“Federal mandates, brand standards and guest expectations are driving HDTV to critical mass in the lodging industry,” said Scott C. Petersen, President & CEO for LodgeNet, which has delivered high-definition (HD) entertainment since 2003 and holds current and pending customer agreements that contemplate HDTV for more than 160,000 guest rooms. “Hoteliers who spent the past few years educating themselves about digital television are rapidly moving to implement an HDTV solution.” 

Stephen D. McCarty, LodgeNet’s Senior Vice President of Sales & Hotel Relations, commented that while the breadth of HD content is expanding and display prices are coming down, the transition to HDTV remains fraught with challenges that can cost time, money and guests’ goodwill. “First, you need to know your property’s infrastructure inside and out,” he explained. “Then you need to find affordable components that are all compatible with each other. And you need to wrap project management around it all to ensure everything comes together on schedule and within budget.” 

McCarty added that LodgeNet is rolling out an “Easy HD” program that encompasses: 

1. Network optimization to assess (and if necessary, upgrade) the hotel’s infrastructure to support an HDTV solution with all the functionality guests expect from a world class in-room entertainment platform. 
2. Consulting expertise to help hoteliers make the right decisions regarding a cost-effective, cross-compatible HDTV solution. McCarty says that LodgeNet can help hoteliers identify HD display models that will deliver the growing array of HD free-to-guest (FTG) and video-on-demand (VOD) content in a guest-friendly way. In addition, LodgeNet can interface with designers and furniture/case good manufacturers to ensure a hotel’s HDTV solution impresses guests with not only what they see, but what they don’t see. 
3. In-room integration services that cover the installation and connection of the HD displays, in room wiring/cabling, and other peripherals (including mounting brackets, surround-sound systems and a Guest Connectivity Center enabling guests to use the display as a monitor for their laptops, iPods and other portable media devices). 

HITEC visitors are invited to attend “HDTV:  How To Make It Easy”, an Exhibitor Tutorial LodgeNet is hosting Tuesday June 20 at 2:30 p.m. in Exhibitor Tutorial Room B of the Minneapolis Convention Center. 

About LodgeNet 

LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation (www.lodgenet.com) is the world leader in interactive TV and broadband solutions to hotels throughout the United States and Canada as well as select international markets. These services include on-demand movies, on-demand games, music and music videos, subscription sports programming and television on-demand programming, as well as high-speed Internet access, all designed to serve the needs of the lodging industry and the traveling public. LodgeNet provides service to more than one million interactive hotel rooms and serves more than 6,000 hotel properties worldwide. LodgeNet estimates that during 2005 approximately 300 million domestic and international travelers had access to LodgeNet’s interactive television systems.  In addition, LodgeNet is a leading innovator in the delivery of on-demand patient education, information and entertainment to healthcare facilities. LodgeNet is listed on NASDAQ and trades under the symbol LNET.