Skype today announced support for Skype video calls on PCs in 720p high definition (HD). Designed to give an even smoother and richer video calling experience,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. 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 are introducing new HD webcams that are optimized to work with Skype. 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.
