DALLAS—LG Electronics, Inc. and LodgeNet
Entertainment Corporation are bringing satellite-sourced programming in
high-definition television (HDTV) to hotel guests for the first time. The
end-to-end solution delivers high-definition digital video to the guest room
television from both the satellite dish and the off-air antenna.
Announced at
the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference here today, the
new system is based on an LG-developed off-air platform that transcodes
satellite-delivered HDTV channels (such as HDNet, HBO-HD, Showtime HD, ESPN HD
and Discovery HD Theater) for delivery to hotel rooms.
The signals, which will be
encrypted to provide digital content protection, take advantage of the
industry-standard digital television reception technology that will be built
into virtually all TVs over the next three years in accordance with Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
"This system builds on our
first-generation, standards-based off-air HDTV solution that today is providing
guests a vastly sharper picture and smoother video compared to analog and
digital SDTV (standard-definition television) signals," said David Bankers,
senior vice president, Product and Technology Development for LodgeNet, one of
the world's largest providers of interactive television systems and broadband
services to the lodging industry.
