Skype’s year-end update back in December was a big one. The VoIP service rolled out video calling across iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, accessible over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks. Not even two months later, Skype has released another upgrade to its iDevice app. While not as major, nor universal as the 3.0 update, Skype 3.0.1 is a bit of a game-changer for video calling — the app now supports calling to Skype-enabled television sets.
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According to its website, Skype offers compatibility on a select few Samsung and Panasonic television sets, although I’ve heard rumblings that some LG sets also offer the feature. Sony and Vizio plan to launch support in sets coming later this year, which will increase the likelihood that someone you know will soon be equipped with this video-chatting capability.
Along with one of the supported televisions, your contact will also have to own a TV-compatible webcam. These limitations mean it’ll probably be some time before the masses get to give the new feature a go, but the fact that Skype has already jumped on board the Internet TV trend is telling for the future of the service.
Beyond snagging the update, calling a Skype-enabled TV won’t require any additional steps for an iDevice user.
