Much Change in Communication and Entertainment Technology
- Details
- Published Date
In the late 1980s the typical in-room entertainment consisted of a clunky CRT television, plonked in the middle of the desk, serving up a very limited range of free to air channels, often with many picture quality issues. Back then, the definition of innovation was having a television with a remote!
Some of the more progressive hotels offered in-house video channels with content courtesy of the local video store. Very illegal of course, but for many hotels, ignorance of the severe ramifications of copyright law was bliss.
And do you remember the VCR machines themselves? They were the size of a small suitcase. The picture quality was often inconsistent, with tape degradation and dirty heads causing poor pictures. With the introduction of pay-television in the early 1990s, we saw more variety from the standard fare with guests able to access dedicated sport/news/movie channels which were available for hotels, pubs and domestic homes.
Technology leap
As we edged closer to the new millennium, the technology cranked up significantly. The mid-1990s also saw the introduction of in-room pay-per-view movies for hotels, allowing guests the ability to purchase new blockbuster movies, uncut and uninterrupted (in a window months ahead of when pay-television or free-to-air television could show it), as well as exclusive adult content. Hotels and guests enjoyed the point of difference this brought, as well as a revenue stream for the hotel.
In recent years, smaller hotels and motels have opted to show the latest in-room blockbuster movies via a digital hard-drive (with no charge to the guest), from approved and licensed studio-providers. With the explosive growth of the internet and everyone starting to carry around laptops, broadband options became an essential for the hotel rooms of business travellers.
In recent years, governments around the world have announced that the analogue signal will be extinguished. Here in New Zealand, it is likely to be terminated within the next five years. This has already started, with SKY in March this year switching off its UHF service and moving to a 100 per cent digital platform, with an offering of more than 100 channels.
What is more, many hotels and motels have ditched the old CRT televisions and installed LCD/plasma sets with massively improved picture and sound quality, wall-mounted and taking up minimal room space. To complement these new televisions, many properties now use set top boxes (STBs) to bring their guests exactly the same channels they enjoy at home in crystal-clear digital quality. It pays off too. Their guests report that they love being able to see the favourite programmes that they usually miss when travelling. In addition, they comment about how useful it is being able to access the electronic programme guide (EPG) which details synopses of upcoming shows on all the channels.
What lies ahead?
So, that's the past and the present. But what does the future hold? Let's have a look.
Hotels will continue to move to STBs and some others will take the next step and move to boxes that have a built-in personal video recorder. Of all these, the most popular, with the largest range of channels, is the MY SKY PVR which allows guests to pause/rewind and record one channel while watching another.
It also allows for time poor guests to dictate what they wish to watch, when they want to watch it. For instance, a typical corporate guest may not always be able to see the nightly 6pm news due to extended meetings, client visits, dinner, gym, etc. But by recording via a one button setting, it is there when they get back to the room. They can watch the regular one hour bulletin in about 35-40 minutes by simply fast-forwarding the ads.
With more than 180,000 MY SKY PVRs in New Zealand homes already (and growing), there are thousands of guests who have already 'test piloted' this concept already, making it a must have.
At the same time, High Definition (HD) is becoming more and more popular, with HD televisions and decoders delivering a better picture than ever before. Many hotels, by acquiring HD-ready or full HD televisions will be able to access HD pictures in the future as more and more programming is filmed in HD mode (assuming the required hardware is HD-capable).
Now 3D television is here too. It will be intriguing to see how the concept is received because at this early stage, content is very limited and to watch it you need to wear special 'cool' glasses.
Making it easy
With all the technology now available, hotels have the opportunity to provide enhanced services to their premium rooms, reinforcing their executive status. However, giving guests the ability to control what they watch, when they want to watch it, will be a must.
Other important considerations are convenience and that guests are comfortable navigating the technology. Whether that's a user friendly remote, an easy way to dock their I-Pod, or handy power-points for their laptop and cell-phone charger, guests will expect it to be made easy for them. And let's not forget the social networks such as Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, MSN and user generated content sites like You Tube. They have experienced phenomenal growth in recent years and this will continue, as no doubt others come to the surface.
With all of this, the focal point for everything will be the television screen in the room – stream music from their iPod, download photos (it could be tourists going over their photos of the days' attractions or real estate agents reviewing a property portfolio), or make calls with video skype – the applications are endless. Hotel internet providers will continue to offer packages with various sizes and bundles and this will become even more competitive in the years ahead. What the future will bring regarding the technological advances can be crystal-ball gazing, but we know that guests will have high expectations of easy access to the latest communication and entertainment technology.
Ensuring that your hotel remains at the forefront will provide you with a telling competitive edge.
One thing we can be sure of – the old 26 inch wide (and about the same in depth) CRT television will be a museum piece at Te Papa before long.
James Kenny
Sky Business Account Manager
