With the prospect of free phone calls on the big screen from the comfort of your living room sofa, Panasonic and LG will introduce Skype enabled TV's this year.

Having become increasingly popular over the last few years as a PC based application, Skype provides free telephone calls to others using the application. Cheap rate phone calls to non Skype users are also available.

With the functionality already built-in, owners of the Skype enabled LG and Panasonic TV's with a broadband connection can attach a Web Cam to their TV via USB for free video calling.

Skype represents one of many functions that will become available through new application interfaces on your TV. Manufacturers have been quietly working in partnership with the likes of yahoo to introduce a range of mini-apps.

Panasonic is offering Skype via its Viera Cast service, while LG is offering the service as a widget.

Samsung, Sony and LG have all implemented Widget technology on some of their current or forthcoming LCD TV's, with other manufacturers likely to offer their own take on this innovative method of accessing internet content.

Yahoo widgets are in fact a much broader concept than internet through the TV, the technology being a comprehensive development platform developed by the search engine company to provide internet based content for a wide range of entertainment devices.

According to Yahoo, more than 300 separate developers "are interested in developing" widgets, from individuals to large content publishers. With access through your TV to the likes of Skype, YouTube and Flickr the technology has the potential to shift the way we access and view internet content.

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