AirPlay coming to hotel TVs soon thanks to LG and Apple partnership

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Apple announced AirPlay was coming to hotel TVs during WWDC, and that effort is already making headway thanks to LG bringing the feature to its hotel TV lineup in 2023.

Connect to hotel TVs via AirPlay
Connect to hotel TVs via AirPlay



AirPlay is a convenient feature that lets users cast content from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac to another product like a TV. This system is being implemented in upcoming hotel TVs, and LG is at the forefront.

In a press release from LG Business Solutions USA, the company announced it would bring AirPlay to its upcoming LG Pro:Centric Smart Hotel TVs starting in 2023. LG is said to be among the leading providers of in-room hotel TVs, so fast adoption from the company is a boon for Apple's feature push.

"This is a major advancement for in-room entertainment in the travel and hospitality industry, and underscores how closely we are listening to the needs of consumers who increasingly demand simple access to their personal media options on the biggest screen, wherever they are," Michael Kosla, hospitality vice president at LG Business Solutions USA, said. "Hotels that offer this feature will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use Apple devices, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation from local competition."

The process for connecting to a hotel TV via AirPlay is streamlined as well. Users will only need to scan a QR code on the TV to pair with it -- no passwords or apps are required.

A brief mention suggests AirPlay could come to other LG hotel TVs. It states, "AirPlay capability will be available on 2023 LG smart hotel TVs and on recent year's models."

Apple and LG worked together to ensure the feature is not only easy to access but private and secure at its foundation. The LG line of hotel smart TVs with AirPlay will begin rolling out at the end of 2023.

This solves a problem for users who don't want to navigate confusing TV setups or cable to find something to watch. It also means users won't need to bring their personal Apple TV on trips.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    jdgazjdgaz Posts: 405member
    Great news. 
    watto_cobrachasm
  • Reply 2 of 8
    SGilbertSGilbert Posts: 7member
    I hope they'll be available for home use.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 8
    PaulWigginsPaulWiggins Posts: 1member
    JP234 said:
    I must be staying at the wrong hotels. I have yet to find one with smart TVs. Most of the TVs are 15-20 years old. Even at Hotel Indigo in Savannah, which is otherwise quite modern.
    Aye. A lot of this comes down to global head office smarts. It's impossible and inappropriate to make rooms look the same the world over but chains like Accor have been really reactive to the reality that a lot of us are travelling with at least three devices and need stuff like lots of outlets with care on where they are put. As a dumb TV, LG a popular pick because guests find the remotes menu easy.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 8
    ichbinglitchedichbinglitched Posts: 9member
    I used this feature at two different CitizenM hotels in may... Seattle and London.  it was really pretty effortless.  I'm glad it's becoming a thing...
    williamlondon
  • Reply 5 of 8
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,886member
    ichbinglitched said:
    I used this feature at two different CitizenM hotels in may... Seattle and London.  it was really pretty effortless.  I'm glad it's becoming a thing...
    Ah I’ve stayed in the CitizenM in Seattle as well (Pioneer Square). I’m really impressed with their rooms for business travel. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 8
    roundaboutnowroundaboutnow Posts: 735member
    SGilbert said:
    I hope they'll be available for home use.
    Consumer TVs started getting Airplay at least 5 years ago. Practically all new TVs have it now. Even my cheap 4 year old Vizio has it. Most TVs also have the AppleTV+ app installed.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    roundaboutnowroundaboutnow Posts: 735member
    Generally, hotel TVs are commercial models designed for "hospitality" applications. These models have the internal decryption capability to handle receiving signals from a headend that satisfies DirecTV or other providers' distribution rules, either via coax or CAT5/6 cable connection.

    I was at a Marriott Residence Inn recently. The TV there had an LG "Set Top Box" mounted behind the TV to provide the "smarts". The TV looked like a relatively new model, but using an STB allows any hotel TV to be retrofitted to be a smart TV, so there's no need for a hotel to go out and buy a bunch of new TVs. There was even a provision to allow connecting an external HDMI source, enabled from the on-screen menu. The STB was this one: https://www.lg.com/us/business/hospitality-tvs/lg-STB-5500

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