Samsung and Skype today announced that the new Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series models of 2010 high-definition televisions will feature embedded Skype software allowing Skype users to make video and voice calls through the TVs.

Samsung will begin shipping TVs with Skype software in the Korean market today, and worldwide in the first half of 2010.

"Our consumers want their televisions to be a 'one-stop shop' for entertainment and communication delivered with the highest quality," said Kevin Kyungshik Lee, Vice President of Visual Display at Samsung Electronics. "Including Skype on our TVs meets that expectation perfectly. We're thrilled that Samsung?s consumers can now use our TVs to experience the rich video and voice communication that hundreds of millions of Skype users worldwide enjoy."

Televisions with built-in Skype software were first introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2010.

The Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series televisions include Samsung's free Internet@TV service, which allows access to select online content. Consumers who connect the TVs to the Internet can attach a FREETALK TV Camera for Samsung provided by In Store Solutions (ISS), available at www.skype.com/store, making it possible to place and receive voice calls and High Quality Video calls. Voice calls will use Skype's SILK audio codec, which enables wideband audio quality.

Using the TVs' remote controls, consumers can create free Skype accounts, log into their existing accounts and navigate via a Skype interface accessible on the televisions' screens. Skype video calls will be free, as will voice calls between Skype users. Using Skype to call traditional landline and mobile phones will cost just pennies per minute.