Skype Video Apps Video chats are cool. Based on the approximately 500,000 downloads in the first month experienced by Video4IM and vSkype video apps are an obviously hot item. (links)

Another cool example of this new Skype video medium is the ability to deliver TV content as demonstrated by Skype beta tester Peter Henning and I a couple of weeks back in this article and shown again here:

Peter was broadcasting a local TV show in Romania to me via Spontania’s Video4IM. He used an ATI all-in-wonder 9600

For my elephant demo I used a software application Virtual Camera beta 0.9.0.0 It allows you to stream video clips like avi files into a 3rd party Skype Video Application or a sequence of photos.

You can switch between your webcam and the Virtual Camera in the middle of a call using the Video Device Setup tab in Video4IM as shown here:

Content delivery using these apps is pretty crude right now, but these demos give us a look into the short-term future. The Skype video channel will deliver up a whole new era of fun and business opportunities.