More and more features are added to big-screen HDTVs nowadays. They are now looking more like oversized smartphones – without the mobility. Internet-enabled models can be acquired anywhere easily that would allow users to browse web content through built-in web applications. Manufacturers like Samsung is taking it even further by launching an HDTV app store.
Now, Panasonic’s new line of Viera Cast HD sets will include Skype software that would allow users to use the TV for video calls.
Skype for TV was announced at January’s Consumer Electronics Show, but the first HDTVs to incorporate the technology are now shipping from Panasonic. The next manufacturer that would incorporate Skype for TV will be LG – adding it to 26 of its LCD and plasma sets this year. Other vendors will likely follow suit, particularly if video calling catches on with the masses.
When we say video calls, one would assume that we would naturally need a camera. Well, that can be acquired as an additional accessory for $170. The camera plugs into the Viera Cast HDTV, delivers 720p video (broadband permitting), and has a microphone that picks up audio from the sofa.
Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls are free, and connections to landlines cost pennies per minute.
For now, we don’t know if Skype TV will be popular. Early adopters will likely use the service on rare occasions. The technology will improve over time, of course, and video calling may very well become yet another popular application for the big-screen smartphone in your living room.
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