Focus on IPTV, the interactive TV solution for hotels

While televisions seemed to be losing interest in hotel rooms, IPTV could change that.  The new IPTV solutions for the hotel industry make it possible to transform television into a real communication tool combining television services, dynamic display and additional functions such as alarm clock or access to the room directory. A new look thanks to resolutely SMART hotel TV systems!

IPTV in the hotel industry: giving new meaning to in-room television

The television has long been a central feature of the hotel room. However, changes in the way video content is consumed have greatly diminished its appeal. Guests, especially younger ones, are increasingly choosing their computers, tablets or smartphones to watch their favourite content on Netflix or Youtube, to the detriment of programmes available on television.

Until now, television has been limited to the broadcasting of channel packages, however rich they may be, thus losing its usefulness. The new IPTV solutions for the hotel industry aim to give a new lease of life to in-room television, by adapting to the new habits of customers and broadening the range of functionalities to create an environment based on interactivity.

How does IPTV work in a hotel?

The term IPTV in the hotel industry is used to define a TV solution that allows the addition of intelligent functions to the television, including :

A customisable interface

With an IPTV solution, the welcome portal for each television can be personalised with the establishment's colours and the guest's name for the duration of their stay (thanks to integration with the hotel's PMS). The interface gives access to all the services available from the television.

A wide range of uses

IPTV offers a wide range of video services:

• traditional live TV channels (DTT and more depending on the package provided by the hotel)
• replay television
• video on demand
• broadcasting of content from your own devices* (using WiFi and a Google Chromecast)

The Chromecast TV system brings real added value to the hotel's clientele by combining new ways of consuming video with the viewing comfort offered by televisions.

*The establishment must be equipped with a hotel Chromecast TV solution to provide this service

Interactive in-room displays

Thanks to IPTV, televisions in each room can be transformed into a dynamic and interactive display system to broadcast information, whether generic (weather, news, etc.) or hotel-related (Room Directory, promotional video or restaurant menu, for example).

Centralised management for the hotelier

The staff of the establishment can manage the entire TV fleet from a single interface (technical supervision, modification of the Room Directory) and interact remotely with each TV (remote administration, configuration of channel plans, publication of messages).

Ensure quality of IPTV service with a robust network infrastructure

As IPTV technology is very bandwidth-intensive, the adoption of such a TV solution in a hotel will require a sufficiently reliable, robust and powerful network infrastructure to ensure optimal quality of service to guests. In order to keep up with the load at peak times, it is recommended that the hotel be equipped with fibre lines (if possible with a guaranteed and symmetrical speed).