Frequently Asked Questions

Q.	Many in-room entertainment systems basically put a PC in every guestroom to function as a set top box (STB). NxTV has a different approach, using the "thin client" concept; there is no hard drive in the guest room STB. Instead, data is maintained on hard drives on a central IT system. What is the reason for the NxTV design?
A.	There are many advantages to the NxTV design of a diskless, fanless STB linked to a central IT system. First, the STB itself is less complex, making it more reliable. It's also quieter - no fan and no hard-drive. Second, NxTV's Network Operations Center is able to centrally manage deployment of new services instead of requiring personnel to go room-by-room updating PCs. Third, more content and functionality can be stored on central computers than on room STBs, increasing the amount of content and the variety of in-room entertainment and data services that can be delivered to each guest room.
Q.	NxTV keeps adding new application services, such as IPTV, and Voice over IP. How difficult is it to add new services?
A.	The NxTV architecture makes it very easy for NxTV to add new services. We provide a turn-key service that doesn't add overhead to hotel IT staff or require a technician to physically enter the guest room. Santana Row, a condominium complex and NxTV customer in San Jose, California, delivers VOD, VoIP, wireless computing, high speed laptop connectivity and bar code scanners over a single IP-over-Ethernet network.
Q.	NxTV Systems have been deployed at remote locations, such as Costa Rica and the Bahamas; many other systems are not successful at such sites. What role does the system design play in ensuring success in these environments?
A.	The centralized architecture and remote management infrastructure of the NxTV System make us much more efficient, enabling us to operate successfully even in the most remote resort locations.
Q.	My hotel wants to make full use of a new in-room entertainment system, including lots of VOD movies, wireless laptop support and a menu of hotel services complete with video clips. Can the NxTV System support the required speed and HD quality for a large-content offering in every guest room?
A.	Yes, the NxTV System will fully support all these services and more. The IP-over-Ethernet network provides sufficient bandwidth to support additional services for years to come.
Q.	Does our hotel need to have a specific make or model television in our guestrooms in order to use the NxTV System?
A.	No. The NxTV System was designed with versatility in mind. As a result, our System can and does interface with virtually any television display available on the market.
Q.	Does NxTV provide a link to our Property Management System? How hard will this be?
A.	Odds are that NxTV already supports an interface to your PMS. NxTV supports interfaces to most PMS brands, but if your system is not yet on our list, our engineering team can add support quickly, before we install NxTV in your hotel. The PMS interface adds important functionality, such as: Room status (it tells NxTV when a room is checked in or out); Folio review and check-out through the TV; Billing NxTV charges to the guest's folio in the PMS; Enabling/disabling NxTV services from the PMS.
Q.	How is the NxTV system different from the analog in-room entertainment systems?
A.	NxTV technology is dramatically different from analog systems. NxTV services are delivered over an IP-over-Ethernet network, providing large amounts of bandwidth to your guestrooms. Leveraging IP-over-Ethernet broadband technology and several state-of-the-art proprietary components, the NxTV System is a highly scalable, complete end-to-end network application enabling the delivery of a wide variety of in-room entertainment and data services. The NxTV System management capabilities allow NxTV engineers to maintain 24/7 communication with the System, remotely monitoring all network equipment, set top boxes and software applications. This enables immediate and proactive service responses. In addition, NxTV engineers can manage and distribute content, handle customer billing, administer system components and manage user information from a central location. The System is designed with several different user levels and interfaces seamlessly with the hotel's existing Property Management System to enable hotel staff real-time access to a variety of back office features.