in the same NSA data center :/
great idea, have always been looking for a product that could make my tv into video call device with family away. but definitely not from facebook!
are there any other such offline devices? (webcam?)
The Google Chromecast with Google TV actually supports a USB webcam (just attach it using a USB hub). With it and with Google Duo installed you can make vid calls on your TV or monitor. https://support.google.com/duo/answer/10079968?hl=en
Also tested on a Xiaomi Mi TV box with Logitech C922 (a fairly high end webcam)
https://ausdroid.net/2021/01/17/google-duo-android-tv-video-…
For those with a modern TV with the latest Android TV OS, you won't need the Chromecast or tvbox at all.
Any recommendations for a cheap USB hub with Power Passthrough to go with Google TV?
Good alternative, but there's a few differences which should be noted.
Portal TV can do the following, which I believe can't be done with the Chromecast setup….
There's some disappointing things about the Portal TV too…
- can't receive a call from a messenger group. You can however call multiple people in one call. So if you want a group chat while using Portal TV, you need to be the organiser.
- very small range of apps available. It has Zoom, and GoToMeeting (if I recall), and Messenger of course, but no Google Meet or Microsoft Teams. The story time app is pretty cool.
can't receive a call from a messenger group. You can however call multiple people in one call. So if you want a group chat while using Portal TV, you need to be the organiser.
Well that completely kills this for me. Literally the only reason I'd consider it. My partners family do a regular group call with overseas family via a group caht. would have been perfect for her parents. Ah well.
@ONEMariachi: Sorry mate, my wife just informed me I was wrong, so we've done some tests. We can receive an incoming call from a Facebook Messenger group - I called the group from my phone, and my wife answered from the portal (as did the other person in the group). I left the call and was able to rejoin the call via the group chat in the messenger app.
Where I may have been confused, is we can't find a group in the portal to call, unless it's in the recent list (and even then, it doesn't say the group name, just the people in the group). On the portal itself, contacts are only individuals.
However, for outgoing group calls, you can call an individual and then add additional people to that same call.
So i assume outgoing group calls don't appear in a group chat, but it basically achieves the same thing anyway.
There's also a rooms feature which we've never used.
Sorry if I mislead anyone else there - hopefully you'll see this message.
Jesus christ…
Last thing I want is the Zuck watching me sitting around in my undies discussing my plans for world domination…
Hard pass.
I hope you don't have any of their apps installed on your phones. They do listen
These work with WhatsApp too.
And Zoom now too!
I have one and I like it. Has a privacy shutter and button to disable mic.
Feels more natural for catching up with people esp overseas, no shaky phone.
I was using an Xbox Kinect before but that only works with Skype and no one I know uses that anymore.
Hows sound quality?
I mean how otherside people listen to your voice any issue they said?
It's not bad, the voice isolation from the microphones is pretty decent.
Can you use it with Zoom with no Facebook account?
You can load MS teams on these now
You sure? I came across lots of forums requesting for this feature but couldn't find anywhere that indicated that Teams was available. Happy to be proven wrong.
How is the WhatsApp video quality on the big screen?
It's pretty good, not as good as Facebook Messenger though.
I like that WhatsApp video calls ring on both my phone and TV.
It's best if the other person has a portal otherwise people's faces are too huge and it's unnatural.
Does this listen to your conversations just like the app?
I bought this last month but returned it straight away.
Quality is not as good as shown on their website.
Pan feature does work but not impressed with this.
This is my feedback. Thought would help someone
Can you use it as a normal usb webcam?
Bought this last month and told the missus there’s no need to worry about privacy issues since there’s a sliding switch - she laughed, the dog laughed, and Zuckerberg laughed as well.
Did you hear the FBI laugh also?
thinking to get one of these in the bedroom
And waste all that onlyfans income potential?
Never.
To their credit, I think this still hasn’t been jailbroken.
That is pretty good security for consumer hardware in the wild.
Won’t be having one in my house as long as it requires a Facebook account though.
An internet connected camera made by Facebook to be kept inside the house 🤣
come on. what could go wrong?
/s
This has been so amazing for us during the pandemic. Grandparents can chat to our kids (easy enough for the 5yo to call by himself using the remote). It also has an interactive story mode so they can read to them (and be part of the story with AR filters)
At Facebook you pay us to spy on you
Is there any similar device like this for Zoom?
Google's Nest Hub Max looks like the closest competitor to what Facebook is offering.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/14/22170522/google-zoom-nes…
If you choose to pick up the Google device, or if you already have one, you can try out the Zoom feature by linking your Zoom and Google accounts. Once you do, you can control the feature with your voice, using commands like “Hey Google, join my next meeting” or “Hey Google, start a Zoom call.”
Be aware that the webcam on the nest hub max is a bit more basic, and you won't get automatic panning.
Has anyone figured out what the “GraphQL server responded with error 1675002: The query provided was invalid.” is about when it comes to payment? Doesn’t seem FB live chat knows anything about this either as they keep insisting to change my browser, devices, even my internet connection!
Okay, so it seems the guest checkout doesn’t work and you have to sign in to your FB account to make a CC payment. Just make sure to go into your FB account afterwards to remove your delivery address and payment details.
Anyone else's DHL status showing 'on hold'?
My order has arrived in my local area and is showing 'Forwarded for delivery'
I just got an email saying the order was cancelled. No reasons given
Back in stock now, same price. Offer ends 9/20.
Got it but starting a retun now. Amazon Prime Video is unsupported in Australia just got to know.
Also, could with the issues my tv only - couldnot get the volume control CEC to get working. I have MI tv box 2 and dont have issues with CEC.
Not sure who in their right mind would allow one of these into their house.