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Cable TV Voice Recognition... Is It Paranoia or just me?

P

P-Squared

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Jan 31, 2012
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#1
OK, my cable provider is sun-setting my cable box and is forcing me to one of their 'Contour' boxes with voice recognition. I really don't want any type of voice recognition in my house unless I build it and it's not cloud based. My dad had a voice recognition system when I was a kid... I recognized his voice and changed the channel to what he wanted. Other than that type, I just don't trust any of these companies to not listen to what is being said in the house.

Do any of you miscreants have any feedback on this? Am I nuts, f'ing nuts, or justified?
 
#5
P-Squared said:
I bought her Roku and I have Netflix and Amazon.
Click to expand...

Throw all those boxes and subscriptions in the garbage. You're just fucking yourself. And, paying someone else for the pleasure. I threw my wife's newly gifted Alexa into the trash/went to the dump a couple of months ago. She doesn't even know it's gone. If she ever figures it out, we'll have the discussion. I'm just going to tell her that she has to choose between us. Either me or the Alexa/Google box.....etc. If she chooses the box, we'll split everything down the middle and go our seperate ways. I am very accepting, except in cases of spying like Amazon, Google, etc. Oh, and "Google" (listen to me, the hypocrite) Amazon's contracts with the US/G, specifically the DoD. Interesting reading....... :unsure: :whistle:
 
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#7
Would it be terribly inconvenient to keep the "box" unplugged until you want to watch it?

At that time, you could plug it in, wait for it to boot up, and then talk to it.

When you are done watching TV, you can unplug the "box".

If that won't work for you, you have no options. It is always listening even when it is turned off (which of course, it never is - unless it is unplugged).

Tell your cable provider it was nice doing business with them, but you are going to put up an antenna.
 
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#10
Or, you could do like we did, and shit-can any/all cable providers. We did that over a decade ago. Anything we may 'want' to watch can be found on the innerwebz somewhere or another.

And you're ALREADY paying for the innerwebz to be hooked up to your house, right? Why pay twice for the same thing? Oh, and it's connected to your house via a co-ax cable, right? Hmm....
 
#11
I’m right there with you. Too many “coincidental” ads on my phone and PC.

P-Squared said:
OK, my cable provider is sun-setting my cable box and is forcing me to one of their 'Contour' boxes with voice recognition. I really don't want any type of voice recognition in my house unless I build it and it's not cloud based. My dad had a voice recognition system when I was a kid... I recognized his voice and changed the channel to what he wanted. Other than that type, I just don't trust any of these companies to not listen to what is being said in the house.

Do any of you miscreants have any feedback on this? Am I nuts, f'ing nuts, or justified?
Click to expand...
 
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#16
ArmyJerry said:
yup, thing weighs 100 pounds, hd antenna
Click to expand...

My girlfriend (now my wife) had a second story apartment. Fiery, red headed French Canadian........
I took my 19” Trinitron over to her place because she didn’t have a TV. Anyway, one night shortly thereafter, we had a fight (early 20’s, what can I say ?).
I storm out, go hauling down the stairs and get into my pristine ‘76 Pontiac Trans-Am. I’m putting the key in the ignightor and I look up. She’s standing on the deck with the 100 pound Trinitron balancing/wobbling on the rail, right above the hood of my car. She looks at me and says “now you gonna come back and fight?”....She's five foot three.....I'm thinkin' "how in da fuk ?" the damn TV weighed more than she did......
Not sure why (but I did have a hunch), but I pulled the keys out of the ignition, got out and went back upstairs. By the time I got there, the Trinton was back on the stand and we went through about 2.5 minutes of (pointless (or so I thought)) fighting, then the makeup sex started.......
Very much a turning point in my life’s lessons. That evening, I found out I know fuck all and sometimes, it’s just best to roll with it/things.....
 
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#17
It might be as simple as cutting out the microphone(s) and/or camera(s) that are installed in the box.

Cutting the label probably will get you yelled at when you turn it in/get it replaced/serviced, but you could probably just say, "Sorry, my dog knocked over my bag of blow onto the box and I had to get it out somehow!"

Your odds of finding a sympathetic tech/kiosk hoodrat are pretty good with the cable companies.
 
#18
we got one recently either i'm speaking alien or it does not understand English that well . shame they get you coming or going we are stuck with Comcast the larges library of pre 1980 non hd free movies , and 6 to 8 commercials every 3min of tv show you wanted to watch . And like Alexa it is also a listening device it could be listening to every conversation and later used against you in a court room .
 
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#19
Threadcutter308 said:
My girlfriend (now my wife) had a second story apartment. Fiery, red headed French Canadian........
I took my 19” Trinitron over to her place because she didn’t have a TV. Anyway, one night shortly thereafter, we had a fight (early 20’s, what can I say ?).
I storm out, go hauling down the stairs and get into my pristine ‘76 Pontiac Trans-Am. I’m putting the key in the ignightor and I look up. She’s standing on the deck with the 100 pound Trinitron balancing/wobbling on the rail, right above the hood of my car. She looks at me and says “now you gonna come back and fight?”....She's five foot three.....I'm thinkin' "how in da fuk"........
Not sure why (but I did have a hunch), but I pulled the keys out of the ignition, got out and went back upstairs. By the time I got there, the Trinton was back on the stand and we went through about 2.5 minutes of (pointless (or so I thought)) fighting, then the makeup sex started.......
Very much a turning point in my life’s lessons. That evening, I found out I know fuck all and sometimes, it’s just best to roll with it/things.....
Click to expand...

Reminds me of what Peter Hathaway Capstick (famous Professional Hunter in Africa, and author of many books and magazine columns on his hair-raising exploits hunting dangerous game on the Dark Continent) used to say, something to the effect that he understood the dangers of his profession, but it was all about managing risks and not doing anything crazy-dangerous, like dating red heads.
 
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#20
Ditch that "smart" shit altogether...Or go the simpler route with just router/modem etc. I am never into "package" deals, unless it has something to do with beer.

Even unplugging it does not guarantee complete safety from that snooping nonsense. It won't be that hard for them to wire it up with a small li-ion battery inside to keep the cameras and microphones running even with the main unit power disconnected.
 
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#22
Threadcutter308 said:
Throw all those boxes and subscriptions in the garbage. You're just fucking yourself. And, paying someone else for the pleasure. I threw my wife's newly gifted Alexa into the trash/went to the dump a couple of months ago. She doesn't even know it's gone. If she ever figures it out, we'll have the discussion. I'm just going to tell her that she has to choose between us. Either me or the Alexa/Google box.....etc. If she chooses the box, we'll split everything down the middle and go our seperate ways. I am very accepting, except in cases of spying like Amazon, Google, etc. Oh, and "Google" (listen to me, the hypocrite) Amazon's contracts with the US/G, specifically the DoD. Interesting reading....... :unsure: :whistle:
Click to expand...

A man with a pair

Related image
 
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#24
Disable the voice control, tape over the mic, slowly eat away at the wifey how television is poisonous indoctrination and Hollyweird ideals have no place in your home. The last is my ongoing battle, can't wait until I get a piece of land where cable isn't even an option and she despises the satellite companies.
 
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#25
vh20 said:
Reminds me of what Peter Hathaway Capstick (famous Professional Hunter in Africa, and author of many books and magazine columns on his hair-raising exploits hunting dangerous game on the Dark Continent) used to say, something to the effect that he understood the dangers of his profession, but it was all about managing risks and not doing anything crazy-dangerous, like dating red heads.
Click to expand...

I have a perfectly good explanation..........Most people are brighter than I am. :eek: :rolleyes::LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
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