Skype
Ushers in New Era in Face-to-Face
Online Video Communication
Skype supports 720p
HD video calls on PCs and embeds
Skype software into
Internet-connected TVs
Las Vegas, January 5, 2010 – Continuing
to lead the revolution in face-to-face
online video communication, Skype today announced support for
Skype™ video calls on PCs in 720p high
definition (HD), as well
as Skype software embedded into Internet-connected widescreen
televisions from
its consumer electronics manufacturer partners.
High
Definition Skype Video Calling
The latest version of Skype for Windows
can deliver up
to 720p HD-quality video calling at 1280 x 720 resolution, at up to 30
frames
per second, giving individuals an even smoother and richer video
calling experience.
To make an HD video call, users will need a high-speed broadband
connection, a
new HD webcam, a PC with a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor and Skype 4.2
Beta for
Windows.
“With HD-quality Skype video
calls, we can
bring our users even closer to the ones they love through an even
richer, more
meaningful video calling experience,” said Josh Silverman,
CEO of Skype. “Imagine
being able to see the sparkle of your grandchild’s eyes or
the setting of your
best friend’s engagement ring. Through the innovation of
Skype’s engineers and
our hardware partners, these scenarios are now possible without having
to buy
expensive equipment or software.”
New HD webcams are due to arrive in
early 2010. At
CES, faceVsion and In Store Solutions introduced new HD webcams that
are
optimized to work with Skype. In order to make HD video calling
available to as
many people as possible, the new Skype Certified™ HD webcams
handle the video
encoding and processing onboard, removing the need for a
high-performance
computer to encode the HD video.
faceVsion developed the FV TouchCam N1,
an HD encoding
webcam optimized for Skype video calling. Two versions of the faceVsion
webcam
will ship, beginning in February 2010: one with a microphone ($99) and
one
without ($69). In Store Solutions introduced two new HD encoding
webcams, the
FREETALK® HD PRO ($120) and FREETALK® HD PRO PLUS
($140), which will be
available in March 2010. Both the faceVsion and FREETALK webcams will
be
available for purchase online via the Skype Shop (skype.com/shop).
Skype-enabled
Televisions
Skype
is already
renowned for popularizing video calling and bringing people closer
together
through rich, real-time communication. With Skype embedded into
Internet-connected
HDTVs, the company is creating a new experience that will allow people to communicate
from the comfort of their living
rooms.
The new HDTVs will deliver familiar
Skype features
including:
- Free
Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls
- Calls
to landline or mobile phones at Skype’s low rates
- The
option to receive inbound calls via a user’s online Skype
number
- Skype
voicemail, if it is set up
- Being
invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other
parties
- Support
for up to 720p HD video calls, depending on the availability of
high-speed broadband and a HD webcam
At CES, Skype announced partnerships
with
LG and Panasonic to offer Skype–enabled HDTVs. Skype software
will be embedded
into Panasonic’s line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs and
LG’s 26 new LCD and
plasma HDTVs with NetCast Entertainment Access™. Both lines
are expected to be
available in mid-2010. Both LG
and Panasonic will offer specially-designed HD
webcams that are optimized for Skype video calls as separate
accessories that
can be plugged into the televisions. These webcams support 720p HD and
include
special microphones and optics that can pick up sound and video from a
couch-distance.
“The
popularity of Skype video calling has increased substantially in recent
years with
an average of 34% of Skype-to-Skype calls now including
video,” added Silverman.
“For many people who are video
calling on Skype, they have expressed a desire to communicate with
their
friends and family from somewhere comfortable, and preferably on a big
screen.
Logically, this led to the development of Skype embedded on
HDTVs.”
Skype
recommends uninterrupted high-speed broadband of at least 800 Kbps
symmetrical
bandwidth to achieve 720p HD-quality video calls on either a PC or
television.
For
more information
about Skype-enabled televisions, please visit skype.com/go/TV or
view a demonstration during CES at the Panasonic (Central 9405) or LG
(Central
8205) booths. Further details, multimedia, and partner press releases
are also available
at http://bit.ly/8xumEu.
