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Facebook Portal TV $149 (Was $229) Shipped @ Facebook

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Been keeping an eye out for a deal for one of those after a friend got one. The WhatsApp experience on TV looked pretty awesome.

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  • +36

    No thanks

    • 38 years too late.

  • +20

    Always wanted the Lizard to have a portal into my living room

    Bought 10, thanks!

    • +3

      (profanity) reptillians will do just about anything to get a camera in our home🤣

    • +3

      i guess you have have your phones all locked in a boxed outside your house lol

      • +5

        Facebook doesn’t have access to my camera.
        You’d have to be a zucker to install a Facebook branded anything in your home

  • +1

    Pass

  • +1

    I thought they recently announced these are discontinued?

    • targeting future devices at corporate markets is my understanding?

  • +2

    Nice try Zuck

    • +1

      Suck

  • +1

    No

  • +7

    These are great if you have family spread apart. The grandparents reading to grandkids via AR interactive stories is amazing fun.

    • +3

      I have them in the kids bedrooms so Zucc can watch my kids

  • +20

    Would rather shit in my hands and clap.

  • +1

    Would rather gargle my own faeces

    • oo, yuck
      .

  • +1

    what is it?

  • +1

    OP's user name checks out

  • what the hell is this thing?

    • +2

      It sends a live feed straight back to Zucks house

      • His closet and his bathroom have 90" laser projectors

  • +1

    I read some of the 1 star reviews and even though it advertises it is compatible with Zoom it never actually came to the portal. Who would have thought you couldn't trust Meta.

    • It does work with Zoom - I've used it myself.

      I'm sure there would be videos on YouTube if anyone wants proof.

      • So you still have one? Are they any good? A few of the reviews said the video quality is garbage

  • Is this real life?

    • +3

      Or is it fantasy

      • Caught in a landside,

        • No escape from (virtual) realityyyyyy

  • +4

    Many people don't actually know this, but you can actually Facetime call on a Xbox console using an off-the-shelf USB webcam. A Reddit user discovered this so if your household already has an Xbox One (or Series) console and you've got a webcam sitting idle, you can roll your own version of the Facebook Portal (except you don't get fancy AI keeping you in frame or noise cancellation)

    If you do want the FB Portal though, this might be your last chance to buy one. Facebook is killing off / discontinuing production of the consumer models since they do not sell well and are focusing on business-grade conferencing devices. What you're seeing is the last of their inventory and they aren't going to make more.

    https://www.androidauthority.com/facebook-portal-discontinue…

    • Interesting, thanks. The most important bit is that this is nothing per se to do with Xbox. Anything with a browser will work.

  • +2

    12.5MP resolution camera with 720p video streaming
    120-degree field-of-view with Smart Camera features to track people on the call
    Far-field 8 microphone array with omni-directional capture capabilities
    Beamforming technology to capture voices and reduce background noise

    • +2

      Exactly. If you want an equivalent usb camera with great wide-angle, quality and AI smarts to follow and zoom on faces, or the equivalent excellent microphone array be prepared to pay a lot more than the Portal TV. Was brilliant at keeping our extended family connected during lockdown.
      And yes, there's a built-in physical privacy shutter for the lens that has a very satisfying magnetic click when you slide it shut.

  • wasn't this around 99$ ?

    • Usd

      • Aud

        • +2

          Yeah it was $99 AUD. I got one for $99 around Christmas. Also got one for $129 mid last year.

  • +1

    Geez it's like the Newscorp of social media

  • +1

    Can someone confirm that this can be used with Whatsapp? I don’t see the app advertised in the list.

    • +1

      Yep, confirmed it works with WhatsApp. It's mentioned in the Tech Specs section

  • I'm curious, what are others using to make video calls to family on the big screen?

    • +1

      I suspect most don't use a big screen.
      We just use Skype/zoom/FaceTime/etc & used Chromecast a screen if for.some reason a big screen is required.

      • Yeah ok, I'm using a Logitech webcam compatible with ChromeOS on a Nvidia Shield (Android TV) console but the picture quality it produces is pretty ordinary. I heard rumours Google were going to release a designated Video conference device for home uses but still nothing affordable yet. It seems like all the stuff we saw in movies about the future has come true except for good quality video calls on TVs in our living rooms

      • Have used those also. Chromecast isn't quite the same. It's from the phones perspective - I guess you could use a tripod and sit the phone near the tv. But you're still missing the tracking and remote control.

        If you've used video calls at work, you've probably noticed everyone uses webcams rather than phones.

        Portal TV is the same - handy for hands free, and for others to see your whole room with multiple people. Very useful if you have toddlers, or family overseas, or may want to do chores like ironing while on a call. The tracking is a very cool feature too.

        • We use a laptop/tablet & a Logitech cam.

  • Wait, is that a box with mic + cam from FB ?

    • +1

      I would hope so, otherwise your video calls will be a little lacking without those.

  • How's WhatsApp group calls pls..anyone?

  • +5

    It amazes me how concerned people are about the privacy issues of using this device for video chats, while at the same time posting pictures and updates about all aspects of their lives on Facebook, and making Messenger video calls using their phones.
    I'm the opposite. I don't use Facebook due to concerns over privacy issues, but I'm comfortable using these devices to make video calls to family overseas. I really don't think Zuckerberg and his crew are going to obtain anything meaningful from conversations with my elderly mother.
    Privacy issues aside, this is a great piece of hardware and is especially useful for the non tech savvy.

    • I thought these required a Facebook account to work at all? Last I looked they hadn't been cracked (which I'll admit is impressive security for a consumer device in the wild).

      • +1

        No they don't. I don't have a facebook account and I use this for Whatsapp video only

        • WhatsApp is owned by Meta so basically you do have a Facebook account, perhaps you just didn't know it. I guess you could just use Zoom if it doesn't require some kind of Meta account?

          • @Seadog3172: I did know that. I don't have a Facebook account for the purposes of using this device. I can log in via my phone number/Whatsapp web. Technically you don't need to be on any Meta service for Meta to have a profile for you. If multiple people who have your phone number have synced their phone contacts with any Meta service, chances are that Meta has a shadow profile of you.

            https://theconversation.com/shadow-profiles-facebook-knows-a…

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