Procurement guide
How to compare hotel TV providers before you buy.
The right hotel TV provider is not simply the company with the longest feature list. The decision affects every room, the property network, content licensing, checkout privacy and the team that will operate the system after installation.
Ask every supplier to answer the same operational questions in writing. A working demonstration on the intended television model is more useful than a presentation built around future features.
Seven checks that reveal the real proposal
Use these checks for cloud, on-premise and hybrid tenders. They expose costs and dependencies that are often missing from the headline price.
- 01
Content rights
Confirm who licenses each channel, where it may be shown and whether commercial hospitality use is included. A technically receivable signal is not automatically licensed for hotel distribution.
Can you provide the permitted territories and hospitality rights for every paid channel?
- 02
Existing television fleet
List the exact model suffix and firmware, not only the brand. Hospitality TVs may run an application directly; consumer models often need a managed set-top box.
Will you certify our exact TV model and deployment profile before purchase?
- 03
Deployment model
Cloud reduces local infrastructure. On-premise supports local satellite, terrestrial and IP sources and can keep core services local when the external connection is unstable.
Which functions stop if the internet connection fails, and which continue locally?
- 04
PMS and checkout privacy
A useful integration should match the guest to the room, personalise the welcome and remove guest sessions or credentials at checkout where the TV platform permits it.
Show the complete check-in and checkout workflow, including what data is retained.
- 05
Total cost
Compare software, room devices, head-end equipment, installation, licences, support, upgrades and replacement cycles over the same term.
What is the three-year cost for our actual room count, including every required component?
- 06
Daily control
Hotel staff should be able to change information, services, channels and room assignments without opening a support ticket for routine work.
Which changes can our team make immediately, and which require the supplier?
- 07
Exit and continuity
Understand what happens to devices, content, configurations and integrations if the contract ends or the supplier changes.
Can we export our property data and continue using our authorised local sources?
Where COTT.TV fits
COTT.TV combines hotel IPTV, guest services and licensed channel distribution. The recommended design depends on the screens, network, content sources and operating model of the property.
- Room screen
- Direct application on validated LG, Samsung and Philips hospitality TVs, or a preconfigured COTT set-top box.
- Deployment
- Cloud for a fast, centrally managed rollout; on-premise for local reception, media services and greater independence from the external connection.
- Content
- Channels are supplied only inside the COTT.TV platform. Availability and pricing are controlled by country and distribution rights.
- Management
- Properties, rooms, devices, content and guest services are managed from one account, including multi-property operation.
- Commercial model
- Cloud subscriptions start at €10 per room per month. On-premise projects and optional hardware are quoted to the property.
Test the real workflow, not a slide deck.
Open the guest interface, then ask us to validate your TV model, room count, network and PMS. That is enough to define the correct architecture and a comparable quotation.
- What should a hotel TV provider include?
- At minimum: a managed room interface, device administration, a lawful route for television content, support for the intended televisions, clear network requirements and a documented checkout privacy process.
- Can hotel IPTV run without a set-top box?
- Yes, on compatible hospitality televisions. The exact model, firmware and hotel deployment profile must be validated. A set-top box remains the practical route for consumer TVs, older screens or mixed fleets.
- Is cloud or on-premise better for a hotel?
- Neither is universally better. Cloud is simpler where internet is reliable. On-premise is appropriate when the hotel receives channels locally, needs local media services or cannot depend entirely on the external connection.