For one's home, one doesn't need to wait for the future to have a video phone as imagined on the Jetsons, and if one has a business, one's company doesn't need to invest in an expensive videoconferencing system. On January 5, 2010, In Store Solutions launched three new Skype certified webcams: the FreeTalk Talk-7170 HD Pro, and the Talk-7181 HD Pro Plus HD webcams, and the FreeTalk HQ Everyman Webcam Talk-7140, reveals the first hints of its plan to introduce a series of remarkable new consumer and business videoconferencing products this year - transforming what consumers and prosumers can do.
The FreeTalk HD webcams support true high definition video when used with Skype 4.2 for Windows. The FreeTalk webcams are available for purchase by Skype's more than 520 million registered users through the Skype Shop.
The HD Pro comes with two built-in microphones and is suitable for one-to-one high-definition video calling over Skype. The HD Pro Plus is the high-definition solution for businesses looking for low-cost videoconferencing. The four built-in professional cardioid microphones enable a four meter audio pickup, which, together with Skype's beamforming algorithm, deliver crystal clear voice quality and help improve echo canceling performance.
The FreeTalk HD Webcams use H.264 video compression technology to create the most pristine video quality available today, when used with a fast broadband connection (800 Kbps symmetrical bandwidth or higher) and a computer with a 1.8 Ghz dual-core processor. For HD video calls in both directions, there should ideally be a similar set up on both ends. The FreeTalk HD Pro webcam costs $120 and the FreeTalk HD Pro Plus costs $140. Both webcams will be available as of March 2010 for quick, efficient purchase through the Skype Shop.
The FreeTalk HQ Everyman webcam is also available through the Skype Shop. The low price of $40 follows the lead of its stable mate, the FreeTalk Everyman headset, currently available for $23, which has already sold more than 100,000 units in just over four months and is expected to sell more than 250,000 units in 2010 via the Skype Shop.
The range of features and prices of these Skype-certified web cams makes the future possible now.