Apple TV Installation
Brady Fisher
Director of Operations
When it comes to the physical installation of the Apple TV in the hotel room, there will always be differences between not only hotel sites, but the individual rooms and how they are laid out. The goal of this article is to give you everything you need to understand what to look for during installation and how to create a perfect install every time.
When your team arrives on-site, the first thing you should do is locate where all of your supplies have been stored and create an accurate inventory list. Making sure you have everything you need before you get started will save you and your team a headache down the road. After completing this, check with the hotel manager and your project manager and confirm the installation plan. If it is an existing hotel, figure out if there is a room block, or if you will need to be escorted to each room. If it’s a new build, confirm which floors are ready and where the manager would like your team to start.
Some final tests before you begin installation is to confirm that the internet is working and there are live channels in the MDF. These things should already be confirmed prior to your arrival, but it’s best to double-check. At this point, you should be ready to build out your golden room.
Golden Room
One of the most important things you can do when preparing for an install is to set up a golden room. The golden room is a room that is completely operational besides our Apple TV solution. This means the TV is hung, furniture is set up, and the internet is working. We recommend using a room that is the most common in the hotel, that way the location you choose to put the Apple TV is easily replicated throughout the majority of the hotel.
When picking the location of the Apple TV, we found it best to start with it in behind the center of the TV about 1.5-2″ below the top. This usually provides the best IR connectivity for our remotes throughout the whole room. Make sure to test this by mounting the Apple TV with tape or command strips first, and check all corners of the room with our remote to confirm it works.
Once the TV is installed and the remote works, mount the Apple TV and test to make sure that the Apple TV connected to the caching server and the live TV solution works. If everything works, you have completed your golden room and are ready to begin installing the rest of the hotel.
If possible, we recommend completing the Golden Room 1-2 weeks prior to installation to allow for any issues to be resolved before we are on site.
Physical Install of an Apple TV
To begin installing Apple TVs in your hotel room, first, measure the location of where you will be mounting the Apple TV while the TV is still on the wall. Measure down 1.5-2 inches from the center top of the TV, (unless your engineering team decided on a different location), and make a small mark on the wall. Remove the TV and place it safely on the bed or floor. Take the Apple TV bracket and screw it into the wall on the mark so it is level.
Once the bracket is installed, place the Apple TV with cable ports facing down into the bracket. Attach your patch cable, HDMI, and power cable to the Apple TV and make sure to secure the locking mechanism on the bracket. Attach the cables and make sure to efficiently wrap up all excess cabling to minimize the mess behind the TV.
Remount the TV, check that all connections are solid, and then turn on the Apple TV and TV. The Apple TV should begin to update once the caching server recognizes it on the network, and it will reset itself and will turn back on with the ROOMNET top shelf. At this point, test to make sure that live TV works, and that the remote works in all corners of the room. Once these are confirmed, you can turn the TV off and proceed to the next room.
To begin installing Apple TVs in your hotel room, first, measure the location of where you will be mounting the Apple TV while the TV is still on the wall. Measure down 1.5-2 inches from the center top of the TV, (unless your engineering team decided on a different location), and make a small mark on the wall. Remove the TV and place it safely on the bed or floor. Take the Apple TV bracket and screw it into the wall on the mark so it is level.
Once the bracket is installed, place the Apple TV with cable ports facing down into the bracket. Attach your patch cable, HDMI, and power cable to the Apple TV and make sure to secure the locking mechanism on the bracket. Attach the cables and make sure to efficiently wrap up all excess cabling to minimize the mess behind the TV.
Remount the TV, check that all connections are solid, and then turn on the Apple TV and TV. The Apple TV should begin to update once the caching server recognizes it on the network, and it will reset itself and will turn back on with the ROOMNET top shelf. At this point, test to make sure that live TV works, and that the remote works in all corners of the room. Once these are confirmed, you can turn the TV off and proceed to the next room.
Cloning the TV
The cloning process of the TV is one of the essential steps in the installation process for a few different reasons. It allows the hotel to control the input, volume, and other settings that are essential to have a uniform and quality guest experience. Once your engineer has helped you configure a USB file with the correct settings for the TVs in your hotel, the distribution of the cloning file is fairly simple. If you need help creating a specific cloning file for the TVs at your location, go to our page specifically on creating cloning files found here for Samsung and LG.
LG
To begin the cloning process, first, turn on the TV and insert the USB cloning file into the back of the TV. Next, press the settings button on the LG remote control. Once in the settings menu, open the general section
Using the remote control, select the arrow buttons on the remote and navigate to the general Settings icon and then press the OK button on the remote. Once you have entered this menu, enter the numbers 9-8-7-6 on the remote and the option Learn from TV (TLX) will appear. Click on this option and select the desired file from your USB drive. Once downloaded, press OK to save the changes. You will now be able to remove the USB from the TV and use it to clone other TVs.
Samsung
To begin the cloning process, first, turn on the TV and insert the USB cloning file into the back of the TV. Next, press the buttons mute 1-1-9 enter to open the installer menu. Once this menu appears, scroll down to the cloning option and select ‘import from USB’. Select the desired file and press OK. Once the download completes, closeout of the menu and turn the TV off. You will now be able to remove the USB from the TV and use it to clone other TVs.
Site Etiquette
When we are doing an install for our Apple TV or HSIA services, there are some general guidelines on etiquette that we follow. If we are installing at a hotel before it is open, it usually means the hotel will still be under the control of a construction company, who will have their own rules around the site such as induction, PPE, limited access, and security that need to be followed. However, working in an open/ functioning hotel, there are other rules that need to be followed to create a professional look to the hotel guests.
Open Hotel Etiquette
- Ensure you introduce yourself to all key members of staff, this includes owners, general managers, team members, front of house, and housekeeping.
- Hotel staff may want to restrict your access to certain rooms and areas (such as occupied rooms). This is fine but as the number of rooms needing to be completed gets smaller you may need to gain access to these occupied rooms, going in alongside a staff member may be the best option.
- Before entering a room always knock twice and clearly say “maintenance” for anyone inside to hear. It should be unlikely there is someone present, but this still needs to be done.
- Make as little mess as possible. Sometimes it’s impossible to not make any mess but please do your best to tidy up any mess you do make and ensure you take all trash with you
- If a bed has been made, then do not sit on it or touch it
- Do not use the bathroom – this includes the toilet, sink, shower, and anything else
- Refrain from using bad language in public areas – many of our customers have high paying guests who do not wish to be exposed to rude language or behavior and our priority is to keep our clients as happy as possible
- Ensure all trash is cleared from the hotel when the installation is complete