Samba Interactive TV is Watching YOU

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
Staff member
Joined
May 18, 1997
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Did you recently purchase a Sony, Sharp, TCL, or Phillips TV and get urged to turn on the Samba Interactive TV feature which promises to recommend other viewing opportunities by "cleverly recognizing onscreen content?" It looks that Samba is doing a bit more than just helping a brother out in finding cool stuff to watch. It seems that if activated, Samba can basically identify everything you watch, and even video games that you are playing on the TV. Remember, if its free, you are the product.

Check out the video.

Once enabled, Samba TV can track nearly everything that appears on the TV on a second-by-second basis, essentially reading pixels to identify network shows and ads, as well as programs on Netflix and HBO and even video games played on the TV. Samba TV has even offered advertisers the ability to base their targeting on whether people watch conservative or liberal media outlets and which party’s presidential debate they watched.

The big draw for advertisers — which have included Citi and JetBlue in the past, and now Expedia — is that Samba TV can also identify other devices in the home that share the TV’s internet connection.
 
I don't take recommendations for what to watch from anyone but my friends.
My real friends, not that crap that's considered a "friend" on Facebook.
 
Funny I just got a new Sony TV and took delivery and set it up yesterday and also did air quotes when I read "cleverly recognizing onscreen content". That was a big Nope from me and I denied the app access. Now I want to get into the service menu and just delete the thing.
 
Got a Kdlinks Kodi box last year and tried the Samba feature for a while for sharing between my pc's and it. Speed was slow but idea was cool. Did more research and learned there were a number of security issues with Samba. Someone in another thread explained in detail about a version update that resolved most. Seems now like it's just being exploited by the manufacturers to exploit the users for more profit. Such a shame that something originally intended to selflessly help keeps getting turned into its opposite.
 
I have a TCL, I must NOT have this enabled, otherwise I should be getting a LOT of porn recommendations.

For the money, it's hard to beat TCL's right now. Have one myself in my bedroom (not connected to network) and the panel's pretty solid, especially considering it's like a $400 55" TV.
 
For the money, it's hard to beat TCL's right now. Have one myself in my bedroom (not connected to network) and the panel's pretty solid, especially considering it's like a $400 55" TV.

Agreed wholeheartedly. Add in the roku's functionality that us built in and it is a solid option for many. Purchased mine at costco during a sale and have the extra 2 years warranty on top to boot.
 
Great, I like being watched. Gives my life more meaning, which I can certainly use.
 
Can we just go straight to megacorp dystopias where we're all born with barcodes, so people can stop spying through the electronics to shill us shit?
 
so.. if your watching a show that has a woman breast feeding, does it offer you porn??
 
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