CHICAGO - From the "are we really sure anyone wants it" department, Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is apparently going to partner with Skype to provide high definition video calling on TVs.
The partnership may not be as ominous as that description sounds. According to the two companies, Comcast will let its customers make and receive Skype video calls via their television to other Skype users on TVs, PCs, smartphones or tablets. They can also send instant messages while watching TV, but that doesn't require high definition video.
"TV has evolved into a social experience, and Comcast and Skype will be delivering a product that personalizes the TV experience even more, and brings friends and family together through the biggest screen in their homes," said Comcast Cable president Neil Smit.
Anyway, there has to be something in this for both Comcast and Microsoft--two companies that don't do anything for free--but the parties have not announced pricing or commercial availability.
For more:
- Multichannel News has this story
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