Panasonic is set to go head to head with Samsung and LG with the release of a new Skype enabled plasma TV. Unlike Samsung who is directing consumers to purchase a camera from the Skype web site Panasonic has designed a custom camera which will sell separately for $199. The Samsung camera is $123.
Designed to bring video conferencing into the lounge the new TV will go on sale shortly in Australia.
 Click to enlarge |
Panasonic has also revealed a new TV mounted webcam designed for home or office large-format video conferencing via Skype. The Panasonic TY-CC10W Webcam will mount on top of a television to record chat session from the comfort of a living room.
Announced overnight the new offering features a centre-mounted camera and an array of four microphones which, when used in concert, can receive louder, clear audio from a centralised source. The unit will record either 30fps VGA or 720p/22fps h.264 encoded streams, and are designed to connect with Panasonic’s Viera Cast line of televisions.
The Panasonic TY-CC10W Webcam will begin shipping on June 11th to the Japanese market, for the same $199 price as the new Panasonic Skype camera that was released in Melbourne yesterday.
It is designed to work with Viera Cast TVs, with no official word on expanding this line to other TV brands.
Panasonic has also announced new internet connected Plasma and LED TV’s that deliver Skype, Twitter, You Tube, Facebook and Yahoo!7 PLUS7.
