Panasonic brings Skype to Viera Cast

Posted on 19 May 2010 at 11:03

Owners of certain Panasonic TVs are being given the option of communicating via Skype from their living room - but you'll need an expensive add-on before you can join them.

Announced yesterday, the deal between Panasonic and Skype continues the trend for the integration of web-based services - traditionally confined to the family PC - into the living room: owners of Panasonic Viera models VT25, VT20, G25, and G20 will now have the option of Skype-based communication via the company's Viera Cast IPTV service.

The upgrade has been made available immediately and free of charge, but there is a hidden cost: in order for the TV to pick up your voice - and your image, should you want to make use of Skype's videoconferencing features - you'll have to buy the Panasonic TY-CC10W webcam, which hooks up to the TV and provides four beam-forming microphones plus 720p video capture.

The bad news? The official webcam will set you back an impressive $169.95 (around £115) - and it doesn't look as though third party USB webcams will be recognised if you were hoping to save some money. Additionally, while Viera Cast is available on certain other models in the Viera range, only the above-mentioned models will support Skype.

All of Skype's features - including both inbound and outbound calls - will be available via Viera Cast, although certain features such as the ability to make calls from your TV to a traditional landline will incur an extra charge levied by Skype itself.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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