Technology

Solving the 'too many sources of TV audio' problem in-restaurant

Photo: Provided.

May 11, 2021

Pizza restaurants, sports-centered chains and other foodservice businesses that revolve around an assortment of programming on multiple TV monitors just got a way to give customers the specific programming they want with directly synched audio, despite what other monitors in the restaurant are playing.

LG Business Solutions USA has announced Pro:Centric Catena, a network management solution that allows customers to select from any available restaurant TV and listen to audio through their own smartphones and earbuds, a news release said.

The service is specifically designed for restaurants with multiple, public-facing televisions and uses a web application to separate the audio from the video stream and send it directly to smartphones synchronized with the TV broadcast. This capability also allows restaurants to play background music while each table or customer chooses the game or show they want to listen to.

The solution operates on LG's Pro:Centric smart televisions and gives staff with the ability to remotely tune content and manage their TVs directly from smartphones or tablets, eliminating the need for numerous remote controls or tuning individual set-top boxes. LG Catena manages lip sync by separating the audio from the video stream on the premises and delivering it to the smartphone independently synchronized with the TV broadcast.

Richard Lewis, vice president, technology for LG Business Solutions USA, said more and more integrators and end users are considering remote management solutions as a means to increase productivity and simplify content management across any size display network, all while providing new benefits for customers and guests.

"Public-facing displays are effective tools for messaging and ambiance, and Pro:Centric Catena helps make it easier for business owners to ensure their customers have great experiences without requiring constant staff supervision or assistance," he said in the release. "Customers gain a personalized experience, business owners and staff get peace of mind that TVs will always be easy to control, and maintenance is simplified by installers' ability to login remotely and diagnose minor issues. All of this further enhances the value of connected displays."

The solution comprises a server and a TV application that is accessed through an intuitive web-based user interface, providing control of every display, either individually or in pre-arranged groups of displays. TVs can be remotely tuned, powered on and off, rebooted and display custom messaging created by the owners. Catena is designed to work exclusively with LG Pro:Centric Smart IP televisions and set-top boxes and supports both High Definition and 4K UHD resolutions.

"In addition to the simplicity of a drag-and-drop interface to direct content to displays, business operators also have the ability to brand their user interface with their logo or color scheme for a more personalized user experience," Lewis said in the release. "For on-site staff, responding to customer requests has never been easier, as any changes to channel or volume can be made instantly through staff's mobile devices."

Pro:Centric Catena supports cable and satellite box sources as well as commercial video-on-demand services using the Pro:Idiom digital rights management system that provides owners access to premium content and protecting content with a leading end-to-end digital rights management system.