Sony brings Skype to Bravia HD TVs

Sony has released a firmware update for its Bravia televisions that adds Skype functionality as well as the ability to use smartphones and notebooks as remote control devices. The update means Bravia owners can now recreate their own This Island Earth-style Interocitor, although I doubt there's any Sony TVs shaped like a …

[Pete 39]

Sony!

Will they keep our data safe?

[mraak]

Point

I'm done with Sony for good.

[Ralph B]

It'll all end in tears

As far as I understand it, the camera for Skype is, at the moment, an extra component. But once it's included in the TV we'll be on a slippery slope. If you know what I mean.

[Steve X]

Indeed

Double plus ungood ?

[Banker]

ahead of it's time...

hehe, the triagle tv has got Apple's Genius bar too....

[Paul Boocock (UK)]

How?

How does this work? My TV doesnt have a mic or a webcam. Its going to be an awfully one sided conversation.

Can the mic and webcam in my laptop be used?

[Richard Barnes]

Accessory

You have to buy a GBP89 accessory to attach to your Bravia.

[juski]

WMD as standard?

'This Island Earth-style Interositor'... minus the remotely-activated high energy destructor-beam, I hope

[Brian 59]

Slightly misleading

The article should really state some models of Bravia as not all are internet capable, mines isn't for example.

[bowdie]

You mean..

I have to build my own Interocitor? With that metal catologue? Only to find that images on the Interocitor don't show up on film?

harumph.

[DJ 2]

PS3

Sony, Put Skype on PS3. ffs. they've been putting it on everything that is not useful, how about putting it on the one thing that would make sense?

[Steven Hunter]

Agreed

Throw a copy in for free with the Playstation Move package and include a coupon for 15% off a USB webcam (that includes Skype on the install CD) you can mail to Grandma or cousin Earl or whatever. Then allow people answer Skype calls while playing games and you're done.

[David Wilcox]

Media Remote app ??

Any idea where I download the "Media Remote app" mentioned in the article? Sony's site is worse than HP's for finding useful stuff.

[irish donkey]

depends what you are looking for

try the PSN network. That has all sorts of information lying around.

[Caleb Cox]

Re: Media Remote app ??

http://itunes.apple.com/uk/app/media-remote-for-iphone/id373459732?mt=8

[David Wilcox]

Thanks

Thank You Caleb!

[theJML]

This has already been in some of the sets!

I've been looking at Bravia sets (specifically the KDL-40EX620) for the last few weeks and have found that a number of them already come with this... But as is mentioned above, they don't come with camera/microphone. They expect you to buy the "CMU-BR100", which would be totally awesome and I'd do it... if it wasn't for the $150 price tag for a 720p @ 22fps web cam. For that much it should be full 1080p @ 30fps... (I'd even take PAL's 25fps or a the average movie's 24fps).

So anyone know if this works with a Logitech cam/mic?

[Lamont Cranston]

The advantage of the telephone,

was that the other person couldn't see you. Now they'll see you in HD - will there be an "enhance me in post-production" option?

[gyre]

panasonic?

I bought last year's model of panasonic tv. If you bought the 150 quid camera, you could also get skype.

However, since the firmware hasn't been updated since I bought it, and isn't likely to, since this years models are out, I'm expecting that this will be an expensive white elephant. The skype service will forever stay in beta.

I'd love to be proved wrong tho.

[L1feless]

Double outage?

Perhaps this will cause Skype to drop offline (yet again). Lets be honest here Skype is garbage...who wants to use a technology which sucks as badly as Skype anyways.

[Fred Flintstone]

Strangely enough..

.. mine just works, and has for years. Having said that, I do tend to have above average bandwidth available wherever I live, but not my dad - and it still works. AFAIK there are a couple of million out there who have the same experience, and therein lies the crux: for me it works, so why change?

However, Skype on TV is not enough for me to ever consider buying Sony again..

[Anonymous Coward]

Phones, Televisions...

Shouldn't they be kept far, far apart?

Unless Sony is going to customise the skype code. Instead of an engaged tone, or a not available icon... "No chance... he's watching Coronation Street and East Enders is next, followed by a film. Try Thursday"

[mike_dowler]

clarification please?

Can anyone confirm whether this is restricted to 2011 models only, or whether it also applies to 2010 models? I can't get the iphone app to work with my 32EX403, nor can I see any sign of Skype.

[David Wilcox]

KDL-40EX703 nadda

The mobile remote app does not work with the KDL-40EX703 series either.

Perhaps a firmware update to the telly - I'm surprised by the frequency of these btw - or an update to the remote app will solve this in the future.

But I'm sure fixing an iOS app is fairly low down on Sony's priority list, time to start another Steve Jobs buys Sony thread?

David

[Anonymous Coward]

Skype?

I am amazed they have time to make skype available for a television platform when they can't even produce a functioning skype client for linux.

My Skype (and sony too) days are over.

[Christian Berger]

The obvious feature will be missing anyhow

You probably won't be able to use the TV-image as the input for Skype. _That_ would have been an actual feature as it would enable you to stream television around the world.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sony are hopeless

Got one of their Vaio's ?

Well no video driver updates (ATI) for you matey as Sony can't be arsed updating their site and will not let you use the generic ATI driver.

Sony possibly have one of the worst attitudes to their customers in the entire consumer electronics world.

FU Sony, I'm shopping else where.