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Smart TV now has free Skype group video and full HD support

• Egon Kilin
• January 16th, 2015

If you are a Skype user, you probably already know that group video calls have been available for Windows, Mac and Xbox One for quite some time now. But if you are a Smart TV owner, you might be glad to hear that you can benefit from the free feature straight from your TV as of today. The one catch here is that currently, the free Skype group video calling feature is only available for Samsung smart TVs.

Today was the launch date for Skype 4.0 and the updated software came with the surprise free group video calling feature that can be accessed on your Samsung smart TV, as well as support for full HD video. You do have to have a built-in camera in order to make effective use of the function and Skype video calling altogether for that matter, but if you are privileged enough to have such a cool smart TV in your home, the no-cost feature will certainly come in handy.

The updated Skype 4.0 does have a small glitch at the moment, though, since it only allows up to 3 participants in a group video call on smart TVs. You can go to the Samsung Smart TV app Store in order to download Skype 4.0 and enjoy the new features, but make sure you have all the hardware and a good internet connection available. You have to have a 2014 Samsung Smart TV with a built-in camera, HD displays and webcams that support 1080p video, and a sustained internet connection of  Mbps or higher in order to make Full HD videos and group videos work properly.

Skype targets the new features at an increasingly larger part of the population that lives apart from family. The 3-way video calls that are now available on Smart TV should help those with distant relatives or even remote employees they need to talk to on a regular basis. As technology is advancing, especially in the video and display industry, Skype, Viber and other commercially available apps designed for video calling need to keep up and Skype 4.0 is on the right track.