Everything a Hotel Owner Needs to Know about Pro:Idiom
What is Pro:Idiom?
In layman terms, Pro:Idiom is a special technology used in hotels to protect TV content (sports, movies, etc.) from being copied or stolen. More specifically, a hotel’s TV service provider will require the TV signal coming into the hotel to be encrypted (or scrambled), which cannot be viewed properly on a TV, until the signal is decrypted (descrambled). The signal can only be decrypted with a Pro:Idiom Decoder Box or a special TV called a Pro:Idiom TV.
It is technically spelled “Pro:Idiom”, but often casually typed “pro idiom” or “proidiom”.
It is technically spelled “Pro:Idiom”, but often casually typed “pro idiom” or “proidiom”.
Do I need Pro:Idiom in my hotel?
There are some old analog cable providers who still have not upgraded their legacy systems to include Pro:Idiom. If you are using one of these old providers, then you may be able to get away using regular TVs… but not for long! As TV service providers usher-in the new digital-content age, they will be required to protect this “easy-to-copy” digital content with Pro:idiom. So the next time you upgrade your TV channels or switch to a new provider, be prepared to go Pro:Idiom.
Which should I purchase… Pro:Idiom TVs or decoders?
Most hotelliers agree that Pro:Idiom Decoders are an ugly solution. It is an extra box that needs to be installed in your guest rooms. It will have to be mounted somewhere (usually behind the TV or furniture) and requires additional cables running to/from your TV. These boxes are an extra device that will need repair, they sometimes get stolen, and the extra cables go bad as well. It’s just more maintenance, more troubleshooting, and more hassle.
The only time I would recommend a decoder solution is if you have a large number of brand new “regular” TVs, and you’re being forced to upgrade to Pro:Idiom. In this case, it may be too painful to purchase new Pro:Idiom TVs, so you might just be stuck with a decoder solution for the next 5 years.
Everyone else will be purchasing Pro:Idiom TVs. The Pro:Idiom technology is built right into the TV, so there’s nothing else to do except plug it in. This makes for an easy, elegant solution for you, your guests, and your maintenance staff.
The only time I would recommend a decoder solution is if you have a large number of brand new “regular” TVs, and you’re being forced to upgrade to Pro:Idiom. In this case, it may be too painful to purchase new Pro:Idiom TVs, so you might just be stuck with a decoder solution for the next 5 years.
Everyone else will be purchasing Pro:Idiom TVs. The Pro:Idiom technology is built right into the TV, so there’s nothing else to do except plug it in. This makes for an easy, elegant solution for you, your guests, and your maintenance staff.
Should I purchase Pro:Idiom TVs now or later?
For my customers who are purchasing new TVs, I recommend they go with Pro:Idiom TVs instead of regular. It’s worth future-proofing your hotel now to avoid replacing your TVs in a year or two (or worse yet… getting stuck buying decoders).
What is the difference between a Pro:Idiom TV, a Hospitality TV, and a Commercial TV?
Often times, they are all the same, but let’s be careful to not confuse them…
Commercial TVs - This is the broadest category. It represent TVs with special design and functional features for a commercial environment (a non-residential environment where many people are using/sharing the same TV).
Hospitality TVs – These are a special kind of Commercial TV designed for guest rooms (hotels, resorts and hospitals). These environments often have hundreds of TVs being used daily, and thus require special fleet-management capabilities built-in to the TVs. For example, a hotel will need the ability to set maximum volumes on each TV to prevent noise pollution in the adjacent guest rooms. It is also necessary to have “USB Cloning”, which is the ability to copy the TV’s settings and channel programming from one TV to the next, instead of manually programming each TV with the remote control.
Pro:Idiom TVs – A Pro:Idiom TV is simply a Hospitality TV with Pro:Idiom built-in. You can purchase Hospitality TVs with or without Pro:Idiom. Pro:idiom TVs will work with both a Pro:Idiom signal and a regular signal. In other words, they work perfectly at home too.
Commercial TVs - This is the broadest category. It represent TVs with special design and functional features for a commercial environment (a non-residential environment where many people are using/sharing the same TV).
Hospitality TVs – These are a special kind of Commercial TV designed for guest rooms (hotels, resorts and hospitals). These environments often have hundreds of TVs being used daily, and thus require special fleet-management capabilities built-in to the TVs. For example, a hotel will need the ability to set maximum volumes on each TV to prevent noise pollution in the adjacent guest rooms. It is also necessary to have “USB Cloning”, which is the ability to copy the TV’s settings and channel programming from one TV to the next, instead of manually programming each TV with the remote control.
Pro:Idiom TVs – A Pro:Idiom TV is simply a Hospitality TV with Pro:Idiom built-in. You can purchase Hospitality TVs with or without Pro:Idiom. Pro:idiom TVs will work with both a Pro:Idiom signal and a regular signal. In other words, they work perfectly at home too.
To learn more, see our selection of ViviX Pro:Idiom Hospitality Televisions.