Prototype video conferencing portal for HDTV coming this year

Contract notebook manufacturer Quanta has announced it has partnered with ooVoo to create a prototype HD video conferencing unit which it expects to put into production this year.

Quanta Computer Inc, Taiwanese OEM that manufactures notebooks for Dell, Apple Gateway, HP, Sony, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and even OLPC's XO-1, intends to break into the video conferencing market by producing a device that can support HD displays.

The Quanta Video Messenger currently only exists as a prototype, but promises to come to market with 1280 x 720 resolution, 30 fps speed, and a consumer-friendly price.

Devices such as the Creative inPerson feature what the QVM promises, but at a reduced 640 x 480 resolution. The Wi-Fi device comes with its own 7" screen or can have its signal displayed on an external monitor or projector. That particular unit plus a one-year subscription to its messaging service costs $899.99.

Whether this is a "consumer friendly" price is debatable, but when compared to enterprise HD video conferencing solutions which the AP reports cost over $9,000, the price tag may not seem so heavy.

Details of the Quanta unit -- form factor, software interface, supported speeds -- are presently still scarce. Partner ooVoo's service is still in public beta, and only a protoype unit exists, so a finished product coming to market this year would be surprising. In the meantime, Creative could devise an HD version of its product and cut Quanta off at the pass.