LUXEMBOURG, Nov. 15, 2007 — Skype today released the latest version of its communication software, making it possible to enjoy free High Quality Video calls that are sharper, smoother and better than anything you’ve seen on Skype™ before. Two weeks ago, Skype and Logitech, the world’s leading manufacturer of webcams, announced a collaboration to deliver a new benchmark of video calls over the Internet. Today’s release of Skype 3.6 for Windows makes High Quality Video a reality.
“Our recent announcement made many people realize that sharp, smooth and life-like video calls on the internet should be available to everyone, not just big companies with expensive video-conferencing equipment,“ said Gareth O‘Loughlin, Skype’s general manager, mobile and hardware devices. “Those who’ve previewed High Quality Video have been blown away by its realism. Today, with Skype 3.6 for Windows, the Genie is out of the bottle for good.”
Whether it’s a father reading a book to his kids back home while he travels for work, grandchildren giving their grandparents a close-up view of their first lost tooth, or colleagues connecting across continents to discuss a business proposal, High Quality Video on Skype offers image-perfect detail and clarity that help people connect better with their friends and families, co-workers and clients.
High Quality Video (Skype 3.6 for Windows and Logitech QuickCam® software, version 11.5) brings VGA-quality video calls (640x480 pixels) at up to 30 frames per second (fps) to people using a broadband connection (384 kbps connection or higher), a High Quality Video-certified Logitech webcam and a PC with a dual-core processor. As a result, users can enjoy significantly sharper and smoother video calls – even in full-screen mode.
A collaborative effort between Logitech and Skype, the High Quality Video experience is created through the unique combination of Skype software, Logitech webcams, and a fully redesigned set of drivers in the QuickCam software, all of which are optimized to work together in a way never achieved before on Skype. Logitech’s new webcam drivers are specially tuned to recognize callers who have this latest version of Skype software.
High Quality Video on Skype is available with the following Logitech webcams: the Logitech® QuickCam® Pro 9000, the Logitech® QuickCam® Pro for Notebooks and the Logitech® QuickCam® Orbit AF (Logitech® QuickCam® Sphere AF in Europe).