Hacking the hotel TV - making the most out of being stuck in your room
We've probably all been there at one point - you are stuck in a boring town, with nothing more than the hotel TV to keep you occupied. It doesn't really matter where you are, the channel selection on most hotel TV's is going to be useless.
You'll usually get one or two hotel welcome channels, some local news stations and a couple of sports channels. Forget HBO or any of the "other good stuff", unless you are willing to pay for it.
In this article I'll describe how you can use the TV for your benefit - and how you can bring your own TV programming with you.
(Despite the catchy title, this article will not describe theft of service, or physically hacking the hotel entertainment network, sorry!).
The aux input - the "holy grail" of personal in-room entertainment
On virtually every hotel TV, you'll notice a set of connectors on the front of the unit - usually yellow, white and red connectors. These are the plugs you'll need in order to plug some better entertainment into the tube.
On more modern TV's they may be on the side, or even the back. Just be sure you don't slide the TV off the dresser when you move it check on the rear, as most hotel tend to frown on a TV with a busted picture tube.
Once you find the inputs is where things can get tricky - hotels would much rather have you spend $19.95 for the latest movie than have you watch your own content for free. The agreement hotels have with their entertainment provider means they grab a pretty nice chunk of whatever they charge you.
The easiest way to check whether the inputs on the front of the TV are enabled is to simply plug something in and press "play" on your device.
I've been in many hotels that specifically mention that their TV video inputs are disabled, and from the remote it would indeed seem like they removed the option. However, as soon as the TV detects a signal in those inputs, it switches right to it, without the need to press any buttons. When on the video input, the TV will usually say "camport", "aux" or "line in".
If you find one of those TV's, life is easy, but if you plug something in, and nothing happens, it may be time to become a little more creative, so here are some tips to get the video channel enabled on your hotel TV:
- Use the channel buttons on the front of the TV, not on the remote. The line-in channel is often right before, or right after the regular channels.
- Try channel numbers not in the usual "up/down" lineup, like 00, 000 or 100.
- Try a universal remote control and program the various codes for that specific TV into the remote, then try the "input' button on the remote, you'll be surprised how often a $10 remote can bypass what the hotel does not want you doing. It may take a couple of attempts, but what is 5 minutes of your day when the alternative is watching the TV welcome channel over and over again.
- When I travel, I carry a Logitech Harmony remote, which can be programmed using my laptop - its remote code database is extremely extensive, and I have yet to run into a TV I can't "tweak". You can find a Harmony remote for as little as $40.
Unfortunately for them, simply unplugging the cable/Lodgenet/OnCommand box on the back of the TV fixes that problem.
Of course, some may ask whether any of this is ethical - in my opinion it is - as long as you leave the TV in the same condition it was when you arrived in the room, nobody should care, switching to the AUX input does not break the TV, and the only "damage" you cause, is preventing the hotel owner from making money off selling overpriced movies.
Modern TV's make life easier (sometimes)
Some hotels are slowly coming to the realization that guest need more than just a 26" 80's wood grain TV.
Those hotels are beginning to replace the old tubes with nice flat panel TV's. Of course, the less-than-smart ones replace the TV, but still broadcast non-HD stuff on it.
One disappointing trend I've noticed is that these hotels provide a really nice TV, with a ton of inputs, but screw a panel over said inputs to prevent you from watching your own content. Of course, this is where a screwdriver in your carry-on bag can help. In some cases, you may even be able to use a spoon to unscrew the panel and plug your cables in. Just be sure to remove your own cables and replace the panel before you leave.
Then there are the hotel chains that really care for their guests, and understand that you'd like to have access to all those plugs. Those hotels are installing "AV boxes" next to the desk, which let you access all the ports without having to reach behind the TV. A good example of such a hotel chain is Aloft, which is part of Starwood.
Connecting a media player
Once you figure out how to change the TV input, it is time to connect your media player. I'll focus on the player I personally find the most pleasant for travel - the Microsoft Zune.
Why the Zune? Its AV connection kit is affordable, and the docking station comes with a remote control. The Zune also displays its menu on the TV, unlike the iPod which forces you to pick your movie on the device, then switches the TV output on.
Trust me, it is much more comfortable when you can lie in bed and use your remote to pick a movie instead of having to get up all the time (and yes, I am that lazy).
The Microsoft Zune AV kit retails for about $55, and comes with a video cable, docking base, power supply and remote control. The kit is nice and compact, and provides everything you need to entertain yourself in your room.
A similar branded solution for the Apple iPod/iPhone costs $100 and still doesn't provide the ease of use found on the Zune.
Connecting your laptop
If you'd prefer to use your laptop computer to watch movies, you'll usually need to invest in a special video cable. Almost every laptop on the market can output its video to a TV, as long as it has the right cable.
A compatible video cable can be found on places like Ebay for as little as $5, or you can check with the manufacturer of your laptop and order an (overpriced) cable from them.
Take TiVo with you!
Anyone with a TiVo back home probably hates being stuck in a hotel. Whenever I am watching TV in my hotel room, I always find myself reaching for the remote to skip commercials, only to find the sticky hotel remote.
There is thankfully a way you can bring TiVo with you, get access to digital programming and your familiar TiVo remote.
Last year, Nero (of the famous CD recording software) teamed up with TiVo to release Nero Liquid TV. This software/hardware package turns your computer into a full TiVo, with all the features you'd expect, including season passes.
The $125 package includes a digital TV tuner, a TiVo remote control, a remote control receiver and a 12 month subscription to the TiVo service.
The package allows you to do several things - it can network with your home TiVo and transfer recordings from the box to your laptop (and the other way around), plus it can use the included TV tuner to record shows with the included antenna when you get to your hotel.
Just to clarify - this is not the same as TiVo desktop - Nero Liquid TV actually turns your computer into a TiVo, which goes way beyond what TiVo desktop can do.
When you get to your hotel, you simply configure your location (based on zip code), and you can immediately start watching live TV, and schedule recordings.
If you'd rather not bother with a tuner, you can watch programs you transferred off your home TiVo, or even watch movies in one of the many media formats supported by the application.
There are one or two minor limitations to the software - it does not work with digital cable, even though the included tuner is compatible, and I found the TiVo to PC transfer option to be a little unreliable at times, but being able to turn your laptop into a TiVo is absolutely fantastic, and helps you feel a little more at home when you are stuck in a hotel.
You will need a fairly powerful laptop to run Nero Liquid TV, but I've found that it actually works fairly well on a 1.6GHz Netbook, as long as you have a fast hard drive and 2GB of memory.
Watch your home TV - away from home
The final option I'll be describing in this article is potentially one of the coolest - it involves "streaming" your home TV signal, over the Internet to your hotel. No matter where in the world you are, as long as you have a reliable Internet connection, you can use your computer to watch whatever is on back home.
One of the more advanced products for TV streaming is the HAVA Titanium HD WiFi. This $249 device (currently on sale for $179) combines several devices in one - it can stream your home signal inside your house to other PC's, or over the Internet to a PC, smartphone or Internet tablet. It can also act as a DVR, and finally, it is also a media player (when you plug an external hard drive into it).
The HAVA Titanium goes between your cable box/satellite receiver/DVR/TiVo and your TV, and broadcasts that signal wherever you want. The included infra-red dongle controls your devices, and you are presented with an on-screen remote on your PC that looks just like the one back home.
The quality of the streamed image is great - as long as your Internet connection is reliable. The Hava can adjust the quality of the image based on the speed of your connection.
Of course, the final stage of watching your home TV in your hotel room, is connecting your laptop to the TV, and sitting back to relax, and watch all the channels you have back home.
Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations, Gadling Gear Review
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Craig Mar 26th 2009 2:59PM
I hate to sound like one of those crotchety old "go play outside" types, but why even watch TV in a hotel? Go out and explore the place you're visiting, even if it means wandering aimlessly in the rain. Want to watch a game? Find a bar/pub/etc and watch it there with the local people and food. Tired from a long day of travel? Just go right to sleep so you can be well-rested the next morning. Need to veg for a bit? Go to a movie or find a park bench.
It seems like a waste to travel somewhere only to sit in your hotel watching TV.
Scott Carmichael Mar 26th 2009 3:11PM
Craig - you make perfect sense, and this is all great if you are in a fun destination with plenty to do. But I've spent 100's of nights in boring cities, where everything closes at 6, or where the nearest bar or restaurant is 20 miles away.
Sadly, not every hotel is close to a nice park or bench, and those that are, are not always in the kind of place you'd want to venture outside at night.
Arpey Mar 29th 2009 1:05AM
Obviously you have never spent a night at DFW ariport hotel, or the PHL airport hotel, of other such rat holes.
Walk? Park? Restaurant? YBGSM.
A
Barkin Mar 27th 2009 12:38PM
1. There are plenty of hotels where the RCA ports on the front of the TV are totally decommissioned. Even if you unplug the lodgenet box, even if you use a universal remote... the ports have just been totally shut off. In this case, none of your suggestions work. Of course, you can still hack into the TV...
Unplug the lodgenet box. Then plug in a RF converter box (cheap at RadioShack), which is a little converter allowing you to plug an RCA device into the coaxial jack on the back of the TV (where the lodgenet box was attached). Now you can access the TV by plugging whatever device you want into the RF converter.
2. You're recommending the Zune as a serious media device? Is this a joke?
I have lots of experience hacking into hotel room TVs. When I travel, I take a kit of equipment that allows me to get into virtually any boob tube and watch my own movies and TV shows.
The big problem with your article is that you use marginal equipment. Most people with media players don't own Zunes. They own iPods. Get over it. (And seriously, you like the crappy Zune for no other reason than that it doesn't require you to move?) Furthermore, most people who watch their home TVs on the road do it by using a Sling device. Sling is most definitely the industry leader. Hava may offer some more advanced features. But I know dozens of people who own Sling boxes, and you're the first dude I've ever heard of who uses a Hava.
If you're actually going to be helpful to people, recommend equipment that they actually own (or that someone they know may actually own). Zune? Seriously?
3. You're right that a lot of Starwood hotels are now adding input panels that allow you to plug into their TVs. Its actually even more common in the Marriott chain. A lot of Renaissance hotels, Marriotts, and Courtyards have the feature available. In addition, so do some Sheratons and a Hilton or two. As a frequent business traveler, this is my favorite feature in a hotel.
Scott Carmichael Mar 27th 2009 9:56PM
Appreciate the comments.
Why would I recommend something just for being the market leader? I know about Sling, and have 3 of them here. I had a Sling the very first day they were available. But being market leader does not make it the best product - personally I prefer the Hava because its image quality is better, because I can use it as a DVR in my room and I can access recordings on the drive I have connected to it.
I'm not in the business of recommending products just because they are popular - I recommend my own personal opinion. Same reason I picked the Zune. Seriously, why the hate towards the player?
And why would you think it is a joke? Yes, I think the Zune is a serious media device, and yes, I think everyone who is looking for a player should consider it. I can buy a 120GB Zune AND media kit (with component video and remote) for about the same price as a 120GB iPod. It's all about personal choices, but I refuse to settle for a player just because the rest of the world settled for it.
I could have recommended Archos, but their insane codec system and accessory prices makes me hesitant to do so.
You are spot on with the lack of Mac support - I should have mentioned that.
Barkin Mar 28th 2009 10:52AM
Why should you consider a product's popularity?
1. In an article about hacking into a hotel room TV, you could accept the fact that far more people own iPods (and iPhones) than Zunes, and you could help those people successfully use the equipment they already have to accomplish the article's goal: getting their own video up on a hotel's television screen.
You could have done that, and then said, "Of course, if you don't own an iPod or any other media player, let me recommend the Microsoft Zune because I like that you can control it on-screen using a remote." That would have been more helpful at accomplishing your original goal.
2. I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to recommend a product only because it's popular, but sometimes popularity helps. When a product has 70-80 percent market share, it's easier to find accessories (like media cables), and it's easier for a novice user to find help using said product.
3. When you're recommending a product that few people have even heard of (like Hava), it may be helpful to say something like, "You may have heard of the Sling line of products that allow you to watch your home TV on your laptop on the road. I think it's a good product, but if you don't use a Mac, I would heartily recommend the new line from Hava, which works a lot like Sling but offers a bunch of more advanced features." Your article doesn't even acknowledge the fact that Hava is basically a fringe player in a market totally dominated by Sling.
It's like recommending a Linux machine to someone who has never owned or used a computer. Maybe the Linux box is a good choice for them, but shouldn't they know what they're getting into, and that the vast majority of computer users own machines that run Windows or MacOS?
Barkin Mar 27th 2009 12:42PM
One more thing:
Zune and Hava: No Mac support. PC only.
iPod and Sling: Work on both Mac and PC.
terry Mar 28th 2009 10:28AM
This was a great article. I knew none of this before. I dont travel that much but i guess i could use the same setup for my computer display at work - if i had the guts!
Dan Apr 2nd 2009 7:27AM
Another solution for streaming from home is the free software from orb.com.
It allows you to stream videos, music and pictures from your home windows pc to anywhere, including iPhones and Wii's. If you use this with a Media Center PC with a tv tuner card you can even stream your recorded tv shows.