iBAHN, Time Warner to Offer Next-Gen TV & Web Entertainment

iBAHN, a provider of IP-based entertainment and information services for the hospitality and meeting industries, and Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) , the B2B arm of Time Warner Cable, announced a new offering of enhanced television services for hotels, which is now premiering at Dream Downtown in New York City.

 

Delivered via iBAHN’s ETVi platform, this solution offers full-screen, high-definition (HD) access to the Web, in-room entertainment, and more than 60 available HD television channels, provided over fiber by TWCBC's new HD Video for Hospitality offering.

 

The Dream Downtown hotel is among the first to implement the enhanced service, thereby delivering on guests’ demands for the best entertainment and a distinctive luxury hotel experience.

 

“Our guests demand the best, and we are committed to meeting their expectations at every turn, including exceeding what they experience in their own homes,” says Michael Lindenbaum, managing director of Dream Downtown and vice president of operations for Hampshire Hotels & Resorts. “Time Warner Cable with iBAHN allows us to delight our visitors with a rich lineup of HD television channels and access to the Web via the TV. Starting the moment the guest enters their room, we are able to extend the Dream Downtown brand interaction and service standards through the television by leveraging the ETVi platform.”

 

The iBAHN ETVi platform is an IPTV viewing experience. iBAHN clients using ETVi in tandem with the company’s iMEDIA Internet application can offer travelers access to content of the Internet on their in-room TVs, such as just-missed television, Facebook, Hulu, YouTube and Slingbox. ETVi and iMEDIA also allow hotels to deliver guest information via IP, creating a more eco-friendly, interactive and modern communication method and saving costs over the typical guest information binder. Links to amenities pages and special offers also drive incremental business.

 

In collaboration with TWCBC, iBAHN’s ETVi platform can now provide HDTV service to more hotels by offering a cable solution. HDTV offers a far superior viewing experience than standard definition (SD) TV, which many hotels still offer. HD channels allow the hotel to take full advantage of their investment in flat screen TVs to provide an enhanced guest experience.

 

TWCBC’s HD Video for Hospitality enables hotels to customize their solution, choosing from optional premium HD channels such as HBO and Showtime, an international channel package, MusicChoice with 40+ channels of music programming On Demand and New York favorites such as NY1 in crystal-clear HD.

 

The television system at the Dream Downtown 316-room property enables guests to enjoy crisp HD programming, plus access to their own Internet content delivered to the TV. Additionally, guests can explore Dream Downtown’s amenities, restaurant menus and services through the TV. The sleek on-screen design, simple remote, and state-of-the art keyboard complement the hotel’s modern and clean aesthetic and gives Dream Downtown the ability to extend their brand via the TV.