Monday, April 20, 2009
by Alistair R. B. Forbes
I mean if there are less than 40 bedrooms or something, then perhaps. But to install a non-system TV in a hotel is "penny wise and pound foolish” (English proverb from the early eighteenth century).
Consumer TVs have no central control and channels cannot be locked down. A guest can therefore detune the tv from its channel and if the hotel ever finds out through a complaining customer, a maintenance engineer will have to be dispatched to the room(s) to retune.
Consumer TVs do not have a global retuning facility so when new channels appear, a visit has to be made to every room. Central control can allow the programme set up to be changed to include freeview digital channels alongside anologue broadcast channels….but NOT on consumer TVs.
Consumer TVs do not have the facility to preset the volume to an appropriate level, so the idiot in the next room can fall asleep in a stupor listening to MTV on full volume. If a system tv was involved, the reception could turn the volume down remotely. The alternative is a pick-axe to the door.
Consumer TVs do not have a clock facility or alarm facility.
I cannot think of any reason whatsoever why a hotel should install a consumer TV, unless the staff have nothing to do except visit the rooms all the time and fix TVs rather than talk to guests.