Watching you, watching them on TV Your TV could in future be viewing you as much as you are viewing programmes. Camera and microphone units can now enable videoconferencing for families and friends and even keep an eye on the living room while you are out. Tely HD 3/5 FROM Personal Technology A big-screen living-room television, with the family gathered around, has always seemed to me a more natural and relaxed medium for video-conferencing than sitting at a computer for a one-on-one webcam chat. But my family and I have never quite managed this, whether using the Microsoft Kinect's camera linked to the Xbox for its Video Chat feature or using the webcam attachment for Logitech's Google TV box. The former requires that the other party in the conversation has the same set-up or a Windows Live Messenger account. The latter insists on a Logitech Vid account for both parties. We knew few people with the right set-up. Skype is becoming prevalent enough now to offer far-flung families hope of being able to establish easy two-way communications in their living rooms; and Samsung showed TVs with built-in cameras and integrated Skype recently at the Consumer Electronics Show. TelyHD also launched at CES, offering a Skype experience on any existing television that already has an HDMI input. The TelyHD, which costs $249 and can be bought internationally through Skype's online store, is a wide-angle, high-definition camera with four built-in microphones that can sit on top of your TV set. Its Ethernet port means you can make a hard-wired internet connection as well as using WiFi. After signing into my Skype account, which brought up all my contacts on screen, I used a remote control to select and call my son on his PC in another room, then swapped places with him to gauge the experience from his viewpoint. I was very impressed with the HD quality, the way the camera covered most of our large living room, and the ability to hear my son loud and clear as he spoke in a normal voice sitting on the sofa 20ft away. The one pain-point is having to switch between your TV's inputs and activities, from watching a programme to answering a call. Biscotti 4/5 In contrast to the TelyHD, the Biscotti, launched in November, has a pass-through capability - you plug the output from your cable box into the camera's HDMI In port and then plug the camera into the TV using a second HDMI port. This means the Biscotti menu, which has its own remote control, appears as an overlay on the programme you are watching, so you do not have to change inputs to use it. Users can call another Biscotti owner or anyone using Google Talk. Biscotti suggests you could buy two of the $199 units and send one to family abroad - the voltage is adjustable. It is as slim as the Italian cookie it's named after, while TelyHD is a rather bulky addition to a TV set. The Biscotti's biggest drawback is its inability to import Google Talk contacts, which means sending out individual invites. But this is due to be fixed in the near future. Dropcam 4/5 A neat feature on the Biscotti is Autoanswer, which lets you video-call your TV and survey the room. This means it acts as a security camera - prepare for shocks if you have teenagers. For a more sophisticated Wi-Fi remote monitoring camera, however, the new Dropcam ($149), offers night vision and two-way audio - so you can see and hear what is happening even if the lights are turned off - as well as excellent zooming capabilities. It also alerts you via email or SMS about any motion it detects. You can order the device online and the company says it will start shipping in late March.