From the time just over four years ago when Skype introduced High Quality Video at VGA (640 x 480) resolution and 30 frames per second (“fps” or “frame rate”) I have had the opportunity to test many webcams for Skype Video calling. In the fall of 2010 I reported on the launch of HD Video calling (1280 x 720 or “720p” – @ 22 fps) using webcams from FREETALK and FaceVsion. In the spring of 2011 I first tested a “conference room” video webcam from FREETALK; “conference room” webcams are suited for covering the longer range typical of a small-to-medium conference room size rather than a close-up desktop PC webcam for both video and audio.

Last week I received an evaluation unit of the recently announced Logitech C920 webcam. In my CES 2012 post Logitech C920 sets new Skype HD Video standards I discussed some of its unique features such as:

• the first Skype-certified webcam to deliver 1080p HD video
• the minimum required upload speed to acheive 720p HD resolution is 1 Mpbs
• dual stereo microphones

On receiving the webcam I learned there is more:

• my first encounter with a Skype-certified webcam that delivers 720p HD video at 30 fps
• faster ramp-up to 720p HD from call launch
• delivers 1080p video at 21 fps
• 15MP webcam for photo capture
• delivers an excellent quality image (feedback all those whom I have called)
  • takes full advantage of Carl-Zeiss optics, 20-step auto focus and “Right Light” feature
  • Logitech calls this “Liquid Fluid CrystalTM” technology

Having made several calls with the C920; they have been my best Skype video calling experiences of all.  I am using a Dell Vostro V410 quad core PC that is about four years old. Requirements include: dual-core 2.0GHz processor, Windows XP/Vista/7, Skype 5.7 for Windows beta or later, Internet upload/download speeds as discussed below.

Worth noting:

Relevant speeds – to set the baseline for this discussion it is important to take a look at the frame rate observed and minimum upload Internet Connection speeds required, based on either vendor specifications or experience:

Previously Skype had specified 1.2 Mpbs upload speed as the minimum required. However, when I started receiving calls last fall from contacts with recent Logitech webcams (C310, C510, C910 and Webcam Pro 9000) I noticed that they went to 720p yet I confirmed that my contacts on these calls only had 1.0 Mpbs maximum upload speed. This was my first clue that Logitech had developed a webcam that allowed HD video on the very common broadband Internet services that cap out at 1.0 Mbps upload speed (and without an onboard H.264 processor).

My service has a 2.0 Mbps upload speed; however, in practice it usually delivers 1.6 to 1.85 Mpbs upload speed. So while I was expecting to easily get to 720p I was only being hopeful (or lucky) if a call went to 1080p.

Overall speed observations during a call:

When you initiate the C920 webcam (either when launching a call or by turning on the webcam during a call) it comes up almost instantly with a video image; no swirling icons waiting for the webcam to get started. But the other noticeable difference was that it usually takes less than 30 seconds for the webcam to start delivering HD video at 720p.

One other noticeable improvement was that the Logitech C920 is the only webcam that delivers 720p at 30 fps whereas the other HD webcams could only go to 22 fps. (Not a terribly noticeable difference but it becomes television quality with no choppiness or pixilation).

Overall one has a much improved call initiation experience and on all calls to other PC’s it has always switched to 720p HD in somewhat less than a minute.

All of my calls went to 720p at 30 fps as would be expected with my service’s upload speed; however, I did have two calls go to 1080p at 21 fps after about 10 to 20 minutes (remember I’m not supposed to get 1080p at all); this held for the last 20 to 30 minutes of those two calls. From the call technical info I could also see there was less demand on my CPU processors than I had previously experienced (usually had been well over 50%).

Note that these calls were to users with Skype for Windows or Skype for Mac; a call to Skype for iPad (to an original iPad) was observed to be at VGA resolution (640 x 480) at 15 fps; a call to Skype for TV on the TelyHD device went 720p at 15 fps on both sides of the call. In other words, the combination of Skype and the webcam will adapt resolution and frames-per-second to the resources of the device at the other end of the call.

The mounting bracket – one other feature that was immediately obvious was the flexibility of the mounting bracket. Using a combination of hinges and rubber surfaces, it easily mounts onto the top of any flat panel display; yet it can also sit on, say, a desktop surface. Not only does it mount readily and firmly but when on the display frame it can easily be titled up and down. Finally the underside has a tripod thread such that it can readily be mounted on any tripod.

Software: The C920 is accompanied by software that is downloaded from the Logitech website. This includes the Logitech Webcam Controller which can be used for setting zoom/pan/tilt as well as making adjustments for lighting (“RightLight”), auto focus and sound (“RightSound”). Also included is “Logitech Webcam Software” which provides:

• Video recording (up to 1080p resolution),
• Links to common video calling applications (Skype, GMail and Logitech Vid),
• Motion detection  – start recording when motion is detected, and
• Video mask maker – special effects
• Web Gallery – storing and editing recordings with the  ability to download to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube or to share via email.

Audio: The C920 also includes a microphone on each side to pick up a stereo effect and making it suitable for larger distances in, say, a small conference room. I was able to test this out in a small office environment during an HD video call and found it to work satisfactorily. While the other party on a 90 minute call reported that there can be a bit of “barrel” effect, Skype’s echo cancellation worked perfectly.

Call Example:

Call with Mike Phillips¹ (@mcphillips) who had a Logitech C910 webcam; this was captured when the C920 was delivering 1080p resolution. Mike’s Internet service had a 5 Mbps upload speed. Click on the images for a larger version:

What does H.264 have to do with this? Everything! Recall:

• Previous webcams with H.264 onboard processors took 30 seconds to 3 minutes to go to HD resolution; they capped out at 22 fps. They required 1.2 Mpbs upload speed and would take 15 seconds to a minute from launch just to show an image.
• The previous Logitech HD webcams had no onboard processor (in other words they did their video processing on the main PC using up CPU cycles); they went to 720p resolution on services with only 1.0 Mbps upload speed.
• The Logitech C920 turns on immediately, goes to 720p HD much more quickly (15 to 45 seconds), goes to 30 fps – and it goes to these performance levels consistently when calling another PC.
• The Logitech C920 reduces the demand on your main PC processor and bandwidth requirements.
• It allows a much better experience when recording a video call with, say, VodBurner, reducing wait times and quality loss that would arise from encoding on the main PC.

Putting these observations together tells me that the Logitech engineers have been hard at work not only to deliver the the best video calling experience at HD resolutions but also to  ensure that technology to achieve this performance becomes transparent to the entire Skype video calling operation. (And, given that it requires Skype 5.7 for Windows (beta) or later, it says they have been working with Skype’s audio/video engineers.)

What does the other party have? I have made calls where the other party had various Logitech webcams (C310, C910 and 9000 Pro), a recent MacBook Pro webcam and a FREETALK Everyman HD webcam. In every case my experience with the the C920 was as described here. Of course to receive HD video they must have at least a 1Mbps download speed (usually not an issue with any broadband Internet service) and a recent version of Skype – Skype 5.x for Windows, or Skype 5.3 for Mac or later. It also worked at 720p HD on a call to Skype for TV on the TelyHD device. It makes calls, but at VGA or loeer resolution, to Skype for iPad and Skype for iPhone.

There was one instance where the other party switched to an older non-Skype-certified webcam during a call (from a Logitech C910) and basically we could not get any semblance of good call quality. On the other hand it appears to work well when the other party is using a webcams built into laptop and flat panel monitor displays.

Skype Group Video Calling: While Skype Group Video Calling only delivers VGA resolution, due to screen real state issues when showing up to 10 participants and desktop sharing, I would expect this webcam to perform better in terms of speed to get into a call and robustness during a call as well as demand on the local CPU resources. I’ll report back after my next group video call later this week.

Bottom line: The Logitech C920 delivers a quantum leap to the user experience for Skype video calling, especially when it comes to taking advantage of HD video:

• The webcam fires up delivering video images almost instantly after launching video
• It reduces the minimum upload speed requirement for 720p HD video to a speed available on most broadband Internet services
• It goes into 720p HD video much more quickly (not to overlook at a TV quality frame rate)
• If you have sufficient Internet connection upload speed, it delivers 1080p video at a reasonable frame rate.
• It delivers a smoother, more robust and sustainable HD video call experience
• Its optics deliver the best quality images when it comes to natural colors and color depth, sharpness and dealing with lighting issues.
• It reduces the load on your PC processor/CPU
• It easily adapts to mounting on any monitor or laptop display, work surface or tripod.
• It works with other services such as GTalk and Logitech Vid
• It provides a much better experience with video recording
• I have recorded a Skype call with VodBurner
• It includes a recording ability with single click download to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

As mentioned at the beginning I have followed Skype video calling for over five years; I have checked out many webcams, especially when it comes to HD video. If you are looking to have the best overall Skype video calling experience from a Windows PC, it’s well worth spending the $99 to achieve it.

The Logitech C920 is available on Amazon and at electronics retailers such as Best Buy.

In another post I’ll talk about successfully recording a Skype video call using this webcam and VodBurner.

And the inevitable Mac question: while a reviewer on Amazon.com claims it worked on his Mac, Logitech will not comment on future products. In any event full Mac support, certainly for 1080p resolution, would also require an upgrade from Skype for Skype for Mac – Skype has made no announcement in this regard. In a response on Logitech’s community forum:

Unfortunately, at this time, there are no plans to provide Mac support for the C920; however, I suggest keep checking our website as we are always coming out with new solutions.

Currently the Logitech C910, as shown in the chart above, does support the Mac and offer most of the C920 features except support for 1080p  and the onboard H.264 processor as the major omissions.

¹Mike Phillips blogs on Scoop.it at Equipment and Techniques for Webcasters and Podcasters and hosts a weekly podcast Computers 2K Now Sundays from 9 to Noon ET where he and his co-hosts discuss podcasting, webcasting, broadcasting and audio. Follow him on Twitter @mcphillips

Two years ago at CES 2010 Skype announced Skype for TV with two partners (Samsung and LG). It was only available on very high end Internet-enabled TV sets and required vendor-specific webcams. Effectively the cost of adoption was over $1,500. CES 2011 saw an expansion of the number of TV set vendors (Panasonic, Toshiba, Sony, Vizio) and the support of Skype for TV on BluRay DVD players from Panasonic and Sony, bringing the cost of adoption down to about $400 for the player and a supporting webcam.

One other complication was that all these offerings required a webcam that was specifically designed for the individual TV/player vendor. At a July 2011 panel discussion, Skype President Tony Bates mentioned that Skype for TV was installed into over 50 million TV sets; however, again these were mostly high end sets with a price point that did not encourage mass consumer adoption.

At CES 2012 there were some demonstrations and announcements that effectively make it possible to enable every television set to support a Skype for TV video or voice call at a much more reasonable cost:

• Tely Labs launched its TelyHD platform – an Android-based webcam that embeds HD video support of Skype for TV. Most significantly it is TV vendor-agnostic as it can work with any TV set that has an HDMI input. More on TelyHD to follow in an upcoming review. Total cost: $249.00 including webcam, available at the Skype Store.
• The newly announced Sony BDP-S790 BluRay player, available later this spring, is unique from a Skype perspective in that it will work with any webcam that supports Skype.

• Sony was also demonstrating a prototype of its forthcoming Android-based “Smart TV” set top box as its version of Google TV. It will deliver all the common Internet social networking applications such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Skype, amongst others, to any TV set and again work with any webcam.
• Samsung announced its inTouch Android-based webcam supporting Skype and other social networking applications; deliveries to commence later this spring.
• All of these devices support not only HDMI and 720p HD video resolution but also an embedded WiFi internet connection.

Samsung was demonstrating Skype for TV where, as shown on the right, the webcam was embedded into the top frame of the television set. While apparently still supporting Skype for TV, there were no demonstrations in the Toshiba or LG booths.

Panasonic and Sony had new versions of their BluRay player, as well as new firmware supporting Skype for TV on their Viera and Bravia lines respectively. As shown in the video below, Panasonic’s firmware allows you to watch TV during a Skype call where you can switch the audio between Skype and the TV channel audio within the context of the conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQhj7za2uNk

A couple of the booth personnel mentioned that the one feature missing in a world where all TV vendors are actively encouraging 3D TV was the ability to adopt Skype for TV to 3D; apparently many of their other “smart TV” social networking applications somehow have the ability to “upscale” 2D to 3D. Not something I’m holding my breath waiting for, especially given what the webcam requirements would be.

Bottom line: The launch of products lowering the adoption cost of Skype for TV, especially on existing TV sets, significantly expands the potential user base of Skype for TV, not only for consumers but also for business use. The number one advantage is the ability to hold video calls where the other end point can be a PC, smartphone (iPhone, Android phone) or tablet – or another TV set that supports Skype for TV.

On the other hand, at the time of writing this post Skype for TV does not support Group Video Calling; in fact, currently one cannot even be a participant on a Group Video Call with Skype for TV.

While the webcams for Skype for TV are currently vendor-specific, it appears that the ability to use a generic Skype-certified webcam should appear later this year on the Sony devices. On the other hand TelyHD offers a complete solution in one hardware package.

Related articles

• Google TV’s biggest competitor looks awfully familiar (gigaom.com)

Last night at ShowStopper at CES 2012 Logitech was demonstrating its newly announced HD Pro Webcam C920; it sets some new performance standards that open up a much larger market for HD video on Skype:

• the first Skype-certified webcam to deliver 1080p video
• the minimum required upload speed is 1 Mpbs
• dual stereo microphones

It also now supports H.264 encoding which reduces the load on the main PC processor and allows HD Video calling on more PC’s. Standard Logitech features such as autofocus and Carl-Zeiss optics are also included. All for $99.99.

The reduced minimum upload speed (as opposed to the previous requirement for 1.2Mbps upload speed) opens up HD video calling to anyone with the most common broadband connections which are most often capped at a 1Mbps upload speed. (I have recently had calls from the earlier C310 and C910 where the caller’s video went to HD yet their upload speed was capped at 1 Mbps.) And supporting 1080p allows “telepresence-like” images on much larger displays in full screen mode (720p video does a great job on up to 22” displays).

In their demonstration they had two PC’s on a Skype video call where one (in the right) used its native webcam while the other(on the left)  used the C920. The image quality difference shown in the photo was definitely real. (Because it’s a video call the transmitting webcam on the left shows its image on the receiving PC on the right.)

At the moment it only supports Windows® XP (SP3 or higher), Windows Vista® and Windows® 7 (32-bit or 64-bit); it requires Skype 5.7 beta for Windows to support the 1080p video. The 1080p video can be received on any Skype client.

Bottom line; Logitech has a long history of supporting Skype Video calling (going back to the launch of Skype’s High Quality Video VGA calling) and appears to continue to have leading edge offerings. It should be available in retail stores and the Skype Store by the end of January. At that time I’ll look to do a more thorough review.

Update – The Review: Logitech C920 Webcam: for a Superior Skype Video Calling Experience

Logitech Press Release

Logitech Blog Post

Related articles

• Logitech C920 first webcam with 1080p video calling (ces.cnet.com)
• Logitech outs C920 HD webcam, lets you Skype with your mates in 1080p (engadget.com)

Last week I provided a review of my experience with a recent production model of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone, initially available in the U.S. and Canada. To quickly recall its primary feature, the Connect•Me Adapter allows you to make PC-free Skype and SkypeOut calls and, optionally, landline calls from an existing home phone.

It turns out that adapting this product to other countries involves more than simply supporting another plug for the power connection. The landline telco industry backbones in each country also have variables that need to be addressed in order for the landline component of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone to work properly in an individual country.

Effective today U.K. residents can “Skype from your Home Phone” with the launch of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone U.K. edition. It’s available at the U.K. Skype Store, with options that include three month subscriptions for:

• up to 300 minutes** of international calls to landlines and mobiles, or
• unlimited* calls to landlines in the UK and Ireland and up to 300 minutes of international** calls to landlines and mobiles, or
• unlimited* international calls to landlines and mobiles in 41 countries***

It’s also available at Amazon U.K. and the eBuyNow UK store with similar options for Skype calling plans.

Of course Skype-to-Skype calls worldwide continue to be free.

For those U.K. residents who want a new dual mode PC-free phone (Skype and PSTN landline) a Philips VoIP855 cordless phone has also become available. This option allows you to include up to 200 of your Skype contacts in a phone book (and 100 names for landline numbers) as well as to make use of Skype’s presence feature. The previous GE Digital Cordless Expandable Telephone and RTX Dualphone 3088 are other options available.

Aside from the power adapter and firmware to support the U.K. landine PSTN, the discussion points in my previous review apply.

In conjunction with these product announcements Skype has issued a press release covering a survey they recently sponsored:

• No job too far – 50% of Brits say accepting a job abroad is easier with advances in communication technology

Note re the calling plan offerings:

*A fair usage policy applies. Excludes service, special, premium and non-geographic numbers. UK landline calls are those made to area codes beginning 01 and 02.
** The actual number of minutes may vary depending on your calling destination and the number of calls you make. A connection fee applies.
***Unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles in Canada, China, Guam, Hong Kong S.A.R., China, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand, United States
Unlimited calls to landlines only in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg,Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Moscow and St.Petersburg only), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom

While the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone became available in late August, I only received a production hardware version three weeks ago. I have now had a chance not only to verify the operation of all its features but also to observe some of the reviews.  But before talking about its operation I want to identify its market positioning as a result of my own experience and some of the review comments.

What is FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone?

It’s essentially an ATA adapter that allows you to use a conventional 12-key TouchTone analog phone¹ to make calls to Skype Contacts and SkypeOut numbers over an Internet connection. Optionally you can continue to make calls over a landline.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants to make Skype and SkypeOut calls without the need for a PC and already has a 12-key TouchTone phone. It is especially convenient for use with today’s very common cordless home phone setup comprising a base station and multiple handsets distributed around the house.

It offers a worldwide long distance service that combines free Skype-to-Skype calling with low cost SkypeOut calling to the PSTN. When combined with a local landline service it provides a unique complementary long distance service, especially if you are making international calls outside U.S./Canada.

Initially it is only available for use in U.S. and Canada; versions for European and other countries are anticipated to follow early in 2012. Update, Nov. 15, 2011: FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone is now available in the U.K.

What is it not?

A complete replacement for a landline service. You still need a landline or alternative service for emergency e911 calling. Also the landline service will often include “free” local calling to a region identified by the carrier.

What are the requirements?

• A traditional 12-key TouchTone phone with its standard RJ-11 cable connection
• A broadband Internet connection (via a port on a router connected to your cable or DSL Internet service) accessed via a standard RJ-45 Ethernet cable connection
• An AC power connection (110-120 volt in US/Canada)
• For configuration and setup only: a Windows or Mac PC
• Optional: a traditional PSTN landline service with RJ-11 cable connection

Why would you buy it?

• To place free Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any destination worldwide from the world’s most familiar telephony user interface
  • the call can be received on any Skype-enabled platform: PC, smartphone, iPad, TV or even another Home Phone with Connect•Me.
• To take advantage of Skype’s low worldwide international calling rates and calling plan subscriptions for calls to the legacy PSTN or mobile phones in over 180 countries.

So what has been the experience?

While most of my calling involves using Skype on PC’s or a wireless service on a mobile smartphone I have maintained one line of a legacy PSTN service from Bell Canada, mostly for local calls and as a matter of convenience.  I also have a long time investment in this phone number as my primary business number. (My fax line has been replaced by PamFax; a second voice line became redundant a few years ago.)

A couple of years ago I reviewed this setup with Bell Canada where I wanted a minimal long distance capability while maintaining the ability to make local calls. Just having access to a reduced long distance charge was costing me $11.00 per month before making any calls. I seldom made long distance calls on that line but needed it for emergency circumstances such as when my smartphone batteries had died or my Internet connection was down. It was also a convenience when placing local calls from its physical location.

I have replaced the Bell Canada long distance service with the Connect•Me Adapter with the following consequences:

• I can make Skype-to-Skype calls worldwide at no cost
• I can make SkypeOut calls at 2.3 cents/minute vs Bell Canada’s charge of 10 cents/minute
  • I have the option to use a Skype Calling Plan subscription, if call volume suffices
• I have eliminated the $11.00 per month fixed charge from my Bell Canada bill.
• I make “local” calls over the landline at no additional charge beyond the monthly service charge.
• I continue to have access to Bell’s auxiliary services such as call forwarding, call waiting and basic voice mail.
• TouchTones (DTMF signals) are passed through successfully for services that require, say, dialing into a business extension or placing a prescription order with a drug store.

But here are the caveats:

• I need to start landline calls using the # key followed by the normal 10-digits for local calls.
• I can start SkypeOut calls by dialling ** followed by [country_code] [area_code] [local_number]
• I can access up to 100 speed dial numbers for both Skype and SkypeOut calls
• I have set up a separate Skype account with only 30 to 50 contacts. This becomes an essential consideration if you are using this service for personal or family calls and your normal Skype account is used heavily for business. Note that the Connect•Me Adapter can handle up to 200 contacts.
• Due to my low SkypeOut call volume on this phone line I am using Skype credit for SkypeOut calls; however, one can use a Skype Calling Plan to call U.S./Canada at $2.95 per month or over 40 countries worldwide at $13.95 per month subject to Skype’s fair usage policy.
• And to repeat (from the user portal):

• If you have a landline connected, dial #911 for e911 service.

And how is the voice quality?

Calls using the landline have the same quality as a normal narrowband landline call. (When placing a landline call you’ll hear some exotic noises while placing the call but the connected call allows me to carry on a normal phone conversation with no audible distractions.)

When making a SkypeOut call to the same number I have observed noticeably clearer voice quality compared to using the landline . And on Skype-to-Skype calls there is excellent voice quality.

By making a call to my primary Skype account on a Windows PC I was able to check the Call Technical information which reported a “NWC” codec with 16KHz sampling. This confirms that, where feasible, the Connect•Me Adapter supports wideband audio. I am told that NWC is actually a dynamic codec that will switch between narrow band audio G.729 and wideband audio G.722 codecs as appropriate to the connection conditions. But the bottom line has been a much crisper audio on a SkypeOut call than experienced on the landline.

How does the Connect•Me Adapter get set up?

The Connect•Me Adapter is accompanied by a user portal for setting up:

• Call Settings –
  • Do you want to have local calls default to the landline or SkypeOut?
  • Do you want international calls to default through SkypeOut?
• Call Forwarding and Voicemail –
  • calls to your Connect•Me-enabled home phone can be forwarded to, say, your mobile phone or any other landline number; the delay before forwarding can also be set.
  • if call forwarding is not set up you can set up and use Skype voicemail. If both are setup call forwarding takes priority.
• Contacts and Speed Dials –
  • Add Skype Contacts to your account, set up speed dials for making Skype-to-Skype calls and SkypeOut calls.
  • There is an option to print out your speed dial list.

Firmware Upgrades: From time-to-time FREETALK will issue upgrades to the firmware to offer new features and/or bug fixes. The first upgrade added support for Skype voicemail. These upgrades are provided automatically with no user intervention required. There is an option in System Settings to define a time-of-day for accepting upgrades, such that upgrades will not interfere will normal calling times.

Update: as I was finalizing this post I lost power at my office location. When power was restored about 30 minutes later, the Connect•Me Adapter came back up within a couple of minutes; I was able to make both Skype and landline calls with no user intervention.

Bottom line: The FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone provides an option for taking advantage of Skype’s services for voice calls using a standard 12-key TouchTone phone set. It can either be a stand alone service for long distance calling, with the caveat that it does not support e911 emergency calling, or an international long distance service complement to a “local” landline service.

When attached to a DECT cordless phone base station, it will Skype-enable all the handsets around the home.

Initially the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone is only available for use in U.S. and Canada via either the Skype Store or the Amazon U.S. and Canada stores (search for FREETALK under Electronics). There are three SkypeOut options:

• 60 minutes of SkypeOut calling as the starter package
• a one year North American (US/Canada only) Calling Plan subscription, or
• a 3 month worldwide Calling Plan subscription to over 40 countries

Individuals need to make their own assessments of the savings they will achieve by using the  Connect•Me Adapter. In particular “local” landline services and calling plans will vary by carrier. The information presented here is for one particular circumstance using the author’s landline carrier.

Should you wish to make PC free calling but require a phone handset, the GE Digital Cordless phone offers a more complete Skype experience as it can embed your Skype Contacts and provide presence information.

Full disclosure; the author was a participant in late beta testing for this product using a pre-production version of the device; however, he has received no compensation for his evaluation and feedback. There are no affiliate links in this post; if one clicks on the link to PamFax, there are affiliate links on that page.

¹ It will work with any single line phone, including cordless phones, except older cordless phones where the cordless connection works over the same 2.4GHz band as WiFi. Also, run legacy Nortel phones with a power adapter in its “backup” mode using power from the phone line – i.e. – without the power adapter.

Related articles

• Now you can use your home phone for Skype calls (gigaom.com)
• New Freetalk adapter makes Skype more like MagicJack (skypejournal.com)

Today the Skype Store launched two new ways to place and receive Skype calls, including SkypeOut calls, from your home phone. Each also has an option to continue using your landline.

The options are:

• Make and receive Skype calls on an existing home phone using the FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter for Skype.
• Make and receive Skype calls from a new GE Skype-enabled Digital Cordless Phone.

One of the major limitations on using Skype at home is the requirement to have Skype installed on a PC (especially if it’s a desktop at fixed location), smartphone (iPhone, Android phone) with battery life limitations, iPad or, more recently, a Skype-enabled TV or BluRay player.

Yet the world’s most familiar phone interface has been the standard 12-key Touch Tone phone. And the most widely available touchtone phones today are DECT-supported cordless phones allowing one landline connection to be accessed from up to four or five rooms around the house.

• create a dual line operation (landline and Skype) around the house or apartment
• place and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls without a PC
• place long distance calls to landlines and mobile phones using a Skype Calling Plan or Skype Credit
• receive calls via a Skype Online number (as well as your landline number, if you configure that option)
• call forwarding (requires Calling Plan subscription or Skype Credit)
• support for up to 200 Skype contacts
• Skype-to-Skype voice calls can be made to/from any other Skype access point: Skype for Windows/Mac/Linux, Skype for iPhone/iPad/Android and Skype for TV
• Emergency e911 calls are directed automatically over the landline connection, if configured.
• participation in Skype multi-party calls, as an invited party only

Skype on a Home Phone

• FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter
• GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone

FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter

According to Helen Blackburn, Skype’s Head of the Partner Product Management team:

Many people today continue to use their home phones as their primary means of communication. If you are one of these people, you will be pleased to learn that you can now have a true Skype experience on your existing handset with the release of the FREETALK Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter for Skype.

The FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter, initially available for U.S. and Canada, works with an existing home phone with a RJ-11 connection. Both an RJ-45 Ethernet cable and RJ-11 telephone cable are included with the device; it plugs into a standard 110 volt power source.

FREETALK Connect Me Configuration

The Home Phone Adapter does require access to a PC to configure settings:

• Call settings: use Skype or your landline as the default for domestic and/or international calls
• Contacts and Speed Dials: for making Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls
• Call Forwarding to another landline or mobile phone

To get started simply make the Ethernet and telephone cable connections, plug the adapter into a power source, navigate to the setup wizard (for either a Windows or Mac PC) and follow the set-up wizard instructions. Once configured calls can be placed and received via the phone, without any requirement for PC access. The Connect•Me portal’s home page gives an overview of the setup and options:

FREETALK Connect Me User Portal

Skype-to-Skype calls are made by setting up a Speed Dial associated with a Skype contact. A speed dial then requires you to dial * plus a speed dial number (1-99) to place a call to a Skype contact from the phone set. Speed dials can also be used for frequently called SkypeOut numbers to landlines and mobile phones.

You always have the option to dial a landline/mobile call normally (see Call Settings in the image above):

• # plus a number [1][area code][local number] uses your landline for calls to US/Canada numbers
• ** plus a number +[country code][area code][local number] uses SkypeOut to place calls internationally at SkypeOut charges.

Note that a landline connection is an option; the device could be used solely for Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calling from a home phone set. The adapter uses the wideband G722 codec for crisp voice quality on Skype-to-Skype calls.

The Skype Website provides additional information about the FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter, its use cases and requirements.

The FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter can be purchased via the U.S. and Canada Skype Stores; the actual transaction, including delivery, is managed by the eBuyNow (formerly InStoreShop) ecommerce store. Note that there are options that include Skype Calling Plan subscriptions.

GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone

The GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone is a new version of a PC-free Skype cordless phone that takes advantage of additional Skype features including:

• Uses Skype SILK superwideband technology for crystal clear Skype-to-Skype calls
• Log into Skype via username/password.
• Manage your presence status; see Skype contacts’ online status
• 200 Skype Contacts download; 100 name local phonebook
• Skype voicemail access; message waiting indication
• View Skype and landline calls history: 50 name/number call log
• CallerID (with Skype name if Skype-to-Skype)/Call Waiting
• configure via a Skype client on your PC
• Handset speakerphone
• Software upgradeable
• Expandable to 5 handsets

Note that the GE Digital Cordless Phone includes additional Skype features. such as SILK technology support, beyond what has been available in the legacy RTX Dualphone 3088.

The GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone can be purchased via the U.S. and Canada Skype Stores; the actual transaction, including delivery, is managed by the eBuyNow (formerly InStoreShop) ecommerce store. Note that there are options that include Skype Calling Plan subscriptions.

What Skype account do you use?

One major consideration is what Skype account you use for either of these options; it depends on the context in which you want to use your phone. I have elected to use a separate account because:

• My primary Skype account has over 500 contacts; these devices can only support 200 contacts
• there are probably only 30 to 50 contacts that I would access regularly via a Connect•Me adapter.
• I want to separate the “business” calls on my primary Skype accounts from personal calls received around the home.

As a result I am using a separate account for the Connect•Me device I have been testing using a 20 year old Nortel home phone; a full review will follow in a separate post.

In a press release today, Neil Stevens, Skype’s vice president and general manager for product and marketing, stated:

“Our mission is to make Skype available everywhere so consumers can enjoy conversations whenever and wherever they are. We are delighted to have partners that help us deliver on this mission through the introduction of new products such as the Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter. Now, using Skype at home is as simple as picking up a handset and dialing.”

Bottom line: Skype has expanded on its Skype Everywhere theme by allowing Skype to become the “long distance” service associated with a landline phone service and a touch tone “home phone”. It also addresses the ability to make emergency calls via the landline service. In my case, by removing the long distance service associated with my Bell Canada line, I have removed an associated $11.00/month service charge just to have a long distance service – before making any calls. And I get the advantage of either free or low cost calling while I can maintain free calls via the landline for my local calling area around Toronto.

Related articles

• With new Skype adaptors, Grandma can now Skype you from her landline (thenextweb.com)
• New Freetalk adapter makes Skype more like MagicJack (skypejournal.com)
• Now you can use your home phone for Skype calls (gigaom.com)

Today marks the 8th anniversary of Skype’s launch as a free voice calling and instant messaging service running on Windows PC’s. Within the first month Skype had over 500,000 users; today Skype can boast of 170 million active users with as many as 30 million users online concurrently.

Skype’s Jennifer Caulkin, in her post, Celebrating Video Calling on Skype’s 8th Birthday, talks about the impact of Skype’s most unique feature: video calling. Having followed Skype since the launch of Skype video at 320 x240 resolution in 2006 followed by High Quality Video calling in the fall of 2007, one continues to be amazed at the various stories where Skype video has made a difference in people’s lives:

• Courtship: Skype’s initial low quality video (320 x 240) helped Eric and his wife carry on a long distance courtship five years ago at a time (before the launch of High Quality Video) when they were physically separated; today they are the proud parents of two children.
• Marriage: in times of geographical and cultural challenges, many Skype video calls have been used to assist and view marriages.
• Birth: Baritone Lawrence Brownlee was under a contract obligation to perform in Paris when his wife gave an early birth to their first son. Lawrence called Skype Video “an invention like the wheel”.

And the recent launch of Skype Group Video, combined with the voice quality of Skype’s SILK voice technology, is behind a very productive and interactive weekly meeting of an mentoring group in which I participate. I have also participated in other Group Video calls with participants across four continents for business meetings.

Aside from the “network effect” of Skype’s 170 million active users is the evolution of Skype well beyond the PC. With Skype’s cross-platform calling, video calls can be made between not only PC’s but also iPhones, iPad, Android phones and Internet-enabled TV sets. The recent launch of Skype for iPad is a perfect platform for video calls from the perspective of both portability and display size.

As Skype’s Jonathan Christensen pointed out at eComm 2008, Skype’s 2003 launch in success was not only due to Skype itself but also due to the confluence of PC market and Internet infrastructure conditions that made it possible to be easily installed and for adoption to take off:

Most Skype video calls on PC’s run at Skype’s High Quality Video standard of 640 x 480 (VGA) at up to 30 frames per second and require a minimum 384 Kbps upload speed on the Internet connection – easily achieved on most broadband Internet services. Recently Skype for Windows and Skype for Mac, combined with appropriate webcams, incorporated support for 720p HD video provided you also have sufficient Internet upload speed.

Today’s infrastructure challenge when it comes to Skype Video calling is the requirement for a 1.2Mbps upload connection to support HD video calling (720p @ 22 fps). Several webcams now support HD video calling; when it happens and your bring a video call to full screen display on a >20 inch monitor, it’s the closest Skype offering to telepresence. But most consumer broadband services cap out at 1 Mbps upload speed. Surely this will be addressed by broadband service providers over the next couple of years.

On the other hand, most users are simply happy with a good quality video call, whether at VGA or HD resolutions. It’s the call experience that matters most. It’s a bonus experience when you can take full advantage of High Quality Video or HD video.

Bottom line: Skype’s video calling has become the mass adoption of AT&T’s picture phone first demonstrated at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. With over 40% of Skype calls using video, it has become Skype’s most prominent defining technology; best of all, one-on-one Skype video calls are free and at a low cost for Group Video calls as one of three features of a Skype Premium subscription. It will be interesting to see how video calling evolves once Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype has been completed (later this fall?).

Update: Phil Wolff at Skype Journal reviews and speculates: Happy 8th Birthday, Skype! Many happy returns.

Note: webcams supporting HD video calling include FREETALK Everyman, FREETALK Conference HD Webcam, FaceVsion Touchcam N1 and V1, Logitech C310/C510 and C910 webcams as well as the webcams on the recently released MacBooks and iMac’s with Intel’s 2nd generation “SandyBridge” iCore processors.

Related articles

• How is it different from Skype? (skypejournal.com)
• Skype CEO Tony Bates talks about making Skype video calling ubiquitous (blogs.skype.com)
• 30 million people online on Skype (blogs.skype.com)

Just over a year after Skype’s first announcement of SkypeKit as a closed beta program for third party developers, Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s Vice President, Emerging Opportunities, announced the opening up of the SkypeKit developer program to a public beta at eComm 2011 this afternoon.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to discuss the program with Chris Andrews, Sr. Business Development Manager at Skype. The primary function of SkypeKit is to provide access to a “headless” version of Skype from which developers can provide their Skype functionality through their own product’s user interface. Otherwise SkypeKit provides access to the same functionality as standard desktop clients; however, it does not support screen sharing or multi-party video (Group Video).

To join the SkypeKit developer program developers create a developer account and pay a one-time fee of $10 to download the SDK and participate in the developer community forum. With its ability to support embedded Skype in hardware, hardware partners will also need to obtain Skype certification at the standard costs for that program. Software application developers have no additional cost. At this point there is no revenue sharing expected by Skype; that’s the one issue that will have to be addressed at some point if Skype is to demonstrate ROI to Microsoft.

Chris confirmed access to the video stream is available via Skype’s proprietary RTP interface which has been designed to address the various screen formats developers will encounter with either their own hardware or, in the case of a software application, the various PC and other intelligent device displays. Documentation is available at the Skype Developer site.

While SkypeKit provides support for both hardware and software, most of the development to date has centred around hardware devices. At CES Skype announced that SkypeKit was being used for a baby monitor based on the Panda chip and is being tested for incorporation into GM’s OnStar service. One new player he mentioned is Tely Labs, a startup with no website, who are developing a “living room experience” for their own branded TV accessory; we’ll have to wait to see what this means beyond the various Skype for TV/BluRay offerings.

An initial software platform incorporating SkyepKit is Imvox, a social voice communications platform for gamers. From their website:

The biggest benefit of Imvox’s participation in the SkypeKit developer program is it allows us to offer the gaming community crystal clear voice quality, which is used by hundreds of millions of people across the world every day. The Skype partnership also enables Imvox to work cross-platform, so Windows and Mac users enjoy the same high-quality audio. It’s about time a solution works for everybody in the gaming market.

I had an opportunity to experience Skype’s SILK codec in a gaming platform a year ago November with the launch of the Blabbelon “click-to-talk” voice service for gamers. It’s a different market space from the traditional consumer and business voice conferencing.

Long time Skype partner InnerPass has been awaiting the launch of SkypeKit’s open beta to incorporate Skype into their newly launched Group Mix team collaboration service – an evolution of their previous InnerPass Meeting and Sharing service that was offered as a Skype Extra.

The SkypeKit Developer Site provides documentation and samples to assist with the development process covering topics such as TV, audio and video and various development tools. However, Chris did mention that, while all the tools are there to support software development, they still need some work to make a software developer totally comfortable with using SkypeKit.

Bottom line: With Skype’s pending acquisition by Microsoft it will be interesting to see what uptake there is from developers and how this developer program works in conjunction with other Microsoft developer programs. Certainly Microsoft brings the financial heft and experience required to establish and attract a large developer community for SkypeKit as it evolves.

According to Stacey Higginbotham’s GigaOm discussion with Jonathan Christensen there are 2,000 developers who have been part of the closed program but there are over 10,000 developers who have applied and can now participate. As with the iPad and smartphone market spaces the evolution of the real time communications space will really depend on how readily users will adopt the resulting applications. Until other services can offer a combination of high quality voice, the ability to call a wide range of devices and platforms, HD video and over 170 million active users, Skype certainly starts out with an initial performance lead over pending competitors.

Skype Journal: Skype for iPad; SkypeKit launching at eComm next week?

Related articles

• Whither Skype Extras Today? Withered? (voiceontheweb.biz)
• The future of Skype Extras (blogs.skype.com)
• Skype for TV – Not on Windows (voiceontheweb.biz)
• With SkypeKit, Skype wants to be everywhere (gigaom.com)

While attending CES 2011 back in January, I spent an afternoon visiting the main television vendor floor where 3D TV was definitely the number one topic of interest; however, I found, and reported on, several vendors with display kiosks demonstrating Skype for TV.

Michael Wolf, at GigaOm’s NewTeeVee, recently brought renewed visibility to the Skype for TV initiative in his post: Could Skype Be Microsoft’s Smart TV Trojan Horse?.   Frankly, from my learnings that afternoon,  his view about a role for a Windows OS on TV’s is baseless; it pays to look at the hierarchy for enabling Internet services on the TV’s.

One common trend I observed in visiting these booths is that all the vendors have embedded as firmware a complete Internet-enabling smart platform that provides access to various “cloud” applications. Social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter are the most obvious. Amongst other applications are several involving movies, such as Netflix, and sports offerings, such as NHL and ESPN Sports Center.

Skype, of course, was on at least six vendor offerings, using its SkypeKit platform, initially available for the Linux OS. In fact, Panasonic includes a dedicated Skype button on the remote controller for their Skype-enabled TV’s and BluRay players.

Behind all this I learned how the TV vendors are embedding these platforms. It’s a case of having the platform software embedded into the TV’s firmware and hardware, then layering the applications on top of the platform. Given that SkypeKit is behind Skype for TV it appears that they are using a Linux-based operating system. Certainly there is no room, given the current state of these offerings and time frames involved, for an embedded Windows.

On the other hand Skype for TV will bring to Microsoft exposure to experience with integrating applications onto these platforms. Windows Live services would be an obvious candidate for integration into these TV platforms. After all we do have Windows Live Messenger access on various smartphone platforms such as BlackBerry and iOS4.

And one should never lose sight of the network effect. Skype for TV video calls can be made to over 170 million active users who may be on any of several platforms – PC’s, iPhones, Android phones. One of my first benchmarks for how Microsoft will deal with its Skype acquisition would be the introduction of a unique Skype for iPad. This would be an application that would allow video calling on the iPad 2 taking full advantage of the iPad 2’s display size. It has nothing to do with Windows or Office but rather providing new user experiences using resources at hand.

Bottom line: It’s not a case of will Microsoft attempt to displace other OS’s on TV platforms with a derivative of Windows – that opportunity has passed them by. But rather the strategic opportunity lies in merging Skype’s experience with introducing a real time communications application onto TV platforms with Microsoft’s existing Windows Live experience on other platforms.

Michael also questions whether Google TV will be a competitor. In the end consumers want as few boxes as possible combined with ease of operation. If all the services, broadcast TV and Internet applications can come via one “box” the market for add-on boxes on home entertainment systems will eventually evaporate. How many HDMI connections will be tolerated by the average consumer?

Related articles

• Microsoft Acquires Skype – The “Amber Mac Test” (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Microsoft Acquires Skype – A Most Interesting Marriage (voiceontheweb.biz)
• The End of the “Skype as Bandit” Era (disruptivetelephony.com)

When an acquisition occurs, it’s always a good sign to see that the acquiring CEO is getting around to meet all the employees of the acquired company. When major announcements were being made at my last employer, our first priority was to make sure the employees understood what was being announced, the reasoning behind the announcement and what the implications were for company staff. It’s important to have the team onside right from the beginning.

At Microsoft – Skype Press Conference last Tuesday it was announced that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates, who had already briefed Skype’s employees based in the Palo Alto area, would be touring Skype’s European offices in London, Tallinn (Estonia) and possibly Stockholm and Prague over the past weekend.

Seems like Steve got to check out the Skype phone booth at Tallinn airport on Friday or Saturday:

And that Steve participated in a Sunday morning brunch with some employees according to this Stockholm-based employee’s mood message:

More about the phone booth here. Phil Wolff at Skype Journal has opened a Caption Contest.

Bottom line: the introductions are over; now for the execution. Get ready for the ride.

Thanks to Brian O’Saughnessy, Skype’s Chief Marketing Officer, for the photos.

Related articles

• Steve Ballmer’s email to Microsoft employees about Skype deal (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Steve Ballmer & Tony Bates Talk About Skype-Microsoft Deal (gigaom.com)
• Ballmer’s latest acquisition (mondaynote.com)
• Microsoft Acquires Skype – An Investor’s Perspective (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Microsoft Acquires Skype – The “Amber Mac Test” (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Microsoft Acquires Skype – A Most Interesting Marriage (voiceontheweb.biz)

With today’s announcement of Microsoft’s intention to acquire Skype, subject to regulatory approvals, Skype has received the endorsement required to be considered a long term, viable and stable service addressing both consumer and enterprise markets.

From the press conference and press release:

• Skype will continue as a brand and an independent business unit within Microsoft. There is significant value when your brand name has become a verb in the English language (and one that translates readily to all other languages).
• Skype will continue to support “Skype Everywhere” on Mac’s, Linux, iPhones/iPads, Android phones, TV and other devices – a key requirement to maintaining and growing its current base of over 170 million active users. (This was one condition of closing the deal but execution is key; the first test will be the revamp of the Skype for Mac 5 user interface.)
• Skype has a strong basic revenue generating business; at this point it should be profitable but certainly has had good EBIDTA.
• Skype now has 170 million active users (in the past quarter), as many as 30 million online concurrently at its daily peak and growing the accounts at a rate of over 600,000 per day.
• Outlook is a key initial application for integration into current Microsoft products; Microsoft Lync will be taking advantage of Skype’s underlying technology where appropriate and feasible.

My initial thoughts:

• Keep in mind that Microsoft has bought a communications software company; one of the biggest challenges will be the integration of the software development activities across what has to be at least two different product management and software development cultures.
• Microsoft brings to the table a new level of business process and product management expertise from which Skype will benefit significantly.
• Only Microsoft has the resources – technical, product and business – that can be leveraged to justify an $8.5B buyout price (and give the current investors ~150% return on their investment over 18 months). With opportunities to enhance Office products, add technology to Microsoft Lync and complement other collaboration product such as the Sharepoint platform, they can readily get their investment back within a few years.
• Skype has found a permanent home.
• Skype can now focus totally on product and service development without the distraction of seeking financing (and the associated endorsement).

Some questions:

• How will the two companies’ instant messaging services be brought together? Skype chat offers a richer chat experience, especially given the ability to rapidly escalate to a superior voice and video conversation and to provide complements such as file transfer.
• What will happen to the Skype Store and associated hardware? While Skype has supported and sold products from several hardware vendors, Microsoft’s limited hardware offering (of mice and keyboards) is sold via traditional PC hardware retail distribution channels. Yet much of the hardware has been designed, with assistance from the Skype-certified program, to take full advantage of Skype’s inherent technology.
• Skype has been attempting  to address the large enterprise market with its Skype Connect program; yet we have heard of no successes. Microsoft Lync is a large enterprise product that can probably take advantage of Skype’s inherent technology while delivering an offering that meets the concerns of enterprise communications managers. However, what will Skype be doing to support the small to medium business market – where over 35% of its users say they are using Skype in business?
• What impact will the time required to deal with regulatory issues be on the development and launch of upgrades and new products ? We were told at the press conference no road map will become available until these regulatory issues have been addressed such that the acquisition can be completed. Yet innovation, business development and product releases must continue during this period.
• What direction will the developer program take? Will Skykit survive its rather long birthing process or can Microsoft bring in developer program expertise that would finally get Skype an active developer program from which we can see results? (and from which third party developers can benefit.)
• Can we still expect to see evolution of the Facebook relationship in some way that supports real time conversations via Facebook?
• Since Steve Ballmer showed up on stage at RIM’s BlackBerry World event last week and is now deeply associated with Skype, can we expect to see a carrier-agnostic Skype client on BlackBerry devices? Or would that be too much conflict with Windows Phone?

Bottom line: while there have been overlapping products (such as Live Messenger and Skype Chat) there is so much synergy here that it’s going to be interesting to see what product evolution occurs over the next year and how Microsoft integrates an acquisition with what has become a brand onto itself. Steve Ballmer can be thankful that there was no Yahoo acquisition and that the Skype opportunity has come about with so many more obvious benefits.

One other benefit for Canadians: the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board cleared about $500MM on the deal above their initial $300MM investment 18 months ago.

Other thoughts:

• Dan York: The End of the “Skype as Bandit” Era where Dan provides an interesting  commentary on the barriers Skype has overcome, the Skype experience and the people behind Skype. Dan has blogged more about Skype than any other topic; his employer, Voxeo, lives and dies by Skype, especially the Skype chat.
• Alec Saunders: Does Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype change anything? where he talks about the impact on carrier relationships, video calling and handset manufacturers.
• Alec Saunders: Why is Steve Ballmer excited about Skype? where he provides an excellent overview of today’s Microsoft-Skype press conference and his conclusions as to why this is an excellent deal. (Recall Alec worked for several years at Microsoft.)
• Tidbits, Apple News for the Rest of Us: Microsoft to Buy Skype for $8.5 Billion “… Microsoft says it will continue to invest in and support Skype clients for non-Microsoft platforms. If Microsoft really loves us, they’ll throw out the Skype 5 interface as an initial gesture of goodwill.”
• Phil Wolff, Skype Journal: What Skype’s partners can expect from the deal and Why did Microsoft buy Skype?
• GigaOm: Steve Ballmer & Tony Bates Talk About Skype-Microsoft …

Related articles

• Done Deal: Microsoft to Buy Skype for $8.5 Billion in Cash (kara.allthingsd.com)
• Microsoft to Acquire Skype (online.wsj.com)
• Microsoft targets video-calling with Skype (theglobeandmail.com)
• Microsoft’s Plans for an Office-Flavored Skype (blogs.wsj.com)
• It’s official: Microsoft to buy Skype for $8.5 billion (seattlepi.com)
• Why Microsoft Plus Skype Is An Enterprising Idea (informationweek.com)
• Microsoft Brings Skype from Living Room to Board Room (pcworld.com)

Ever wonder if Skype could replace your home phone line? Borderless Communicator publisher and independent Skype “statistician” Hudson Barton has outlined, with encouragement by Skype Journal‘s Phil Wolff, the complete details of how he has deployed Skype to become his home phone.

If you are considering this option here are some of the considerations:

• Skype Online should be offering numbers in your local calling area.
• Create a separate Skype account solely for the home phone configuration
  • There are no Contacts associated with the account (optionally you can create a separate set of contacts)
  • All inbound calls are concurrently forwarded to their two  iPhones (leaving one more PSTN call forwarding number available)
  • They still use their original Skype accounts for making and receiving Skype calls with their Skype Contacts

• Hudson and his wife answer ALL calls on their respective iPhones using the carrier’s voice channel
  • not on Skype for iPhone
• They also subscribed to a North American unlimited US and Canada Skype Calling Plan
  • $60 per year (vs $360 for a Time Warner home phone line)
  • Results in a 50% discount on the cost of their Skype Online number (net $30 per year)
  • Required since all inbound calls are forwarded to their iPhones on the PSTN
  • Provides outbound calling options (see below)
• Hudson has outlined the issues with respect to outbound calling.
  • Where a SkypeOut call would be the lowest cost, he uses Skype for iPhone logged into the same “home phone” Skype account.
  • However, due to battery issues he closes Skype for iPhone when not making Outbound calls. (recall that they answer inbound calls on their wireless carrier’s voice channel).
  • For outbound calls he can optionally set either his Skype Online number or a mobile number as the callerID for SkypeOut calls.
• There is no 911 service for the Skype Online number; however, it is provided by their iPhone carrier.
• Voice mails are left on the iPhones’ carrier accounts for ready access, not Skype voice mail.

With Hudson’s implementation, the Skype client is never open except when required on the iPhone for SkypeOut calls; Skype’s infrastructure works in the background to forward calls. No PC is required once the account is set up and call forwarding configured. Other than the mobile phones, no PC hardware is required for the ongoing use of the service.

Over the years I have experienced a couple of other situations where, while it may not be their only home phone service, users have taken advantage of Skype.

Use a PC-free Skype-enhanced phone. While there were once several offerings for this, the current offerings are the RTX Dualphone 3088 (cordless, landline and Skype) which can combine a landline service and Skype into one platform and the FREETALK Office Phone (Ethernet, Skype only) . Since the Dualphone works via a DECT-supported base station, you can have as many as four handsets around the home. Once again:

• create a separate Skype account for your “home phone” service
• ensure that you can obtain a Skype Online number that is toll-free to most of your callers
  • low cost unlimited calling US/Canada landline subscriptions are very common
• you have configured call forwarding options to send unanswered calls to a mobile phone
• obtain a Skype subscription appropriate to where you expect to place outbound calls
• 911 calls can be made via the landline or the user’s mobile phone.

In one instance the user is moving amongst several countries over a few months and they simply take their Dualphone with them and obtain a local landline service if needed.

My own home phone is a Dualphone equivalent; but our landline uses the Rogers Home Phone service where the plan includes 1,000 minutes of US/Canada calling and free calls to other Rogers Home Phone customers as well as any Rogers wireless phone in Canada. But a similar Skype configuration is not feasible in Canada as Skype Online numbers are not offered for Canada.

Bottom line: Yes, with the appropriate services available in your local calling area, you can replace your home phone with a Skype service. However, understand you will need a smartphone for 911 calling and you need to ensure your iPhone is kept charged to be able to receive calls.

Other posts:

• RTX Dualphone 3088: The Bloggers’ Have Their Say
• RTX 3088 Dualphone: An Ideal Home or Small Office Solution for Easy Worldwide Calling

Related articles

• Skype hits 145 million users monthly (voiceontheweb.biz)

Note: While eBuyNow (formerly In Store Solutions and producer of the FREETALK Office Phone) was a client of the author’s, this is no longer the case. The author currently has no interest in any product sales resulting from links within this post. He has been using the no longer available Phillips dual mode cordless phone for his Rogers Home Phone service.

When I started through the major TV manufacturers’ area yesterday afternoon I did not intend to be writing a post about Skype for TV. However, it quickly became apparent that several manufacturers had, at a minimum, a display panel or two where Skype for TV was running in some fashion. After three hours of wandering the main hall I had seen displays of Skype for TV at five booths: LG, Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung and Sony. Three of these, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, had been mentioned in Skype’s CES press releases, along with Vizio. It leaves to question whether LG and Toshiba have any “endorsement” from Skype. (I also saw a demonstration on a Vizio set in a private suite).

Panasonic’s demonstration was done using their forthcoming Blu-ray player showing not only video calling but also “video mail” where unanswered calls could result in leaving a video message for the recipient. It’s all covered in this demonstration:

Note in particular:

• The video runs at HD (720p) resolution and 30 fps, requiring a 1.2Mbps upload connection. However, it’s safe to assume that it reverts to High Quality Video VGA resolution for lower upload bandwidth availability. (Current Skype-certified HD webcams support 720p at up to 22 fps; current Skype for TV webcams only support VGA resolution.)
• Video messages can be left for later viewing by the recipient
• Call indicator and SD card for storing messages on the Blu-ray player
• A dedicated Skype button on the player’s remote control
• A Skype button on the player’s primary on-screen menu
• Panasonic was using a proprietary Panasonic webcame

At the Samsung booth there was a pod with Skype for TV on two adjacent sides (shown on the right). The demonstration was on their forthcoming D-series (D6000, D7000, D8000) which will replace the current C-series sets at retail later this spring. The sets themselves incorporate a wide ranges of Internet features with an emphasis on social networking and on-demand audio and video. (Yes I’m in the right hand image taking the photo.) For the D-series, Samsung was using a new proprietary webcam that was the narrowest of all the TV webcams on display.

In this case, while a Samsung representative was available to answer questions, there was no active demonstration of setting up calls, etc. As a result we don’t know the feature extent of the supporting firmware.

At CES it was announced that Skype for TV would be included in new Sony BRAVIA series TV’s; while they had a demonstration in their BRAVIA section (shown on the left), it was simply again an ongoing video call with no real demonstration. Note the webcams sitting underneath the TV screens. While they had announced a Blu-ray player that would incorporate Skype for TV, they had nothing to demonstrate.

Finally there were two demonstrations where there has been no official announcement from Skype.:

• The Toshiba booth had two corner displays where they appeared to be showing nothing more than a Skype for Windows PC calling a display with a FREETALK Everyman webcam above it.
• LG had one display where the rotating screen display focused on Skype for TV but, while they were included in last year’s Skype for TV announcement, they have yet to deliver any product supporting Skype for TV.

Sunday afternoon I came across another demonstration of Skype for TV at the Maxim booth. Maxim is an OEM supplier of webcams to various branded vendors. Their press release associated with this booth provides some insight into the future of Skype for TV:

“Maxim has integrated Skype into several TV platforms, providing our TV partners with a complete solution consisting of a turnkey Skype HD camera design and customized support,” said Manrique Brenes, director of business development for Skype.

….

In addition to pushing the technology curve, Maxim is helping Skype TV technology gain rapid adoption by making it more affordable and reducing time-to-market for TV manufacturers wanting to add Skype functionality to their TVs.

“We think that it makes a lot of sense to embed the camera in the TV itself instead of as an accessory, and several TV makers are headed this way already,” said Brian Gannon, executive director of business management, Maxim. “Maxim‘s new web camera solution, with its small footprint and very low cost, will simplify this task for our TV customers.”

At CES 2011, Maxim is demonstrating a number of new technologies immediately applicable to new Skype on TV designs. In addition to showing the industry’s smallest camera for Skype-enabled design, Maxim is also demonstrating new features like Multi-Party Video, Face Tracking, Gesture Recognition and 3D Capture in its private meeting room at the show.

As an early Skype partner, Maxim does not limit itself to enabling Skype on the TV, but is also working to enable Skype on a wide array of devices.

Bottom line: Definitely Panasonic wins the Voice on the Web award for best display of Skype for TV at CES 2011. But it is also apparent that Skype is becoming an essential service that will be embedded into any brand of TV should the hoped for “Internet TV revolution” actually start to get some buyer traction. Yet, it’s still early to see how quickly demand would build for these sets such as to trigger a “must have” scenario that would accelerate replacement of legacy TV’s (even early HD TV’s). And one outstanding question: Skype for TV currently supports voice and video calling along with presence. Will we eventually see a way to also incorporate Skype chat?

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• Skype headed to Sony Bravia and Vizio Via TVs soon (slashgear.com)
• Skype Soon To Be On Sony BRAVIA and VIZIO VIA TVs (socialtimes.com)
• Skype gets official with apps for Sony Bravia, Vizio VIA TVs (engadget.com)
• TNW Interview with Skype at CES: The next generation of video and why the Kinect is so cool (thenextweb.com)
• Panasonic adds Skype calling support to Blu-ray players (electronista.com)
• CES: Skype from your living room two ways (ces.cnet.com)
• Skype Confirms Qik Acquisition, Adds TV Partners (gigaom.com)
• Skype At CES 2011: It’s All About Video and Mobile (voiceontheweb.biz)

Last spring Skype launched Skype for Windows 4.2 with support for HD (720p) video calling at up to 22 fps using one of two Skype-certified HD webcams with an embedded H.264 processor to offload the video processing from the user’s PC.  However, it turned out the calling experience ranged from excellent (for example, the call referenced in the post linked above) to erratic depending on the endpoints’ network conditions and CPU load. In fact, support of the embedded H.264 processor quietly disappeared in the initial releases of Skype 5 for Windows; under the correct conditions you could still have HD video calls happening but using the legacy VP71 codec that used the processor (CPU) on the caller’s PC.

This week Skype released a Skype for Windows 5 update that, amongst other issues, restored support for the H.264 processor on these two webcams and provides other improvements to the Skype video calling experience. However, it also requires a firmware upgrade on the TALK-7140 FREETALK Everyman webcam and the FaceVsion Touchcam N1.

In my limited experience, to date, with these updates, the first change I noticed was that the webcam would open up much more quickly on launching a video call. A second change is the significantly improved stability of the High Quality Video mode (640 x 480 @ >24 fps) when conditions are not appropriate for HD resolution. And, most importantly, Skype no longer crashes arbitrarily during a call. Overall a much more stable, robust and reliable video calling experience, at both High Quality Video and HD resolutions, is the outcome.

The updated FAQ for the FREETALK Everyman webcam also includes some useful information on the requirements for HD video calling:

Make sure both sender and receiver have installed the latest version of Skype for Windows; HD video is only supported by Skype for Windows 4.2 or later.[Ed.: It’s Skype for Windows 5.0.0.156 that is required to take advantage of all the upgrades.]

HD video (720p or 1280 x 720) requires an Internet connection with a minimum upload speed of 1.2 Mbps. Where there is insufficient network upload speed the Skype program will set the webcam automatically to Skype’s High Quality Video (640 x 480) with a minimum upload speed requirement of 384 Kbps, which is supported by most broadband (cable, DSL) Internet services.

Also note that there is some negotiating between the Skype program and the network that occurs when you start a Skype video call. Whereas Skype takes up to a minute for a High Quality Video call to be established, it can take up to 3 or 4 minutes (but usually ~ 2 minutes) for a video call to change over to sending HD. You will know you have achieved HD video when you see that the video image aspect ratio changes from the Standard 4:3 to HD video’s 16:9 ( in effect the image width becomes much greater than its height; it appears "more rectangular").

Other factors influencing HD video include the need for at least a dual core processor on your local PC and the RAM available. Try reducing the number of programs open, especially if you have <4GB RAM on your PC.

Skype also has a "bandwidth management" feature. Skype is constantly monitoring your network connection; should conditions degrade (due to conditions beyond Skype’s control), you may see your call drop back to High Quality Video or even lower (320 x 240 or 160 x 120). But if network conditions improve again, Skype’s bandwidth management will automatically restore better resolution all the way back to restoring HD video (when you have the other requirements for HD video).

See the Call Quality Indicator (Check Settings) to right of the "Call" and "Video Call" buttons for Call Quality information. This will give an indication of the system resources available for making calls (video or audio). See Call Quality Guide for suggestions to resolve any call issue

Bottom line: So the check points are:

• Upgrade to the latest update version of Skype for Windows 5 (5.0.0.156 or later); also perform the one-time update of the supported webcam’s firmware as outlined above.
• Ensure you are  using a dual core processor PC and, if you have < 4GB RAM, minimize the number of open programs.
• To send HD video, ensure you have a broadband Internet service with a minimum 1.2 Mbps upload speed.
• To receive HD video, ensure the recipient has a minimum 1.2 Mbps download speed (not an issue for most broadband services) and is using a Skype client that supports receiving calls from a contact using the H.264 processor (Skype for Windows 4.2 or later, Skype for TV).
• Be patient: It will take from 30 seconds to 4 minutes for the HD-supported webcam to switch to HD video after launching a video call; this is observable by the change of aspect ratio from 4:3 to the more rectangular 16:9 format.
• With Skype for Windows 5, Skype launched an improved bandwidth management feature which can often recover optimum conditions after a deterioration of a network connection (including after a total call disconnect). This feature also recovers HD from High Quality Video after a network connection’s recovery from a degradation of connection conditions.
• Note that the driver for these webcams is embedded in the webcam firmware such that no driver installation is required; just plug in the webcam (and perform the one-time update of the firmware as described above, if necessary).

Hint: I would also comment that one of the most useful improvements with Skype for Windows 5.0 has been the real time Network Connection condition indicator accessed from the revamped call bar in this version of Skype for Windows.

From it you can monitor any changing network connection conditions during a video call; and it will advise you of attempts to improve conditions and/or to reconnect a lost call. This Call Quality Indicator also allows real time monitoring of other hardware associated with supporting a Skype call.

As I gain more experience with HD video calling using these upgrades, I’ll provide further reports.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware sold via the Skype Store or freetalk.me website, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. In Store Solutions also is responsible for the shopping cart for sale of the FaceVsion webcam on the Skype Store.

Related articles

• Download: Skype for Windows 5.0.0.156 (skypejournal.com)
• CNN uses Skype group video for call-in segment; violates Skype’s Broadcast TOS (skypejournal.com)
• Skype 5 Forcing Updates (chris.pirillo.com)
• WebM Video Codec in Skype 5.0 Group Video (webmproject.org)
• Facetime for Mac: Adding Millions to the FaceTime User Base (voiceontheweb.biz)

This morning, at the CEA Line Show in New York, Skype is taking the first step in the evolution of its revamped developer platform with the beta release of SkypeKit, “empowering consumer electronic and desktop software innovators to embed Skype into their products”.

In summary:

• Most importantly, SkypeKit allows developers to embed all the functionality of Skype into their offering without the need for the end user to have the Skype client open. They call it a “Headless” Skype toolkit whereas the developer community had been using the term “Naked” Skype.
• Initially SkypeKit is available as an invitation-only beta.
• Today API’s are available for Linux; API’s for Windows and Mac OS/X will be available in three to four weeks.
• The current program is targeted to consumer electronics and other telephony device manufacturers as well as desktop software developers
• SkypeKit includes support for Skype’s royalty-free ultrawideband audio SILK codec.
• SkypeKit supports Skype functionality beyond simply voice, including Skype video and H.264 processors embedded within hardware (such as with the FREETALK Everyman webcam).
• Skype’s developers have put significant effort into both security and scalability to sustain two of Skype’s key features.
• Skype will be promoting SkypeKit developers offerings through a “plugged into Skype” logo as well as making them available via the Skype Store.
• SkypeKit provides a long requested complement to the legacy Skype Public API’s used in applications such as Pamela, VodBurner, OnState, InnerPass and others.

This morning I had the opportunity to discuss the SkypeKit beta launch with Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s General Manager and Head of Platform. It provided an opportunity to dig deeper into Skype’s goals and strategy for the SkypeKit platform.

Primary goals of SkypeKit are:

• To provide developers with a “naked” Skype such that a Skype client is not necessary for the deployment of Skype on a hardware platform or Skype-enhanced application
• To provide an SDK that supports ALL the functionality of the current Skype clients, including video and SILK.
• To promote the incorporation of SILK into end point devices, making possible high quality audio calling such as experienced with the recent release of Skype for iPhone 2.0.
• Make the adoption of Skype into a device or application as friendly and readily adaptable as possible while providing appropriate levels of security and scalability
• To provide developers with a robust, scalable and proven channel for readily marketing their devices and applications worldwide.

In our discussion Christensen pointed out that Skype had not only reviewed developer requests for a revitalized and enhanced SDK but also incorporated the need to support all Skype functionality as well as maintaining the level of security and scalability required to meet the demand levels of Skype’s user base.

Christensen emphasized that Skype will be aggressively pursuing hardware vendors to license and adopt SILK as a standard feature of their offerings and to effect interoperability for Skype. IP-phones such as those offered by Linksys, Aastra, Polycom, snom and Grandstream would certainly be good candidates; their adoption of SILK would contribute significantly to Skype’s efforts to make SILK a standard. But it also means we could see the incorporation of SILK into, for example, the Skype for TV offerings available for certain models of Panasonic, LG and Samsung TV sets.

On another topic, Christensen emphasized Skype’s intention to facilitate marketing of the resulting offerings through both Skype’s “plugged into Skype” designation and the option to have them carried on the Skype Store. While any vendor can develop and market an offering on their own, it only receives the “plugged into Skype” designation required to be offered on the Skype Store  by meeting two conditions:

• it was developed using SkypeKit
• it meets Skype Certification standards when it comes to establishing a baseline for audio and video quality

Finally he pointed out that Skype launched this new SDK platform effort with this approach because “having an SDK for devices and desktop applications are a natural place for us to start extending Skype capabilities today”. As for supporting web developers, Skype only said, “We know there is demand among web developers, but we have nothing to announce at this time.”

To give a sense of developers intending to use SkypeKit, FREETALK (with their Webcam for Samsung TV), Panasonic, Litl with their Webbook and Grandstream are participating in the Skype booth at the CEA Line Show this week.

Bottom line: There’s quite a collection of legacy Skype hardware collected around my office over the past four years; most of it is no longer available due to  lack of ongoing support by previous Skype management, technology changes and vendor disappearance (who recalls US Robotics, for instance?). Frankly, if we look at Skype Certified hardware available on the Skype Store today, we only see offerings from FREETALK, Logitech, FaceVsion, RTX and some speakerphone vendors, such as Yamaha and ClearOne.

SkypeKit represents Skype’s first step in rebooting and revitalizing its hardware device support; it certainly fits in with Skype’s “Skype Everywhere” strategy. Last week at CommunicAsia, Skype CEO Josh Silverman was talking about his vision of “fixed-mobile convergence” for Skype where a user can transparently move from device to device and seamlessly continue a conversation without the need to even log on from one device to the next. But the final proof is in the execution:

• Has Skype made the business and ongoing support case for developers to employ SkypeKit and deploy offerings?
• Will SILK become an industry standard for audio quality? and will IP-phone vendors realize the value of SILK?

As for other Questions and Answers, check out that section at the end of Jonathan’s post today.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

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• Skype Opens Platform with SkypeKit SDK for Developers and Manufacturers (readwriteweb.com)
• Skype Releases SkypeKit SDK, Will Bring Skype Everywhere [Skype] (gizmodo.com)
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• FREETALK Everyman Headset – Works with Skype on the iPad (voiceontheweb.biz)
• FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset: A June Special from In Store Solutions (voiceontheweb.biz)

Blogger colleague Dan York, Director of Conversations at Voxeo, recently ordered and received a Camera Connection kit for his iPad. In most dramatic fashion Dan shows he can break through Apple’s packaging and demonstrates two ways to transfer photos from his Nikon D90.

But wait –that’s not all! Being the geek that he is, he has to try other USB devices in the USB dongle that comes as part of the Camera Connection kit. First choice: a FREETALK Everyman USB Headset. And – it works with the Skype Test Call.

Check out Dan’s video: Emerging Tech Talk #52 – Unboxing the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit

and follow his version of “Adventures with Skype Test Calls on iPad” using the FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset. (Does anyone have a report confirming the use of the FREETALK® Wireless Stereo Headset? – imagine wireless rock, roll and rap from your iTunes library, freed from the tether of a wired headset.)

Two future expectations for iPad support from Skype:

• running Skype in Background with iOS 4’s multi-tasking making Skype a true “always on” service (will this become available with the launch of iOS4 next week?), and
• Skype for iPad – a version of Skype for iPhone that takes advantage of the larger iPad screen format (will this await the launch of iOS4 for iPad later this fall?).

I assume it runs with these headsets over both 3G wireless and WiFi delivering the crystal clear sound of Skype’s SILK codec. Andy called me from an iPad when we did the freeway-to-freeway calling two weeks ago reported in the post linked in this paragraph.

And corroborating Dan’s success using the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset is Steve Garfield over at “Off On A Tanget”: Skype Voice Calls Work on iPad with Freetalk Everyman Headset.

Both the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset and the FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset are available at the Skype Store. Don’t forget this configuration also requires the iPad Camera Connection kit which Dan appears to have ordered from the Apple store on the Internet.

Extrapolating from a number released of 100,000 sold in the last five months of 2009, it would appear to be safe to assume that over 150,000 FREETALK Everyman Headsets have been sold since its launch last July; some other posts linking to blogger reviews:

• FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset: The Bloggers Speak Out
• FREETALK® Everyman uSB Headset: From Twitterville and More Bloggers
• FREETALK Everyman USB Headset for Skype: A Reprise (includes a video demonstration by jkontherun’s Kevin Tofel)

FREETALK Customer Support is available for any questions re your order and using these headsets.

Note: while Dan has demonstrated that the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset works with the iPad, it should also mean that any Skype-certified USB headset should also work for this configuration.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

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My initial experience with an FreeTalk product was back in December 2007 when I was provided with the FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset – Model 5191. I found I was using it continuously for the next couple of years – I could answer the door when Fedex arrived or let the dog out the back door, yet continue my Skype call (or listening to the audio of a YouTube video). Its ongoing performance is one  reason I took on some partner marketing and blogger relations activity for In Store Solutions as a client.

Why do I say for two years? Last fall In Store Solutions introduced an upgrade – the TALK-5192 FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo headset with improved overall headset design, including a more robust “head size” adjustment and more comfortable ear pads. There is a more complete description, including a comparison with the FreeTalk Everyman Headset and a discussion of its unique wireless features in my post at the time of its introduction: FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset “2.0? – When You Just Can’t Sit Still During a Skype Call.

But, frankly, it’s not not my opinion you should be relying on; here’s some other blogger feedback:

Jonathan Jensen at sevendotzero:

Call quality is fantastic – being wireless makes no difference to the quality of Skype calls. Plus, the headset is very comfortable to wear. The range is good and allows me to stay connected a couple of rooms away. The sheer convenience has certainly encouraged me to use Skype even more.

….

Overall this is a great device that makes Skype calling even better and means I can fix myself another Nespresso in the middle of a conference call! Although not cheap at £79.99 from the Skype store, I don’t think anyone buying one will be disappointed.

Over at the PhoneBoy Blog, Dameon Welch-Abernathy reports:

Like its wired cousin, the Freetalk Everyman Headset, which I reviewed a while back, the focus is on audio quality. It rocks, even without wires! Skype-to-Skype audio quality is just like being there! It’s light and comfortable to boot.

….

While this headset is clearly geared at Skype (or other desktop VoIP usage), you can also use the headset to listen to music. Just like with Skype, the music sounds great!

Unlike the Freetalk Everyman Headset, which is priced absurdly inexpensively, the Everyman Wireless is more pricey but still respectable at $79.99 from the Skype store (prices vary outside the US). It comes with the dongle, a mini-USB cable, the headset, and the carrying case, as shown in the picture above. People looking for great audio quality without wires should seriously consider picking one of these headsets up.

For more product information and another viewpoint check out Skype Gear blogger Andrew Brennan: Skype Gear Roadtest: FREETALK Freedom Wireless USB Headset. One of the most telling proofs of its popularity is the number of calls I have made testing Skype HD video calling where the other party is wearing this headset.

(Update April 2011) So why did I bring up a post about the TALK-5192 FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset in June 2010?

Because during the month of June, 2010 there was a promotional offer at the Skype Store. You can still buy them at the Skype Store. But each FREETALK product still comes with FreeTalk customer support with a 24 hour response time,  as well as a one year warranty and a 14-day “no questions asked” return policy.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

This morning I received a chat message from TechCraver’s Jason Harris asking if I would take a video call. Little did I realize that this was not going to be a normal HD Skype video call like our last one.

Jason is a fan of the Nokia N900 mobile computer which has always supported Skype voice and chat; he had just downloaded the PR 1.2 version of firmware and learned that it included support for Skype video.

So he called me; I answered on my Skype for Windows 4.2 client and found that it was initiating a Skype video call. Very shortly Jason appeared in full motion video using the N900’s front facing camera with VGA resolution. Occasionally the picture froze but quickly recovered. At my end I was using the new FREETALK Everyman HD webcam.

Here’s what impressed:

• coming from such a small device the video quality was certainly acceptable – from the Call Technical Info I was receiving him at 320 x 240 resolution
• the call was supported by the G729 voice codec, the same voice codec used by the currently available version of Skype for iPhone.
• the N900 was using a H264 video codec sending me 320 x 240 at 14 fps – obviously embedded in the new firmware (if not in earlier firmware);
• My video was also going out over the H264 video processor embedded in the Everyman HD at 160 x 120 resolution at 19 fps. When you look at the image Jason was receiving you can see why it would be at such a low resolution.
• the call was being handled at his end by T-Mobile’s 3G network

Now the Skype for Windows Call Quality Indicator was showing a poor quality network connection; that has to be a result of the 3G wireless end as I had just completed an HD video call to Europe with its demands for a minimum 1.2 Mbps upload speed.

Bottom line: For personal video calling this certainly is a good start. As mentioned in a previous post we should be seeing such calling on the iPhone (and iPad) later this year. It certainly has to open the question as to whether Skype is now developing a Skype video calling feature for Skype for iPhone (especially given the new features available in iPhone OS 4.0, such as multi-tasking). And will the new version of iPhone support H264 video codecs?

And my thanks to Jason for asking me to participate in this quasi-history making 3G mobile Skype call.

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Over the past week I have been experimenting with two relatively new features that build out the Skype video experience:

• HD video using the recently released FREETALK® TALK-7140 HD webcam and Skype for Windows 4.2
• Skype Group calling using the beta release of Skype for Windows 5.0

FREETALK^® TALK-7140 HD Webcam

At a price point that makes it attractive even for Skype High Quality Video calls (VGA resolution @ 30 fps), the FREETALK^® TALK-7140 HD Webcam:

• Enhances the video image quality to HD’s 720p resolution at frame rates up to 22 fps, provided the Sender has sufficient Internet upload bandwidth (>1.2 Mbps).
• Requires 30 seconds to four minutes at the beginning of a call to come up to HD resolution; after some initial “network negotiation” by the connecting software the aspect ratio changes from 4: 3 to HD’s 16:9.
• Works with Skype’s High Quality Video calling where end point conditions do not provide sufficient bandwidth for HD calling.
• Falls back to lower resolutions when network conditions degrade as a result of Skype’s network bandwidth adaptation feature that adjusts video resolution to network conditions. But the image will self-restore to the maximum resolution if the network conditions recover and return to improved quality.
• Is Skype certified for HD Video and High Quality Video calling.
• Is recognized as a webcam by MacBooks and iMacs; however, currently will only operate on MacBooks at up to VGA resolution at up to 30 fps until Skype releases a new version of Skype for Mac that supports HD video calling.

The image to the right comes from a half hour, two-way HD call with TechCraver’s Jason Harris who had an upload speed in excess of 4Mbps while I was supported by a network upload speed of 1.8Mbps using Rogers recently introduced DOCSIS 3.0 Ultimate service (50 Mbps download, 2 Mbps upload). Expanding the image to a full screen display (22” in my case) gives a close-to-Telepresence experience.

Note that if only one Sender on a one-to-one video call has the upload speed to support sending HD video, the recipient, if also using Skype for Windows 4.2 or later, will be able to receive and view the full 720p HD image provided his/her download speed is above 1.2 Mbps – well below the download bandwidth maximum for most broadband Internet services.

So this brings up the issue of upload bandwidth speeds available to consumers. Om Malik had something to say on this subject in a recent post, Faster Upstream Speeds for Cable Broadband:

U.S. cable companies expect that by 2015, nearly 100 million of the nation’s homes will be able to send data upstream at speeds of around 20 Mbps. This will eventually be followed by further upgrades to 50 Mbps, by way of enhancements to DOCSIS 3.0 tech. That compares to current upstream speeds of 6-28 Mbps (shared).

So we don’t need to wait for Fibre-to-the-Home if you’re on cable. As mentioned above, Rogers now offers a 50Mbps download/2 Mbps upload DOCSIS 3.0 service for which they recently reduced the price by 1/3 to under $100 per month with a 175 GB/month cap. Bell Canada is introducing a 25/7 fibre-to-the-home service for $54 per month but with only a 75 GB cap; their current issue is coverage. Whereas it’s available in central Toronto, there is only limited availability around the suburban Toronto area. In the U.S., where available, Comcast is offering DOCSIS 3.0 services with up to 10 Mbps upload speeds but have services at 2 and 3 Mbps upload as well; also Verizon offers its FIOS Fibre-to-the-Home service. This scenario recalls the era ten years ago when broadband Internet services were rolling out sporadically over a three to four year period.

I’m still experimenting with the HD webcam and will have a more complete report once I have experience with a wider range of user endpoint conditions. The TALK-7140 HD webcam is available at the Skype Store.

Skype Multi-Party Video Chat (beta!)

In a separate post I’ll deal with Skype Multi-Party Video Calling; in the meantime check out Phil Wolff’s posts on this subject at Skype Journal and Andy Abramson begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting’s Skype Multi Party Video Makes Others A Thing of The Past at VoIP Watch. As shown in one of Phil’s posts, I participated in a five party call for about fifteen minutes simply to ensure I had a configuration where it would work.

Caveat: Skype for Windows 5.0 is still beta software and needs user feedback and some work prior to any final release; it’s not suitable for ongoing production use at this time.

Bottom line: we’re seeing how far video calling can be pushed with respect to video resolution and multi-party video chat sessions; it’s still early days. For full realization of the potential of video calling we need implementation of faster Internet services for both consumers and SMB’s with reasonable pricing. Also we need more experience and development of the underlying video calling software and hardware, especially when it comes to the User Interface. In the meantime VGA resolution video calling (High Quality Video) remains a quite acceptable user experience – especially when it’s free.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

Some posts from the High Quality Video launch in late 2007:

• Installing a Logitech High Quality Video Camera: The Experience.
• High Quality Video: What’s the Benchmark?
• High Quality Video: Definitely a Winner for Skype
• Click here for more…

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While it was introduced last August and it was reported in January that over 100,000 have been sold worldwide, the FREETALK^® Everyman headset continues to receive mention on the web. Two recent items:

Inc.com: Technology for the Virtual CEO referenced the FREETALK Everyman as its choice of headset:

A Skype headset will give you better sound quality than a landline phone, not to mention the use of both hands. We like the Freetalk Everyman.

Dee over at Cocktails with Mom gives the FREETALK Everyman a review with some interesting comments on the overall design (yes, my own headset has stood the test of many trips in a briefcase):

It uses a USB connection, but allows you to disconnect the speakers in order to connect the headset to any MP3 player or phone that supports a 3.5mm jack! The speakers rotate and fold up into the headset which is great when you’re on the go because it doesn’t take up much space in a suitcase or laptop bag. The design actually seems to protect the headset in the sense that it makes it less likely to break simply because it is so compact. It folds totally flat. (Very nice!) I have broken many headsets along the part leading down to the speakers! Or, maybe that is one of those things I can blame on my kids. The microphone is completely flexible. It can be bent, folded, twisted, turned… you can position it any way you like and it swivels 360 degrees so you can have it on the left or right side of your face.

As of this writing there are only nine entrants to her contest, ending April 12, 2010 for her U.S. readers to receive five headsets. (Full disclosure: note that, as she solicits products to give away to help promote her blog, she was supplied with the prizes but received no monetary compensation for her review.)

Click here for other posts tagged with FreeTalk Everyman, including several others that link to reviews of the headset.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

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