Skype brings your friends and family to HD television
Panasonic and LG are to make video phone calling truly larger than life. Their Internet-connected TVs will soon allow viewers to make Skype calls and see the person they are speaking to in high-definition.
Both TV manufacturers will be adding Skype capability to their next ranges of Internet TVs. However, users will need to buy add-on webcams to use Skype. These will include microphones designed to capture sound from further away than usual (in other words, as far as your couch.)
The maximum specs on the service are a 1280×720 resolution at 30 frames per second. That means that if your Internet connection can handle the traffic, the picture of your caller should be just as good as if they were being broadcast on television. Skype says you’ll need a 1Mbps connection to use the service, though that applies to upload speed as well as downloads.
If you’re one of those people who prefers to carry on watching TV with the sound down whilst on the phone, you’ll be out of luck with this system. The processors on the sets aren’t powerful enough for a picture-in-picture feature showing both the caller and a TV broadcast.
The sets will include access to most Skype services. The calls themselves will remain free when one Skype user calls another, though the firm isn’t ruling out introducing charges for some features such as videoconferencing.
While the calls will save money, Skype on your TV certainly won’t be a cheap option. Between the cost of the webcam and the premium on the Internet-TV ranges, the equipment will be something in the region of $400 more than buying an equivalent set without the Internet connection.
The HD format will also be available for calls through a PC, though users will need a processor of at least 1.8GHz and an HD webcam.
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