Samsung Electronics (http://www.samsung.com) and Skype have announced that the new Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series models of 2010 high-definition televisions will feature embedded Skype software, allowing Skype users to make video and voice calls through the TVs.
Samsung will begin shipping TVs with Skype software in the Korean market today, and worldwide in the first half of 2010. The 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 attach a FreeTa;l TV Camera for Samsung provided by In Store Solutions (ISS), available at http://www.skype.com/store, making it possible to place and receive voice calls and video calls. Voice calls will use Skype’s SILK audio codec.
Using the TVs’ remote controls, consumers can create free Skype accounts, log into their existing accounts and navigate via a Skype interface accessible on the televisions’ screens. Skype video calls will be free, as will voice calls between Skype users.