Samsung to Begin Rolling Out Hotel Room TVs With AirPlay Support for iPhone and iPad

[MacRumors]

Samsung today announced that it will be rolling out AirPlay support for its series of hotel room TVs, allowing iPhone and iPad users to wirelessly stream videos, music, photos, and more from their device to the TV in their room.

The feature allows you to scan a unique QR code on the hotel room TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing you to wirelessly stream content from your iPhone or iPad. After the pairing process, your device will also automatically be connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi network. The device must be updated to iOS 17.3 or iPadOS 17.3 or later.

AirPlay on hotel room TVs works with apps and services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade for games, Apple Fitness+ for workouts, and much more.

Samsung said no personal info is ever stored or saved for this AirPlay feature, and the paired device is automatically removed when you check out of the hotel.

Samsung did not reveal which hotel chains will be offering its AirPlay-enabled TVs. The feature launched earlier this year on LG hotel room TVs at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with more locations to follow.

Google has long offered a similar Chromecast streaming feature on many hotel room TVs that works with both iPhones and Android devices.

Article Link: Samsung to Begin Rolling Out Hotel Room TVs With AirPlay Support for iPhone and iPad

 

[Unity451]

I usually just bring my Apple TV with remote and HDMI cord and then attempt to bypass the lame hotel TV UI.

Cool feature, but I'll probably keep doing that until this is more widely rolled out across TV brands and hotel chains.

 

[Neepman]

I'm sure there will no security or spying issues at all with this....

 

[flexwithmarius]

I'm sure there will no security or spying issues at all with this....

Samsung said no personal info is ever stored or saved for this AirPlay feature, and the paired device is automatically removed when you check out of the hotel.

There won’t be any security or privacy issues. They said so and I actually believe them.

Once a guest checks out these systems are fully reset to clear any login credentials from the previous guest. The hotel doesn’t want any liability for guest streaming service account tampering.

 

[joh420250]

Not trying to sound smart but I'm 30 years old and I didn't know folks actually watched TV while at a hotel. Apparently there's enough people watching TV at hotels if Samsung put money into the idea. 🤷‍♂️

 

[rbramseyjr]

Not trying to sound smart but I'm 30 years old and I didn't know folks actually watched TV while at a hotel. Apparently there's enough people watching TV at hotels if Samsung put money into the idea. 🤷‍♂️

what else am i supposed to do during refractory periods? 😅

 

[Blackstick]

My kids watch Disney on the hotel TV. I ignore the TV entirely. Rarely ever turn it on.

 

[nagibator]

I used Samsung Screen Mirroring in a few hotels in Turkey in 2021 🤔

 

[subjonas]

Nice. I’d still rather an Apple HDMI stick for better security and you can use it anywhere, but I’ll take it.

 

[mansplains]

Nice. I’d still rather an Apple HDMI stick for better security and you can use it anywhere, but I’ll take it.

Seriously, basic streaming doesn't require the full computer of the current Apple TV models. A stick would increase adoption for those who think another box with power supply is too much.

 

[victorvictoria]

It would be nice if some hotels actually upgraded their TVs to take advantage. Most of the places we stay have TVs that are ancient by tech standards.

 

[subjonas]

Seriously, basic streaming doesn't require the full computer of the current Apple TV models. A stick would increase adoption for those who think another box with power supply is too much.

Probably yeah. I’d be fine with just AirPlay though, since I can just stream from my Apple device.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Not trying to sound smart but I'm 30 years old and I didn't know folks actually watched TV while at a hotel. Apparently there's enough people watching TV at hotels if Samsung put money into the idea. 🤷‍♂️

Evening routine is to throw a classic movie, Brit com/drama on and eventually fall asleep. I don’t watch TV, I stream what I like. An Apple TV also travels with me as well.

 

[coolfactor]

Not trying to sound smart but I'm 30 years old and I didn't know folks actually watched TV while at a hotel. Apparently there's enough people watching TV at hotels if Samsung put money into the idea. 🤷‍♂️

Careful. You're leaving the door open for interpretation there. Laptop screen instead of TV screen. 🤣

 

[macfacts]

Finally!

Too bad apple doesn't let devs use the NFC for pairing. When Walmart or some other store needed you to scan qr codes to pay, a bunch of negative nancys would boo that plan and call it stone age.

 

[ikramerica]

Whenever I try to use Airplay to stream Netflix, it tells me to use the built in smart tv app, or Roku app, or appletv app instead. So how is this going to change that?

 

[magicschoolbus]

Cool!! Awesome job Sammy.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I usually just bring my Apple TV with remote and HDMI cord and then attempt to bypass the lame hotel TV UI.

Cool feature, but I'll probably keep doing that until this is more widely rolled out across TV brands and hotel chains.

Bye by AppleTV ... so expensive for a block device that barely does anything more that an HDMI stick; actually a LOT less! Moreover, it does nothing that a software implementation can now do and has been able to do for years now.

Like you said ... once this becomes more ubiquitous then you'll no longer need to bring your home AppleTV.

Hotels be selling AppleTV's like hotcakes in 3-2-1.

 

[BGPL]

Marriott will have these in 2032.

 

[SeaFox]

Marriott will have these in 2032.

Stayed at a Sherton (owned by Marriott) last month.

I bring my own Amazon Fire Stick with me to hotels (have a small case that holds the device, remote, and accessories). The room had a panel with pass-through jacks to easily connect your own VGA or HDMI device to the TV, but they didn't work of course. The hotel system was so invasive just disconnecting the HDMI cable from their box to bypass it wasn't enough. I got video but the audio was not controllable from my (paired to the hotel TV) remote. Even though the box was no longer physically connected to the TV it was still in charge of the audio somehow, but it sent the commands over HDMI-CEC I think, because I could not use the hotel TV remote to control the volume either once I disconnected the box.

I found out I needed to turn off the TV and unplug the power on the disconnected hotel box, too. Then after that, the TV's own audio would work again, but it was also locked to power on at 100% volume. So whenever I wanted to watch TV I had to turn the TV on and then immediately turn the volume down before doing anything else.

Given the hassle I would have preferred the setup I encountered at a Radisson Red last summer (Chromecast device connected to TV as part of normal room entertainment).

 

[svish]

Good to see this on Samsung TVs

 

[Fuzzball84]

One of the best features ever to get decent adult content on those hotel televisions. This can only be a good thing.

 

[joecomo]

My kids watch Disney on the hotel TV. I ignore the TV entirely. Rarely ever turn it on.

same with me - but being able to use Apple Fitness+ or use my streaming subscriptions on the big screen, might make me use it

 

[joecomo]

Bye by AppleTV ... so expensive for a block device that barely does anything more that an HDMI stick; actually a LOT less! Moreover, it does nothing that a software implementation can now do and has been able to do for years now.

Like you said ... once this becomes more ubiquitous then you'll no longer need to bring your home AppleTV.

Hotels be selling AppleTV's like hotcakes in 3-2-1.

never been in a hotel that had an Apple TV - they only have these strange boxes strapped to the back of their TV sets

 

[joecomo]

Stayed at a Sherton (owned by Marriott) last month.

I bring my own Amazon Fire Stick with me to hotels (have a small case that holds the device, remote, and accessories). The room had a panel with pass-through jacks to easily connect your own VGA or HDMI device to the TV, but they didn't work of course. The hotel system was so invasive just disconnecting the HDMI cable from their box to bypass it wasn't enough. I got video but the audio was not controllable from my (paired to the hotel TV) remote. Even though the box was no longer physically connected to the TV it was still in charge of the audio somehow, but it sent the commands over HDMI-CEC I think, because I could not use the hotel TV remote to control the volume either once I disconnected the box.

I found out I needed to turn off the TV and unplug the power on the disconnected hotel box, too. Then after that, the TV's own audio would work again, but it was also locked to power on at 100% volume. So whenever I wanted to watch TV I had to turn the TV on and then immediately turn the volume down before doing anything else.

Given the hassle I would have preferred the setup I encountered at a Radisson Red last summer (Chromecast device connected to TV as part of normal room entertainment).

I usually unplug the Hotel TVs (and sometimes the setup-boxes) as well - the red-light of the infrared is disturbing my sleep.