LG Electronics, in collaboration with Google and SONIFI, is set to improve the hotel experience of thousands of guests by adding Google Cast to more than 500,000 hotel rooms by this fall.
This move aims to provide guests with seamless streaming capabilities, allowing them to enjoy their favorite content directly from any of their favorite devices onto hotel TVs.
LG, Google, and SONIFI partner to bring Google Cast to over 500,000 hotel rooms, enhancing guest streaming experiences.Image via SONIFI
More Seamless Streaming for Hotel Guests
The plan looks to launch Google Cast software directly into LG's smart hotel TVs. This integration eliminates the need for additional hardware, simplifying the streaming process for guests.
This development is set to enhance the guest experience by allowing them to stream content from their phones, tablets, or laptops directly to the in-room TV. The system supports a wide range of devices, including those running Android, iOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS.
This means that guests can easily cast their favorite shows, movies, and music without the hassle of dealing with unfamiliar TV interfaces or limited channel options.
In a statement, Michael Kosla, Senior Vice President at LG Business Solutions USA, highlighted the benefits of the embedded casting integration. He emphasized that this approach eliminates the need for hotels to install, configure, manage, and monitor an additional device in guest rooms, leading to operational efficiencies and a convenient guest experience.
To add to this, Kara Heermans, SONIFI's Senior Vice President of User Experience and Product Management, expressed excitement about launching a simplified casting deployment option with the security, reliability, and ease of use that hotels and guests expect.
She noted that it provides a positive experience for both staff and guests, who continue to receive round-the-clock support from SONIFI, just as they do with STAYCAST.
Similar to SONIFI's current casting solution, STAYCAST, guests can pair their mobile devices to the TV using a QR code. This allows them to stream content from thousands of apps during their stay without needing to enter their credentials on the TV itself.
SONIFI's patented device isolation technology ensures that guests can only cast to the TVs in their room and the secure pairing is automatically disconnected at checkout, safeguarding their privacy.
The new built-in Google Cast solution will be showcased at the 2024 HITEC event in Charlotte, North Carolina, from June 24-27. As an early adoption partner, SONIFI will begin deploying the LG smart TVs with built-in Google Cast this fall.
During Google's I/O developer conference in May 2024, the company quietly reverted the "Chromecast built-in" brand back to its original name, "Google Cast." This reverses a change made in 2016 when Google Cast was renamed to Chromecast built-in to capitalize on the popularity of Chromecast dongles.
Earlier this year, LG announced that its 2024 webOS-powered TVs would include Chromecast built-in (now Google Cast) and Google Home support. Google celebrated this partnership, emphasizing how easily LG TV users can now cast content from their phones or Chrome browsers directly to their TVs.
