Getting to your hotel room at the end of a long day and then being frustrated at the sheer inability to quickly pair your Apple device to the non-iOS-based TV in your room is commonplace.
In an attempt to bridge that gap, Samsung Electronics has announced that their hotel TVs will be made compatible with Apple’s AirPlay allowing guests to easily connect their iOS and iPadOS devices to the TVs in their rooms.
The Apple AirPlay compatibility will first be available in the Samsung HBU8000 model running at least a Tizen 7.0 OS and will be subsequently rolled out across its other existing models.
By scanning a unique on-screen QR code, guests will be able to connect their iPhone or iPad to the Samsung Hospitality TV.
Samsung noted that its hospitality TVs also have technologies such as LYNK Cloud and SmartThings Pro which can be used by hotel managers and operators to manage content showcased on those TVs.
LYNK Cloud is a cloud solution for Samsung Hospitality TVs that allows hotel operators to offer customisable content, remote device management, and access to OTT entertainment.
Equipped with an e-commerce platform, LYNK Cloud can also support an in-room ordering system that offers guests interactive services such as booking hotel services, ordering room service, and a digital concierge.
LYNK Cloud could be used to personalise content and experiences for hotel guests and create promotional content across different rooms or properties worldwide.
Its SmartThings Pro technology meanwhile also gives hotel managers more interoperability and security with IoT devices in their properties, claims Samsung. They can use it to connect and control Samsung smart devices throughout the hotel, such as Hospitality TVs, Smart Signage, air conditioning systems and more IoT devices through a single dashboard.
SmartThings Pro also offers customisable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for easier integration with existing systems, and a customisable dashboard.
Apple’s decision to introduce its AirPlay to its hospitality TVs is a belated move considering that all Samsung TVs sold to consumers in stores and online from 2019 and later, along with some 2018 models, already offer support for Apple AirPlay 2.
