Philips unveils the latest in hotel in-room entertainment with its complete new 2012 product ranges

Philips, the market-leading vendor of TVs for the hospitality industry, brought together 230 professionals from more than twenty countries last week at the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel for a unique trade event. Distributors, hoteliers, academics and consultants gathered at the UNESCO-listed Dome Church for the official product launch of Philips' latest innovations for hotel TV, including a complete new 2012 product range featuring MediaSuite with NetTV.

The two-day launch event was moderated by Ted Horner with a speaker line-up consisting of NH Hoteles' CPO, Pedro Martinez; Quadriga's CEO Roger Taylor; Ian Millar from EHL; Martin de Neuville from PVCP; Olivier de Montchenu from Euronews; and Michael Zetterlund from Nordic Choice Hotels.' The seminar followed four successful 'White Box Experience' events in London, Paris, Milan and Amsterdam where over 600 customers experienced Philips' MediaSuite with NetTV for themselves.

These latest products were created after research among more than 10,000 travelers indicated that 55% of guests would prefer to stay in a hotel which offered Net TV over one which does not. Furthermore, 92% indicated they would use the interactive TV service more than twice a day.

The new 2012 product range includes:

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• EasySuite, for the entry level segment of the market with advanced hotel features like MyChoice, ThemeTV and Green Button
• PrimeSuite, designed for the interactive segment of the market and will connect with any Set-top-Box
• Signature series, at the top of the range, comes with Philips' Ambilight and a Full HD 3D Cinema Experience
• And the new MediaSuite, with NetTV for hotels giving today's guests tomorrow's connectivity through online apps.

Philips involved a panel leading industry experts in the creation of the new MediaSuite product to ensure the range of features was fully developed to meet customer expectations in the digital age. The Philips' 'CoCreation Expert Team' included: Christophe Causero (Accor); Neil Schubert (Marriott); Bryan Hammer (Starwood); Ian Millar (EHL); Bryan Steele; and Ted Horner.

Each expert tested the new in-room technology with NetTV and following their feedback, a bespoke range of apps was developed and TV software was adapted to ensure guests can enjoy a fully secure online experience in their hotel rooms.

For catch-up TV, Philips partnered with known local broadcasters across multiple markets, as well as global news channels such as Euronews and CNBC, to maximize international appeal. Further partnerships were formed with social media networks, such as Facebook and YouTube, to allow guests to remain connected to their communities at the touch of their remote control.

At the launch in Amsterdam, Mark Poldervaart, General Manager, Philips Hotel TV group announced new partnerships with Rezidor Hotel Group, Dorint and others.
Robert Bartelds, Senior Product Manager, Philips Hotel TV group, highlighted the rationale behind Philips' innovations, commenting:
"The market has fundamentally changed: where originally we had two segments for in-room entertainment, now the top of the market is shifting away from the high-end Pay-TV model and the low-end, due to the easier accessibility of the technology, is moving upwards. The market however has not yet followed up on this, leaving a gap in the 2-4* market. With NetTV we will fill this gap and with our services of RentalTV, easy cloning and installation and a 5 Year Vendor Warranty, we will now be able to address this market with our vast partner network."

Ian Millar of the renowned Lausanne Hotel School discussed the trends in using apps and stated:
"As we become more connected at home, it's important for hotels to offer the same level of connectivity we expect at home. With NetTV in Philips' MediaSuite this has now become a reality."

Philips can now offer this experience to guests thanks to its latest range of MediaSuite TVs, meaning hotels' valued customers can feel even more at home with this range of Full HD LED TVs from 32" to 55".

Philips' new ranges will be available in the Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The roll-out of Philips' MediaSuite stakes place starting December, with installations already scheduled across Europe.

About TP Vision

TP Vision is a dedicated TV player in the world of visual digital entertainment. TP Vision concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets in Europe, Russia, Middle East, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and selected countries in Asia-Pacific. We do this by combining our design expertise and innovative Philips TV heritage with the operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling accentuating i.e. new materials and slim design. We believe in creating products that offer a superior TV experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TP Vision is a global leader in the hospitality market. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, TP Vision is the exclusive brand licensee of Philips TV for the above listed countries. The TV Company is 70% owned by TPV Technology, headquartered in Taiwan, and 30% by Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in the Netherlands. TP Vision employs close to 3,100 people in several locations around the globe.