•  On Jul, 10, 2023
•  Jackie Nunez
•   Hospitality TV Headend System, Streaming Hotel TV Channels

Imagine this – your favorite television programs, all streamed from the cloud. It’s happening, and it’s happening faster than you think. Our world is evolving and so is the way we watch TV.

A lot of the big wireless companies out there have started offering IPTV and OTT services to their subscribers. “IPTV” and “OTT” are just fancy terms for TV that you watch over the internet. Also, many popular networks and even some of your niche favorites are now connecting directly with us viewers.

But, what about hotels? Well – that’s a little bit different.

Most hotels still use what’s called a “headend” appliance to distribute channels to your hotel room TV. And if you’re interested in finding out more about this appliance, give Sun Comm a call to learn more about Hotel TV Headend systems.

Here’s where things get cool. With a “Super Headend,” things move into the cloud. Picture this, your traditional, clunky local headend appliance doesn’t sit in the hotel anymore.

Instead, it’s replaced by this Super Headend that streams TV channels directly from the cloud via the internet. If you run a hotel, this is great news – you no longer need to buy this tech. Instead, you simply rent it as a service from a local supplier.

What are the pros and cons of a Super Hospitality TV Headend?

You’re probably wondering the pros and cons of a Super Hospitality TV Headend, right? Let’s discover each of them:

Pros:

1. Save your money: With a Super headend, the costs are split among many hotels. This makes it cheaper than having a local headend in each hotel.
2. Fewer headaches: A local headend can fail. It might need a reboot. A Super headend eliminates these issues.
3. Quick changes: Want to switch up the TV lineup? One Super headend makes this a breeze, reaching all connected hotels instantly.

Cons:

1. High Bandwidth Requirement: If we’re talking about a “centralized setup,” think of it as everything running from one main place. You’ll need to have an incredibly speedy internet connection with a lot of bandwidth quota.
2. Strict content protection requirements: With TV channels streaming across the open internet, show owners want their content secure. So, you’ll need to protect it using a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system. Though, I warn you, this can be complicated and pricey.
3. Single point of failure: If the internet goes down, so does everything else.

Should You Replace Your Existing Headend With A Super Hospitality TV Headend?

It’s not as simple as a yes or no. You see, this setup has its pluses and minuses. So who’s it best for?

Therefore, think about this. If your hotel hooks up to the internet via fiber and you aren’t yet at peak capacity, then maybe it’s for you. Ask yourself, does it make sense to stream all channels from the Super Headend? If your hotel already has a headend or if you get Free-to-Air (FTA) TV channels through air or cable, you might want to consider a mixed bag approach.

What do I mean by mixed bag? Well, think about streaming a few select channels from the Super Headend, while you rely on your local headend for the rest. From a budget standpoint, it’s not a bad choice. If you charge guests for the select channels, you could offset the cost of increased bandwidth usage.

At Sun Comm Technologies, we’re pretty excited about this Super Headend idea. We think it’s a future star.

Do you want to consult about this matter? Tap on the GET A QUOTE us button below. One of our TV gurus can’t wait to help you out!