Would be good to know if this is actually true. From a comment in the thread:<p>> Assuming that you tested that this happening only during commercials. When you google the issue, it seems like a lot of other people are saying that it unmutes in general after 5 seconds, which matches what happened to you from the video.
Another step closer to that one Sony patent being realized: <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sony-patent-mcdonalds/" rel="nofollow">https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sony-patent-mcdonalds/</a>
I'm surprised we haven't seen the "AI-powered" uBlock Origin of video yet. Not blocking by the web request but rather by analyzing the video signal itself.<p>Or even a nice appliance-tier solution. I want to buy an HDMI splitter that when it sees an ad coming through Input 1, switches to Input 2. Switches back to Input 1 when its over.<p>For folks still stuck with cable TV this is Nobel Prize territory.
Buying electronics from Amazon means getting ads -- and always in the most obnoxious way possible.<p>I got a Kindle Oasis as a gift /w lockscreen ads, and it's unbelievable how annoying and embarrassing they are, and many are for AI-generated gibberish. And that's a Kindle. Now just imagine living with an Amazon TV...
ProTip: If you download Prime video content and then watch it downloaded, it doesn't have commercials. Not sure if you can do that on their TVs, but seems to work fine on my Android phone and Fire tablet.<p>Note: I haven't tried it for ~3 months, I just stopped watching Prime content. With as easy as this is, it's easier to use other providers that don't do this, and their user experience was already pretty bad. Searching through for something to watch and then finding I have to pay $15 to watch it is so annoying.
I'm amazed that any technically proficiet user would EVER buy/connect such a device.<p>Really, it's baffling.<p>I do have a fairly large Samsung TV, but I would NEVER EVER connect it to the internet. HDMI only is the way to go, with your own device driving the interface. I basically use it as a monitor, even when watching video.<p>The trend in life seems to follow the trend in s/w development: there seems to be an effort to maximize external dependancies.<p>This isn't going to end well...
While I fully believe Amazon to be capable of making such an atrocious product it could also be that the "mute" function is broken in it's entirety (i.e. unmuting after a couple of seconds). The person just hasn't noticed because they only use the mute function during commercials.
I am so, so tired of what technology has become, and it’s far from over yet.<p>At least on the software side I can focus on the small web and applications from independent folks with no intent to abuse.<p>Hardware is much harder. I’m glad I can still disconnect my TV from the network and watch everything through an Apple TV, but I don’t expect that to last forever. A TV that refuses to work without an internet connection or Apple slipping further into “services” and crapping ads everywhere like Amazon and Google are both futures that seem perfectly plausible. I hate it so much.
I tried to replicate this and couldn't. I think this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for me re: Prime Video if it turns out to be true though.
Saw a meme yesterday of new Discord feature where it automatically unmutes itself upon detecting sound of a Fart, and then this Amazon TV news drops. Life imitates art.
If true, yet another reason why I'm glad I ditched Prime Video.<p>I noticed that FireTV Sticks now autoplay ads on launch without an option to disable that. For such setups, I'm likely to replace them with Apple TV (not perfect, but better) that aren't naked ad-delivery platforms like they're trying to copy something from a dystopian sci-fi movie.<p>Also, it wouldn't work on my main setup because it uses a soundbar that's only controllable by an IR remote. I would be willing to bet that it sends an HDMI CEC signal to unmute stereo receiver volume levels too.
The slow motion advertising apocalypse is coming. Eventually, the advertisers will realize that it doesn't work and people largely ignore it, the content providers will force you to watch the advertisements to get at the content, which people will hate, and which may inevitably come full circle to paywalls for greater content. Until then, we endeavor to build a better ad blocker.