Comcast today announced that Skype on Xfinity online tv, a fresh widescreen HD video calling experience, is currently for sale in Boston and Seattle as the company begins its nationwide rollout of the service. Before the end of the week, the service may also be available in the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Chicago, Detroit, Harrisburg, Pa., Indianapolis, Miami and Pittsburgh. With Skype on Xfinity, company is creating and receive video calls from other TV in HD image quality, in addition to send and receive messages via Skype while you're watching cable online at the same time.
Comcast Miami"We're continuing to create innovative communication services like Skype on Xfinity that will allow our customers to have interaction in new ways using the people they are concerned concerning the most," said Tony Werner, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Comcast Cable. "Through our close collaboration with Skype, we centered on delivering a new product that brings friends and family together via a high-quality video calling experience in greater comfort."
Skype on Xfinity online tv is the latest example in the line of innovations through which Comcast is bringing personalized services to its customers. Through Skype on Xfinity, customers will be able to:
Make Skype-to-Skype video and audio calls or send instant messages via Skype on a TV while watch cable online with their favorite Television show simultaneously, and accept incoming Skype calls throughout a Television show with the aid of Caller identification.
Import Skype friends in to a global address book which can also contain Facebook, Outlook, Gmail and smartphone contacts so that you can find which of the friends already use Skype and find out when contacts are on the web and accessible to talk.
Be capable of communicate with the vast sums of connected Skype users world wide.
"Through our collaboration with Comcast, we're delivering a totally compelling HD calling experience to consumers, and demonstrating Skype's continued leadership in video communications," said Bob Rosin, Head of economic Development for Skype. "Our partnership brings video calling into the heart of the property - the living room - where it enables people to share life's experiences in the totally new way."
Cathy Avgiris, Executive V . p . and Gm of Communications and Data Services for Comcast Cable, said "TV is rapidly evolving as a social experience, and Skype on Xfinity online tv is bringing family and friends together to share with you life's moments with the use of the largest screen inside their homes. Skype on Xfinity is straightforward to setup and easy to make use of to be able to always think that you're there with friends and family members, even though physically you're miles apart."
To utilize Skype on Xfinity online satellite television, customers will be needing Xfinity Online sites, an HDMI-capable Comcast cable set-top box plus a Skype account. To start a Skype session through their TV, customers simply choose an available contact from their address book and select enter. Skype on Xfinity will probably be sent to the Comcast customer's HDTV through an all-in-one kit which includes an adaptor box, a high-quality camcorder, along with a engineered remote device that enables customers to instant message with more than one friends on Skype as well as control the quantity of their television. For Skype-to-Skype calls or messages, one other calling party doesn't need any special equipment beyond need to make use of Skype; they just must be logged within their Skype account.