For the TV guys on here. Skype taking over live trucks?

I have been out of the TV biz for a few years now, but I just had a friend in a mid-major market tell me they are dumping live trucks in favor of a laptop and a wireless card with Skype.
Is this becoming common practice out there?
I feel bad for the engineers and those that work behind the camera...but damn, this makes a one-man band gig much easier, right?
Man, I sound like management!!! AHHHHH

 

We did one like that, more for the gimmick than anything else. It looked pretty bad. Having said that, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if that's the wave of the future. Quality is not always much of a consideration.

 

I'm not a guy, so I'm not sure if it's okay for me to post....

At my last two shops, this was tested, and they decided the quality was not quite there. But both issued reports that said it was coming, though.

 

I've seen Skype used several times and it's always very obvious. If you use it selectively for "breaking news" - here it was the recovery of two missing girls bodies an hour prior to air with no live truck operator available - it can be useful. It's nowhere close to good enough to be the fulltime live shot option, though.

 

I saw a TV newscast use Skype for a remote. It went out about halfway through the segment.

 

Oprah uses it all the time. It must be good.

 

Um, why are you watching Oprah?

 

I can't imagine the quality being good. I 've got it for personal use and the delay is horrible.