HDTV Hidden Camera

[Maximo101]

I'm watching my oversized 4K smart tv and all the advertisements it tries to sell me constantly and how I can carry on a conversation (almost) with it, and I'm wondering when manufactuer's will start to put hidden cameras in the tv cabinet to watch us... I'm sure they'll mention it in the EULA or small print.

 

[Scarlet]

I mean I know they don't have hidden cameras, but I'm fairly sure some do record what's on the screen. The data they collect is why there are so many half decent but surprisingly cheap TVs out there, it is mildly concerning.

 

[Maximo101]

Doesn't Google TV have the ability to run a camera? It's a slimmed down android operating system, isn't it? Built into the tv?

 

[Silterpy]

Iirc, there was a TV that did that(or something similar to that). They had a second, smaller screen at the bottom of the main screen that ran constant ads. The TV itself would have been free. Iirc, they would track if you turned off or covered the second screen and force you to pay for the TV if you did. it only had a short run.

I think it was called the Telly or something like that.

 

[Dust2dust]

So you mean instead of you watching TV, it would be the TV that watches you? I wouldn't want that, as often I'm not wearing much while watching TV, especially in the hot summer days. It's almost the same story with the Google assistant, or Alexa. I don't trust these things too much. They might be spying on everything I say.

 

[Maximo101]

Well, they track you around the internet if you don't take steps to stop it to make money. Amazon and Vizio and others sell tv's at steep discounts so they can constantly sell you stuff when you turn it on. Why not put a camera in the front, make you sign the EULA you agree to be watched (I wouldn't see it among the 20 pges or so of crap now), and see what's in your house or what you wear and try to sell you more of it? Or in an orwellian twist, sell your vid feed to a mailing list, like they do now with your personal info.

Not so far fetched...

 

[Jayro]

Well, they track you around the internet if you don't take steps to stop it to make money. Amazon and Vizio and others sell tv's at steep discounts so they can constantly sell you stuff when you turn it on. Why not put a camera in the front, make you sign the EULA you agree to be watched (I wouldn't see it among the 20 pges or so of crap now), and see what's in your house or what you wear and try to sell you more of it? Or in an orwellian twist, sell your vid feed to a mailing list, like they do now with your personal info.

Not so far fetched...

I have a WebOS 4K TV by LG, and use it as my computer monitor. (CAD and Photoshop mostly, but movies and light gaming too)

I had to disable the Wi-Fi on it so it would stop nagging me about updates and offers every time I turned it on. I can't even disable the dynamic backlight in the settings. I have all the power saving crap turned off. I'm really glad there's no mic or camera on it.

 

[Veho]

There's a bunch of TVs with built-in cameras out there, but they're not hidden, they're touted as a feature.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Iirc, there was a TV that did that(or something similar to that). They had a second, smaller screen at the bottom of the main screen that ran constant ads. The TV itself would have been free. Iirc, they would track if you turned off or covered the second screen and force you to pay for the TV if you did. it only had a short run.

I think it was called the Telly or something like that.

It wasn't that long ago, I'm not sure if it ever came out, or if it got so much hate that they ditched the idea. It got nothing but bad press.
This is the future that everyone is most worried about. Not AI, but tracking.

 

[Maximo101]

Look, if the corporations that make the tv's decide that listening isn't enough, they need to watch us as well. You buy the tv. There is a camera feature that is not mentioned on the box anywhere. You get the tv home, set it up, but unless you sign the EULA, the tv won't work. At all. So you sign the EULA to watch tv or play a game and you say 'I'll turn that feature off later'. But you can't turn it off.
And of course, its only so they can serve your advertisements more accurately. I mean if I wear crocs, why not push croc ads at me incessantly? If I wear a t-shirt or hat with any printing on it, sell me an ad for the product.
I think this is where we are going.

 

[Jayro]

Look, if the corporations that make the tv's decide that listening isn't enough, they need to watch us as well. You buy the tv. There is a camera feature that is not mentioned on the box anywhere. You get the tv home, set it up, but unless you sign the EULA, the tv won't work. At all. So you sign the EULA to watch tv or play a game and you say 'I'll turn that feature off later'. But you can't turn it off.
And of course, its only so they can serve your advertisements more accurately. I mean if I wear crocs, why not push croc ads at me incessantly? If I wear a t-shirt or hat with any printing on it, sell me an ad for the product.
I think this is where we are going.

Well first of all, it sounds like I already own the products they're pitching to me, so that won't work... But cameras spying is a whole different level of privacy invasion of the home. I think U.S. laws will require a consumer-level opt-out backdoor type thing if it were ever to become the norm to sell TVs with ad cameras in them. Otherwise floods of lawsuits would ring out.

 

[Maximo101]

Well first of all, it sounds like I already own the products they're pitching to me, so that won't work... But cameras spying is a whole different level of privacy invasion of the home. I think U.S. laws will require a consumer-level opt-out backdoor type thing if it were ever to become the norm to sell TVs with ad cameras in them. Otherwise floods of lawsuits would ring out.

I constantly get pitched crap I already own. I fixed a toilet 3 years ago, buying the parts from Amazon, and google has tried to sell me a flush valve repair kit since then...

If you sign AWAY your rights to be filmed by your tv in the EULA (which I just had to do, btw, with a new Google TV I just bought), it's perfectly legal to watch you... I think (not a lawyer but watched alot of LA Law) I'm pretty sure my tv doesn't have a camera, but the day will come soon.
And I don't think Google or Amazon or ROKU care about lawsuits. ??