Philips PDS helping hotels reduce e-waste with software update

Philips Professional Display Solutions (Philips PDS), Amsterdam, is offering a complimentary Android upgrade across its range of HFL5014 and HFL6014 Google-certified MediaSuite hospitality TVs, helping hotels, hospitals and others to reduce their e-waste by extending the lifetime of their existing products.  

The decision to allow older models to be upgraded will open all the latest entertainment, control and security features to new and existing models, maximizing return on investment and reducing the frequency of replacements for a more positive environmental impact. 

Latest figures show a record-breaking 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste in 2019, up 21 percent since 2014. Some figures suggest as many as 800 laptops are discarded every second, while each year in the U.K., an estimated 2 million TVs are dumped, many of which are fully working but simply deemed outdated and worthless, Philips PDS states in a news release.

Part of Philips PDS’ ongoing commitment to improving its own and its customers’ green credentials, its MediaSuite Android-powered TVs – found in hotels and hospitals around the world – now get better with age, with regular updates bringing a consistent, high-performing experience, regardless of when the TV was purchased.

“At Philips PDS we are committed to creating a more sustainable path forward for the AV industry," says Franck Racape, commercial vice president EMEA at Philips. "One that brings benefits to all of our customers, reducing carbon footprints and the effects we are seeing from every type of waste. From reimagining packaging through to extending product lifetimes, sustainability is a key requirement for our customers and a clear deliverable achieved with these updates.”

Jeroen Verhaeghe, global product manager for professional TVs at Philips, adds: “With MediaSuite and our Extended Lifetime guarantee, hotel TVs get better with age, ensuring greater return on investment and the ultimate, uncompromised TV viewing experience for every guest in every room.”

Additions to the upgrade include but are not limited to:

Netflix

The Android 9 update will see MediaSuite hospitality TVs among the first in the world to include embedded Netflix – allowing the streaming service’s 193 million subscribers to enjoy all their favorite content seamlessly through their in-room display.

Disney+

With over 60.5 million subscribers, the Disney+ streaming application provides access to the latest and favorite movies and TV shows under the Disney umbrella, including Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic.

Google Assistant

With Android P, guests will have the optional convenience of controlling their TV and accessing online information, such as news, weather or local information, entirely through the power of their voice.

Latest Security Patches

All TVs will include the latest security updates from Google Android, as well as those from Philips PDS, making MediaSuite Pro TVs among the most secure on the planet.

“We don’t believe in limiting the latest and greatest features to the newest Philips models. We want our customers to be able to offer the best experience at all times, not just when their TVs are due for replacement. We hope our strategy brings some welcome relief to the industry, both today and into the future,” Verhaeghe says.