33 / 56
31
between Samsung interactive
TVs and property-management
software. Its AllShare Cast tech-
nology allows screen mirroring and
video streaming to enable seam-
less content sharing between
personal mobile devices, such as
a smartphone or tablet, to the
guest-room TV.
For those looking to upgrade
existing TVs in the near future,
Crespo advises that LED televi-
sions save power and that newer
systems eliminate the need for the
set-top box. “You’re buying into
a more cost-effective platform,”
he says.
The newest curved televisions
from Samsung support ultra high–
definition content, which will be
more widely available in the near
future, Crespo says. “This is a
leap-frog opportunity. When we
polled the hotel industry, we found
that of 4.8 million guest rooms, 1.9
million still have no HD or digital
content. There has been a gap
between the technology that con-
sumers enjoy in their homes and
what they find when they travel.
I’m excited to help close that gap
and delight travelers with a state-
of-the-art experience.”
Read All About It
Eliminating the need for a stack
of periodicals at the front desk,
PressReader offers 2,800 local,
reg i ona l , and i n t e r na t i ona l
to watch those same shows while
traveling.”
It’s a trend you can’t ignore,
says Glenn Haussman, editor-
in-chief at
Hotel Interactive
.
“Hospitality companies need to
be focused on delivering solutions
that allow guests to access ser-
vices with their own devices,” he
says. “If they don’t do that, they’re
going to be left behind.”
Appearing on the
Big Screen
With the rapid adoption of stream-
ing to smartphones, tablets, and
even traditional laptops, resort and
hotel guests are already watching
programming on those devices.
But in a resort unit or hotel room,
they may be watching a Netflix
movie on a 5-inch screen when
there’s a 60-inch, high-definition
TV sitting just a few feet away.
Some new technologies allow
guests to connect their devices to
in-room TVs so content playing
on the devices is mirrored on the
screen. Others, such as Apple TV,
allow guests to sign in to their
Netflix, HBO Go, or other accounts
on the device itself.
Samsung is partnering with
industry vendors, while also includ-
ing smart-TV technology in its
offerings, many of which eliminate
the need for additional equipment.
Samsung Lynk Sinc 3.0, for
example, enables communication
Samsung offers smart TV technology that
allows communication between TVs and
property management software.
publications that guests can read
on their laptops, tablets, or smart-
phones. “PressReader provides
guests access to a portable
newsstand where they can get full
editions of their favorite interna-
tional newspapers or magazines
downloaded to their own device,”
says Igor Smirnoff, chief com-
mercial officer for PressReader.
“Guests can wake up and read
their hometown paper in their
native language from the comfort
of their room, even before the issue
hits their doorstep at home. We’re
proud to offer an eco-friendly
newspaper and magazine service
to meet the global needs of hotels
and travelers with the amount and
selection of content we provide.”
To use PressReader, guests
connect to the property’s Wi-Fi,
go to PressReader.com, or down-
load the free app and choose the
desired country, language, and
publication. The service is avail-
able in all Wi-Fi-accessible areas.
Their Own Devices