NEW YORK— Zenith Electronics Corp. used the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show here as a platform to unveil a major agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and to unveil two new products. Zenith executives attending the show said the company inked a pact with Starwood to install Zenith’s new 42-inch widescreen, flat-panel plasma display TVs in selected Westin Hotels & Resorts and W Hotels in North America. The agreement covers guestrooms as well as public areas, according to Zenith executives, and could result in the installation of as many as 3,800 plasma displays. “This is the first time in the U.S. that a standard has been chosen for plasma displays in the hotel industry,” said Mike Kosla, director of sales for the lodging industry for Zenith. “This is as big as when the standard was set for color TVs in the 1980s,” he said. Selected for use with the 42-inch plasma displays (P42W22B) is Zenith’s new Plasma Interface Module, developed specifically for the lodging industry as a complete solution for in-room, wall-mounted flat-panel TVs. The device is designed to enable the operation of plasma display panels in hotels and is compatible with LodgeNet Entertainment, On Command and other in-room pay-per-view services, said Randy Moore, product manager/ direct view television commercial products for Zenith. In addition, Zenith rolled out a new 32-inch flat TV specifically for the lodging industry at the show. Its new “Truly Flat” TV is the largest integrated pay-per-view flat-screen TV for the hospitality industry, according to Moore. The design features a flat surface on both the outside and the inside of the screen, allowing brighter images and enhanced color without distortions, he said. Moving forward, Zenith executives also said the company is playing a crucial role in helping hoteliers make the transition to high-definition television. The Federal Communications Comission has approved regulation requiring virtually all TVs to include digital tuners by 2007, said Ron Snaidauf, vp/ commercial products at Zenith, adding that this includes hotel TVs as well as residential. “People want the same amenities and same luxuries in a hotel room that they have in their home,” Snaidauf said. Currently there are more than 500 stations broadcasting in high-definition representing 92% of the U.S. market, Zenith executives said. — Elliot Markowtiz
