Substitute for Meta Portal

[kaichandler]

I used to use the Facebook / Meta Portal as a Zoom device - it sat on top of the TV, had integrated software, camera and microphone and was great for zoom classes etc. when connected to the TV with an HDMI cable. 

As it no longer supports Zoom (the icon disappeared 31 Jan 2025) can anyone suggest a convenient alternative to avoid having to go back to a PC next to the computer which seems so 'last year' 

Thanks

[donald1x]

I'm starting to use Kandao to replace my Meta Portal TV, as my office room size zoom device attached to my TV. 

Its just Kandao is 10x more expensive. But I need a microphone that pick up voices in 100sq-ft room office.

[kaichandler]

Thank you - I'd not heard of that. You say it's 10x more expensive so perhaps overkill for my personal use. 

[MGSR · Accepted solution]

Hello @kaichandler and @donald1x,

Welcome to the Zoom Community! We're excited to have you here.

You can refer to this link https://www.zoom.com/en/hardware/ for Zoom's recommended hardware. Additionally, we also recommend using Zoom on AppleTV with the Apple Continuity Camera feature as a solid alternative.

[kaichandler]

thank you for your help - I'd not heard of Zoom on AppleTV with the Apple Continuity Camera  but I can see it's a little box with a remote that uses one's iPhone as a webcam.  Both iPhone and Apple TV have to have to be the right spec for this to work. I'd want a way to hook the iPhone to the top of the TV.

With those caveats I may take your suggestion if using a laptop proves too onerous. 

Thanks again!

[K-p]

None of these are acceptable alternatives due to price. Our church used a Portal Go because it was affordable, easy for anyone to use, and did not require any additional devices. It was less than $200. Please give us an alternative in the same price range or let us keep the Zoom app on the Portal devices we already paid for. 

[DonaldMDI]

So the one solution I have tried to "re-use" your Portal TV is to use the hidden Chrome browser to access the zoom web-browser-only mode. 
- You need a bluetooth keyboard. (add it as a device under Setting -> Bluetooth) 
- You need to pop-up the hidden chrome browser by typing "CTRL -> B" on the keyboard
- You need to browse to "https://app.zoom.us/wc", and login to your zoom account there. Note you need the "wc" part, because this goes to your zoom workspace home screen.
- You need to be invited to a zoom meeting (preferably to the zoom account you logged into above)
   - I tried starting a new zoom call, and the zoom app kept rejecting me, but joining another people's zoom call works fine. 
- and lastly, you need to bear with zoom showing up inside a browser window, and breaks every time you navigate out of it. 

Someone cover this in reddit at this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/FacebookPortal/comments/1ifuh2p/replacement_device_that_runs_zoom_on_a_tv/

This is not an elegant solution sadly. Maybe you'd better off using the portal TV for Whatsapp Video Call, which works smoothly if you link your portal TV to a whatsapp account instead of a facebook account.  

[kaichandler]

Thanks, I'll try!  In the meantime, using a laptop and HDMI cable seems to work quite well.