Skype Promises 720p HD Video Calling on Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows, Soon

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Just when you were complaining that your Skype video calls lack on video quality, today we just learned that the company has ventured into a new world by announcing that the new Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows is bringing 720p HD-quality chats that will allow for much higher details(1280 x 720 resolution at up to 30 fps) via PCs or HD webcams connected to HDTVs.

Currently limited to Windows, the new application needs a new HD webcam (“due to arrive in [Skype] stores soon”), a dual-core 1.8GHz CPU to do the encoding and a high speed 1Mbps Internet connection to stream the images.

On top of that, the big deal is that Skype will allow you to make HD calls from your couch in the living room — without your computer, as LG and Panasonic will announce during CES that they’ll bing Skype functionality for their Internet-connected plasma and LCD HDTVs. The new devices will make it to the market in spring 2010, packed with built-in 720p webcams, allowing for both free inter-Skype voice and video, along with paid SkypeIn and SkypeOut with real-world numbers.

Meanwhile Mac & Linux users need to wait!