Weeks after LG and Panasonic announced that they will include Skype in their new 2010 flat-panel TV offering, Samsung has announced that it is set to launch two LED TVs that will allow users to make voiceover-IP telephone calls and video conferencing using Skype technology.In a joint announcement, Samsung Electronics and Skype said that the upcoming LED 7000 and LED 8000 two TVs that are set to be launched in Australia will include an embedded version of Skype’s calling software.
The Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series televisions include Samsung’s free Internet@TV service, which allows access to select online content.
Consumers who connect the TVs to the Internet can easily attach a Freetalk TV Camera for Samsung provided by In Store Solutions (ISS), available at www.skype.com/store, making it possible to place and receive voice and video calls. The technology eliminates the need for consumers to rely on a PC, set-top boxes or external cables to make a video call.
“Our consumers want their televisions to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for entertainment and communication delivered with the highest quality,” said Kevin Kyungshik Lee, VP of Visual Display at Samsung.
The user interface will be designed to work with simplistic remote control operations. Users will be able to do everything, including creating their own Skype account, right from the TV.
Skype’s General Manager of Platform, Jonathan Christensen said, “Increasingly Skype users want to communicate away from their computers, particularly when it comes to video calling. Thanks to Samsung, Skype is helping even more friends and families benefit from the meaningful connections that Skype’s video and voice calling provides.”
