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McSummation
Mmmm, Zeebas Are Tastee.
Premium Member
join:2003-08-13
Fort Worth, TX

McSummation

Premium Member

Camera/microphone in Magnavox digital conversion box

I got a pointer to this web site in an email - »www.infowars.com/camera- ··· ion-box/

I called it "BS". What does this group say?

SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA

SparkChaser

Premium Member

BS alert !!!!!!!!

The "camera" looks like it's glued to the transformer and the "mic" looks like something stuck to a pot.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

The "mic" just looks like a pot to me. I've seen many of those pots with the white turning piece, and the 3 leads are a dead giveaway, microphone elements have 2 leads only. Besides, that would be a terrible placement for a microphone especially inside what appears to be an unvented enclosure.

As for the camera, again, illogical placement and it appears to just be stuck to the transformer with a piece of adhesive foam. No wires to be seen.

McSummation
Mmmm, Zeebas Are Tastee.
Premium Member
join:2003-08-13
Fort Worth, TX

McSummation

Premium Member

You know, all these types of videos are always just out of focus and wobbly enough that you can't really tell what's there.

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro to McSummation

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to McSummation
Show me a high-res pic with all the connections and I might believe it, but until then it's a hoax.

drjim
MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA

drjim to McSummation

MVM

to McSummation
Even if the parts were in there, how would it send the "information" back?
I thought tin-foil hats were out-of-style.....guess I'm wrong!

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to McSummation

MVM

to McSummation
I have two comments.

First "mic" looks like a miniature speaker, perhaps to provide click feedback.

Second lets assume Converter box actually has a camera and microphone. How does information captured get back to big brother?

Here is a link to converter box technical specification. There is a list of mandatory features and ones that preclude participation in Coupon Program. Basically the output of the box can not be better then ordinary analog TV.
»www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoup ··· rers.pdf

Nowhere in spec do I see spy camera and microphone.

We have a couple of Insignia converter boxes (BestBuy private label of Zenith box). Just for fun I opened it up, nary a camera or microphone in sight.

/tom
deleteme51
join:2002-04-22
Chicago, IL

deleteme51 to McSummation

Member

to McSummation
so stupid, I hope Magnavox sues this "professional blogger" cause this sure isn't real journalism of any kind

Splitpair
Premium Member
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne

Splitpair to tschmidt

Premium Member

to tschmidt
said by tschmidt:

First "mic" looks like a miniature speaker, perhaps to provide click feedback./tom
That is a piezeo speaker and yes it is for audible feedback. The device he claims is the RF part (I guess to transmit the audio/video back to spook headquarters) is the IR detector for the remote and the so called mike is a trimpot.

BTW adjusting the trimpot will have no effect on the brightness of the photographer/detective who discovered those surveillance devices so cleverly hidden in that DTV box.

Wayne

Wayne

SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA

SparkChaser to McSummation

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to McSummation
I have to get one

Some of the comments at this site are, ummm, amusing. »www.prisonplanet.com/hid ··· box.html

The other thing he doesn't mention is how the "camera" is seeing through the dark plastic front. Even in the IR that plastic doesn't cut on until about 800-900 nm. You need some big incandescents to give you enough IR.

alphapointe
Don't Touch Me
MVM
join:2002-02-10
Columbia, MO

alphapointe

MVM

I've got this particular model. I'll have to open it up and take some hires pictures. You're right, some of the comments are...interesting, especially with a speech synthesizer.

I'll try to open the receiver when I get home from work.
alphapointe

2 recommendations

alphapointe

MVM

Click for full size
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Click for full size
Here is the inside of that receiver. Funny, I can't find anything...

McSummation
Mmmm, Zeebas Are Tastee.
Premium Member
join:2003-08-13
Fort Worth, TX

1 recommendation

McSummation

Premium Member

Well, maybe the Men In Black aren't after you like they are the guy in the video.

UHF
All static, all day, Forever
MVM
join:2002-05-24

1 recommendation

UHF to McSummation

MVM

to McSummation
I bet his wife put it in there to try to catch him with a whore.

Cho Baka
MVM
join:2000-11-23
there

3 recommendations

Cho Baka to alphapointe

MVM

to alphapointe
said by alphapointe:

Funny, I can't find anything...
What are you, blind? It is right there!

alphapointe
Don't Touch Me
MVM
join:2002-02-10
Columbia, MO

2 recommendations

alphapointe

MVM

Walked right into that one, I must need a new cane.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

1 recommendation

tschmidt to alphapointe

MVM

to alphapointe
said by alphapointe:

Funny, I can't find anything...
So it is not a matter of a tinfoil hatter incorrectly identifying electronic components but deliberate misinformation. Perish the though - incorrect info on the Internet.

/tom

Izmar
@cable.casema.nl

Izmar to McSummation

Anon

to McSummation
This is clearly a hoax. Actually, that 1m37s video the guy posted is good enough for anyone with basic electronic knowledge to see it's a fake, like SparkChaser's said.

On the other hand, it's kind of a confusing hoax, since it's only a matter of time that eventually boxes like these and other equipment will be fitted with cams and mics, like mobile phones and laptops do since a bunch of years.

It's just a matter of using that stuff wisely, unlike the absentminded people who forgot to switch off their gear during a Halo internet game while having (solo) sex

EliteData
EliteData
Premium Member
join:2003-07-06
Philippines

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to McSummation
even if it did have a camera and microphone inside of it, how far do you expect the wireless RF transmission of both to go ?

alphapointe
Don't Touch Me
MVM
join:2002-02-10
Columbia, MO

alphapointe

MVM

TinfoilHat

...to that new box the phone company put on the pole outside my house!!!

/Tinfoilhat

19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

1 edit

19579823 (banned) to deleteme51

Member

to deleteme51
quote:
so stupid, I hope Magnavox sues this "professional blogger" cause this sure isn't real journalism of any kind
I believe it!!

Anything they can do to easily spy on people!!

THATS WHY THEY ARE FORCING THIS DIGI CRAP,TO PLACE A BOX IN EVERY HOUSE THAT THEY CAN THEN SPY ON YOU IN YOUR OWN HOUSE!!

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES!!

SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA

1 edit

2 recommendations

SparkChaser

Premium Member

Dude, I smell something and it's not roses.


19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

1 edit

19579823 (banned) to McSummation

Member

to McSummation
Yea i smell BS.. This country has gone TOTALLY INSANE!

WE HAVE NO PRIVACY,ITS BEING TAKEN AWAY,NO FREE SPEECH ANYMORE.

HOW MUCH WORSE ARE THINGS GONNA GET HERE??

drjim
MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA

drjim

MVM

A whole lot worse if their thinly disguised "Fairness Doctrine" of _censorship_ gets passed.....

Eric
Animals Rule This Land
MVM
join:2000-09-29
I see trees.

1 recommendation

Eric

MVM

I read that the real reason that the DTV update was delayed was so they could glue more cameras and microphones to the insides of converter boxes.

I smell almonds.

Medic63
join:2004-02-15
Butler, PA

Medic63 to 19579823

Member

to 19579823
Dude, wake up and smell the Zyprexa.

CurtesyFlush
Bababooey, fafafooey, tatatoothy.
Premium Member
join:2002-08-23
Fontana, CA

1 recommendation

CurtesyFlush to 19579823

Premium Member

to 19579823
said by 19579823:

I believe it!!

Anything they can do to easily spy on people!!

THATS WHY THEY ARE FORCING THIS DIGI CRAP,TO PLACE A BOX IN EVERY HOUSE THAT THEY CAN THEN SPY ON YOU IN YOUR OWN HOUSE!!

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES!!
Wake up and smell the mental patient.

freeze
I'm not even Greek
Premium Member
join:2001-05-13
Ohio

1 edit

1 recommendation

freeze to McSummation

Premium Member

to McSummation
Hah, you guys were referenced in a Wired article.

»blog.wired.com/27bstroke ··· ers.html

SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA

1 edit

SparkChaser

Premium Member

said by freeze:

Hah, you guys were referenced in a Wired article.

»blog.wired.com/27bstroke ··· ers.html
Hey, we're good and cheap, good n' cheap engineering!

Observers in more technical forums like BroadbandReports.com have dissected the video and easily discerned that it's a hoax, with some taking apart their own converter boxes to provide proof. But even as posts debunking the clip roll into his YouTube comments, some remain convinced of its veracity. "There are still people defending the video," he says.

Edit: I wonder if I can copywrite that for my company name, "Good n' Cheap Engineering" LLC
dentman42
Premium Member
join:2001-10-02
Columbus, OH

dentman42 to alphapointe

Premium Member

to alphapointe
said by alphapointe:

Here is the inside of that receiver. Funny, I can't find anything...
I see a satellite board - obviously that's for sending the camera and mic output to big brother via satellite...