Netflix at the hotel. Will streaming services replace traditional TV?

A dozen or so years ago, Video on Demand services, i.e. movies on demand, were popular in hotels. Especially in those with a lot of stars and a business customer oriented approach. Huge metal cabinets filled with VHS players took up a lot of space. Just like in the cinema, the guest paid for every movie he watched. Everything took place automatically in the hotel room, without the participation of the reception or hotel staff.
Internet access was payable. Even then, it was noticeable that not all hotels were open to new technologies. Despite the fact that they had a specific share in the profits – a commission on each movie ordered by the guest or access to the Internet purchased. Introducing technical innovations was very slow. Many hotels still have a modest TV offer, mainly based on terrestrial TV and poor and unstable Internet access. This translates into the guest’s satisfaction with the stay in such a facility, and indirectly also into revenues. A guest’s dissatisfaction is a high probability that he will choose a different hotel next time.

This approach of hoteliers, however, will not change the fact that the technology is constantly evolving. And then the habits of the guests. VOD services in hotels are currently marginal. Free internet access has become a standard. Guests are more and more willing to transfer their home habits to hotels. They no longer want to have restricted videos imposed by the VOD service. They want to watch exactly the same as at home. Use the same apps and streaming services. And in the same simple way. Directly from your laptop, smartphone or tablet on the TV screen in the hotel room.

Bring your own content (BYOC).

A few years ago, there was a trend of “bring your own device” (BYOD) and forced hoteliers to install all kinds of easily accessible connectors or entire panels, the so-called media hubs. They made it easy to connect the hotel TV to the guest device, e.g. a laptop, via an HDMI cable. Devices have changed. With the growing popularity of wireless technologies, physical connectors have disappeared from devices. The trends have changed and they have evolved towards a different slogan – “bring your own content” (BYOC).

Almost 98% of guests now travel with their smartphone. And it is the smartphone that has now become the entertainment center. With the help of the application and purchased access to streaming services, guests receive the desired content, movies, sports events or programs. The place ceased to matter. A movie or TV series started at home can be watched on a train or in a hotel room. Taking your device with you is slowly losing its importance. Especially that even in the best equipped room with multimedia connectors, it is difficult to connect a smartphone to the HDMI connector.

Chromecast is a device with guest mode. No data is entered into the device, which guarantees a high level of security. All data is stored in the application on the guest’s device. Chromecasts run over hotel wifi, so they are generally “seen” on the web. To prevent accidental or deliberate display of different content on unauthorized TVs, you need a platform that will take care of security and facilitate pairing of guest devices with the correct TV. Such a platform provides central control over the system and Chromecasts and facilitates daily use. It also provides a lot of information. Are Chromecast devices online. What is the range of the room wifi network. Some solutions also collect statistics about which applications guests use the most. Of course, this data is completely anonymous.

The pairing process is very simple, which is also important for the usability of the service. After logging into the hotel’s wifi network, the guest scans the QR code displayed on the TV screen with a smartphone. Everything is automatic and after several seconds the guest device is ready to display the content on the TV screen.

Currently, more than 2,000 applications work with Google Chromecast. And the list keeps growing. And this is an unquestionable advantage of this solution, especially when compared to SMART TV sets. Among the applications, we can even find those that provide linear TV. If the hotel does not offer a TV channel, guests can use the app on their device, Chromecast and the TV in the hotel room to watch their favorite channels. In addition, hotel Chromecast systems work with any, even the simplest TV with an HDMI connector. Which is not insignificant when it comes to costs. If you decide to implement streaming media, you can opt out of buying expensive SMART TVs. Chromecast will successfully replace the multimedia features available on such TVs.

Until recently, solutions that allow you to watch your own content on a hotel TV set were an integral part of extensive hotel multimedia systems offering many functions, not always used by guests. With the growing popularity of such a solution, stand-alone solutions have appeared. They do not require expensive investments in equipment or integration with the hotel reception system. Thanks to this, such a system can be implemented even in small, several-room hotels and guesthouses. Which will additionally increase the attractiveness of such facilities, and will provide guests with unlimited entertainment and will increase the satisfaction with their stay.

First of all, data security.

Hoteliers faced the choice of how to keep up with changing guest habits? Applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Spotify have become so popular that they are replacing traditional linear TV, i.e. one based on a fixed programming schedule. The statistics of the use of streaming services in hotels show that premium pay TV channels – film and sports – are starting to outstrip their popularity. Access to these Internet services was an added value until recently and only a few hotels could afford such solutions.

An easy and secure connection between smartphone and hotel TV for guests to stream their own saved profiles is an increasingly frequent requirement these days. As well as a good and stable Internet connection. Failure to meet such expectations can make the experience of your stay mediocre at best. This, in turn, has a big impact on the hotel’s revenues.

In order to meet the expectations of guests in this matter, it is enough to implement several solutions available on the market. The most famous SVOD service (Streaming Video On Demand) is the American Netflix. And unfortunately, most hoteliers limit themselves to this one service, trying to make only this service available to guests at all costs. Leaving a large part of the users of other websites out of favor. The most frequently asked question in the last few months has been: Does this TV have Netflix?

How do I run streaming services like Netflix at the hotel?

There are really few hotel TV models on the market that can boast of such a service. Among them are Hitachi and Philips. And consumer TVs intended for home use fall off at the start. For … safety. Yes, that’s safety. In order to use such a streaming service, the guest must enter sensitive data, such as login, password, and sometimes also set his preferences. The process of removing such data from the TV is often complicated and too difficult for the visitor. In many cases, this cannot be done without professional instruction. After all, the TV in the home stays for several years and there is no need to enter such data every time. The situation is different at the hotel.

Visitors can understandably be concerned about the risk of data and identity theft when faced with the use of devices that other users have access to. As a result, they may choose not to use the hotel’s entertainment system at all. More than 65 percent of the guests were very concerned about their personal data being entered into the TV in the guest room, and another 30 percent confirmed their concern. In order for any in-room entertainment platform to achieve a high user acceptance rate and thus increase guest awareness of revenue-impacting services, hoteliers need to understand that security features always require top attention in any potential deployment.

An effective solution should offer guests the ability to delete all personal data and online browsing history at any time. This consumer TV cannot guarantee. The disadvantage of the solution based on SMART TV sets is also the low availability of the application. Often, due to the lack of updates by the manufacturer, SMART applications stop working, which may additionally affect the negative assessment of the stay.

Dedicated solutions for hotels

A solution without the limitations described above is a platform that ensures both security and remote control over the system. Guests can enjoy streaming media by logging in with their smartphone or tablet and viewing the content they are watching on the TV screen. Currently, the most popular solutions are based on Google Chromecast. It is a small device that acts as an intermediary between a smartphone or tablet and a TV set.

Google Chromecast works differently than the previously known Screen Sharing technologies. Where the smartphone screen and everything on it is displayed on the TV screen. In order to watch such a shared screen on the TV and using these technologies, we must have our smartphone or tablet turned on all the time. All notifications, information and incoming calls will also be displayed on the TV screen at the same time. This may be considered uncomfortable or even undesirable.

Google Chromecast only needs the guest device to run the selected service. After that, it directly receives data from the Internet and displays it on the TV screen. The Chromecast is connected and assigned to one specific TV. The more rooms, the more Chromecasts. All the more, a well-designed, configured and based on proven and efficient devices wifi network is required. Chromecast is very universal, because it works with Android, iOS and even laptops with Windows 10. There are also hotel TVs with Chromecast built-in on the market.

Chromecast is a device with guest mode. No data is entered into the device, which guarantees a high level of security. All data is stored in the application on the guest’s device. Chromecasts run over hotel wifi, so they are generally “seen” on the web. To prevent accidental or deliberate display of different content on unauthorized TVs, you need a platform that will take care of security and facilitate pairing of guest devices with the correct TV. Such a platform provides central control over the system and Chromecasts and facilitates daily use. It also provides a lot of information. Are Chromecast devices online. What is the range of the room wifi network. Some solutions also collect statistics about which applications guests use the most. Of course, this data is completely anonymous.

The pairing process is very simple, which is also important for the usability of the service. After logging into the hotel’s wifi network, the guest scans the QR code displayed on the TV screen with a smartphone. Everything is automatic and after several seconds the guest device is ready to display the content on the TV screen.

Currently, more than 2,000 applications work with Google Chromecast. And the list keeps growing. And this is an unquestionable advantage of this solution, especially when compared to SMART TV sets. Among the applications, we can even find those that provide linear TV. If the hotel does not offer a TV channel, guests can use the app on their device, Chromecast and the TV in the hotel room to watch their favorite channels. In addition, hotel Chromecast systems work with any, even the simplest TV with an HDMI connector. Which is not insignificant when it comes to costs. If you decide to implement streaming media, you can opt out of buying expensive SMART TVs. Chromecast will successfully replace the multimedia features available on such TVs.

Until recently, solutions that allow you to watch your own content on a hotel TV set were an integral part of extensive hotel multimedia systems offering many functions, not always used by guests. With the growing popularity of such a solution, stand-alone solutions have appeared. They do not require expensive investments in equipment or integration with the hotel reception system. Thanks to this, such a system can be implemented even in small, several-room hotels and guesthouses. Which will additionally increase the attractiveness of such facilities, and will provide guests with unlimited entertainment and will increase the satisfaction with their stay.

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