Hotel room HDTVs still stuck with standard definition TV have an upgrade on the way

It's a sad truth experienced by too many travelers, far too many of the HDTVs installed in hotels over the last few years don't have any high definition programming coming to them. While the experienced traveler is prepared for all circumstances we've all been stranded somewhere with only stretched, blurry SD programming as our only option. The USA Today recaps the issue, with execs from Marriott, InterContinental Hotel Group (owners of Holiday Inn & Crowne Plaza hotels) and Hilton chiming in about their plans to expand HD services over the next year. That won't completely erase the horrors of our last hotel stay, but at least we can be at ease knowing a change is coming.

[jason202 Posted Feb 9th 2010 5:18PM]

One trend I've noticed recently is that HD broadcast locals are sometimes passed through way up at the upper end of the line-up. I guess it's better than no HD at all.

[worldbfree4me Posted Feb 9th 2010 5:32PM]

I think that bandwidth is more expensive than replacing the TV, hence no Hi-Def in the room.. SAMMY or LG will be glad to sell you 20,000 flat screens at discounted rate. But Timewarner or Direct TV will not bend period...

[mmaestro Posted Feb 9th 2010 6:41PM]

Nice, but honestly what I'm really hoping (praying) for is hotels starting to roll out widi in their TVs. That would be a reason to buy a new laptop, right there.

[nrb Posted Feb 9th 2010 6:49PM]

The hotels I've stayed in that had HDTV's, had 27" televisions. 480p is just fine.

When traveling, high-def is hardly a priority anyway.

[brianbobcat Posted Feb 9th 2010 9:53PM]

A year and a half ago, during the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies, I was staying in a Hyatt in Denver and it had DirectTV. Of course there was a heavy thunderstorm that knocked out both the DirectTV signal AND their ATSC broadcast tower. The DirectTV was nice when I had it though.

-Brian

[ReadyKilowatt Posted Feb 10th 2010 8:45AM]

Part of the problem is that the hotel industry has come up with their own incompatible security standard for digital TV called Pro:Idiom (http://proidiom.com/). Because cable and Satellite providers are not permitted (by the program suppliers) to decrypt HD signals for buildings*, they have to re-encrypt using the Pro:Idiom standard at the building demark. The equipment to do this is just now starting to appear and will be rolled out later this year. The main reason for end to end encryption of course is because the program suppliers are worried that someone with a QAM tuner in a laptop will go to a hotel and "steal" their content.

*Decryption is not considered the same thing as descrambling.

[nrb Posted Feb 10th 2010 10:55AM]

@(Unverified)

I learned something today. Thanks.

What forces a hotel (or chain) to comply with the standard? Not not just toss it out and sign a contract with the local cable company?

[barkingghos Posted Feb 10th 2010 10:15AM]

If I were sitting in bed with my back up against the pillows I doubt my vision is capable of seeing 720-1080 lines of resolution anyway. For 16:9 aspect displays, the rule is 1.5 times screen width to be able to see 1080 lines with 20/20 vision.