Opinion: Skype, coming to a TV near you!

Science fiction has regularly portrayed the video-phone as the vehicle that would introduce video-conferencing to families at home.

Well, it looks like the TV could beat the video-phone to the punch.

Samsung announced today that its latest range of LED TVs will run embedded Skype software that will let users make video and voice calls through the TVs.

The technology made its debut at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show where Skype also announced partnerships with Panasonic and LG.

Skype already sells the Freetalk TV Camera on its website, which Samsung says will plug into its TVs.

Picking the TV as the mode for video conferencing makes a lot more sense. At home I talk to my brother, who lives in China, through my laptop sitting at the dining table.

The 13-inch screen is OK for me but not so great if my wife or daughter want to get their heads in the picture too.

A camera with a wide angle of view and a big screen to see all the action at both ends sounds fantastic.

But it's the comfort factor that makes the biggest difference - instead of sitting at a table we can relax on the couch.

Luckily, Skype video calls are free because I can see us spending a lot more time on a video call.

You have to say that Skype's new owners Silver Lake are certainly looking to take the platform into interesting and exciting new areas.

We're still waiting to see whether Avaya follows through with its plans to integrate Skype into its IP telephony systems.

Such a move could open up cheap international calls to business, bypassing local telcos in one swoop.

Which would put someone like Alphawest, platinum Avaya partner and subsidiary of Optus, in a tricky position.

And what about Polycom, LifeSize (now Logitech) and Tandberg's (now Cisco) aspirations for the home video-conferencing market?

They could end up supplying the cameras to Skype's platform rather than owning the platform themselves. With 521 million user accounts, you have to say Skype's got a helluva head start.

What do you think? Will it be the IP phone or the television you'll use to make video calls?