At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Skype is announcing partnerships with LG and Panasonic, both of which will offer Skype-enabled HDTVs in 2010. Video calls over Skype will be made possible on new 2010 Panasonic VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs that will be arriving in stores in the spring. LG Electronics will be debuting its own Skype-enabled sets at CES, with its line expected to appear in mid-2010 as well.
Both manufacturers will also be selling webcams — as separate accessories to be plugged into TV sets — optimized for family room Skype experiences. The webcams will support 720p HD and boast enhanced microphones and optics capable of picking up sound and video from users who are couch-distance from their TV sets.
Skype on your HDTV will be a similar experience to the Skype experience you already know on your PC, so voice and video calls to other Skype users will be free, and you can pay extra for calls to landline and mobile phones.
The migration of Skype from your PC to your mobile device and now to your TV seems natural. It's also the next logical step in the Internet-enabled TV movement, and provides an experience that is arguably more entertaining and appealing to consumers than current functions supported by Internet-enabled sets.
In preparation for the big unveiling, Skype has set up a consumer-friendly information site as well as a Twitter account (@skypeonyourtv). Should you be attending CES, you can catch demonstrations of the new Skype-enabled HDTVs at the Panasonic and LG booths.