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The Tech-pert: TelyHD Brings Skype-Powered Video Calling to Your HDTV
By Rick.BroidaGuest Blogger(view all posts by Rick.Broida)
at 11:56AM Tuesday January 10, 2012
under
Product Review
Remember the Cisco Umi, a fancy consumer-oriented webcam that turned your TV into a Jetson-ian video phone?
It was an intriguing idea hampered by a ridiculous pricing structure: $600 per unit, plus $25 monthly for Cisco's proprietary video-calling service.
Earlier this year, the company lowered prices a bit--but no way was anyone going to shell out that kind of cash when they could accomplish the same thing for free with Skype and a laptop webcam. Unsurprisingly, Umi is dead. Cisco made the announcement at the tail end of December, apparently hoping no one would notice.
The idea, however, lives on, in the form of a new, more attractively priced product: the TelyHD. It was announced last week, just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show.
The TelyHD is a sophisticated, Wi-Fi-enabled high-def camera designed to sit atop your TV. It plugs directly into an HDMI port and leverages Skype for free video calls to other TelyHD and/or Skype users.
I haven't tried the product myself (yet), but on the surface it sounds solid. It's powered by a dual-core Tegra processor and runs Android 2.2, so it should deliver fast operation and smooth video. Plus, it works with the free version of Skype, so there are no monthly fees or subscriptions to deal with.
The camera itself features a wide-angle lens (the better to capture everyone in the living room) and four separate microphones with noise-cancellation technology. (Incoming audio is delivered through your TV speakers, natch.)
In addition to basic 720p video calling, the TelyHD includes video voicemail features and can even share photos via an SD card or USB drive. A small, Roku-style remote operates a simplistic onscreen interface.
I can see this as a great way to communicate with, say, distant relatives. I'm thinking in particular of my parents, who say they miss their kids and grandkids terribly but still choose to winter over in Florida. (Kidding, Mom and Dad, kidding! Don't blame you one bit...) A TV-size video call isn't quite as good as being together, but it definitely beats an ordinary phone call.
What remains to be seen is whether the TelyHD delivers good enough video and audio quality--and by good enough, I mean you hardly notice you're on a video call at all. Hopefully I'll be able to answer that question in a couple weeks, after my review unit arrives.
By the way, the TelyHD sells for $249--not exactly cheap, but a lot more reasonable than Cisco's Umi. Of course, you can still accomplish the same thing with the webcam that came with your laptop--and that's already paid for.
Your thoughts?
It was an intriguing idea hampered by a ridiculous pricing structure: $600 per unit, plus $25 monthly for Cisco's proprietary video-calling service.
Earlier this year, the company lowered prices a bit--but no way was anyone going to shell out that kind of cash when they could accomplish the same thing for free with Skype and a laptop webcam. Unsurprisingly, Umi is dead. Cisco made the announcement at the tail end of December, apparently hoping no one would notice.
The idea, however, lives on, in the form of a new, more attractively priced product: the TelyHD. It was announced last week, just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show.
The TelyHD is a sophisticated, Wi-Fi-enabled high-def camera designed to sit atop your TV. It plugs directly into an HDMI port and leverages Skype for free video calls to other TelyHD and/or Skype users.
I haven't tried the product myself (yet), but on the surface it sounds solid. It's powered by a dual-core Tegra processor and runs Android 2.2, so it should deliver fast operation and smooth video. Plus, it works with the free version of Skype, so there are no monthly fees or subscriptions to deal with.
The camera itself features a wide-angle lens (the better to capture everyone in the living room) and four separate microphones with noise-cancellation technology. (Incoming audio is delivered through your TV speakers, natch.)
In addition to basic 720p video calling, the TelyHD includes video voicemail features and can even share photos via an SD card or USB drive. A small, Roku-style remote operates a simplistic onscreen interface.
I can see this as a great way to communicate with, say, distant relatives. I'm thinking in particular of my parents, who say they miss their kids and grandkids terribly but still choose to winter over in Florida. (Kidding, Mom and Dad, kidding! Don't blame you one bit...) A TV-size video call isn't quite as good as being together, but it definitely beats an ordinary phone call.
What remains to be seen is whether the TelyHD delivers good enough video and audio quality--and by good enough, I mean you hardly notice you're on a video call at all. Hopefully I'll be able to answer that question in a couple weeks, after my review unit arrives.
By the way, the TelyHD sells for $249--not exactly cheap, but a lot more reasonable than Cisco's Umi. Of course, you can still accomplish the same thing with the webcam that came with your laptop--and that's already paid for.
Your thoughts?
Self-proclaimed cheapskate Rick Broida has been a technology writer for over 20 years. He has authored over a dozen books, including, most recently, "How to Do Everything: Palm Pre." Currently he writes the Cheapskate blog.
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