Tely Labs Offers New Skype HD Camera for HDTVs

Tely Labs has launched a Skype HD camera that plugs into an HDTV for living room video calling.

 

While every major smart TV manufacturer offers a brand-compatible webcam for its Skype-enabled TVs, use has been limited to calls between owners who both have the same TV and camera system. TelyHD works with most HDTVs connected to the Internet and supports calls to Skype users on PCs, smartphones and tablets. TelyHD adds Skype access in the same way that media-streaming devices and Blu-ray players add Netflix to TVs that do not have built-in apps.

 

TelyHD comes with its own remote control to zoom, pan and tilt its wide-angle camera, which clips to the top of a TV.  Four noise-canceling microphones are built into the device. It also has a SD card slot and a USB port, so users can share photos and videos during Skype calls. TelyHD runs on Android using a Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core ARM A9 processor.

 

TelyHD can transmit calls in 720p high definition, but success depends on the speed of a user’s broadband connection . Upload speed must exceed 1 Mbps for HD video calls, according to Tely Labs. Speeds between 512 Kbps  and 1 Mbps will allow for standard definition calls (480p), any slower and video calls will not be possible. Tely Labs has included a quick speed test on its site to determine upload and download speeds.

 

For now, TelyHD is limited to Skype, but the company plans to add Android apps for social networking, gaming and streaming video.

 

TelyHD is available online from Skype, Tely Labs and Amazon for $249.