The Madinat Jumeirah resort has been successful at reflecting the character of Dubai, by being traditional and state-of-the-art at the same time. While the themed resort speaks about the cultural influences, the interiors beam-in the latest in fashion, entertainment, industry and information, through 500 HT 5404 model Philips televisions which were installed by Al Ghandi Electronics, the local agent for Philips.

The television sets, which have been installed in record time, have been specifically designed by Philips to cater to the specific needs and requirements of the world of hospitality, according to a spokesman for Dubai-based Al Ghandi Electronics.  

Reliability, durability, quality and user-friendliness are the keywords that form the basis of the design of every product. Close cooperation with the leading hospitality companies at an early stage of the design ensures that not only technically, but also aesthetically the TV sets will comply with the several stipulations, he says.

Over the years, Philips iTV, the institutional television division of the electronics giant, has firmly established itself in the Middle East at large and the Arabian Gulf in particular as the leading supplier for hospitality television sets.

According to a spokesman for Philips, 'It was a decade ago that the management of Philips Electronics realised the special needs of the hospitality sector (hotels, furnished apartments, hospitals, etc). Soon a specialised department with consumer electronics, the 'Institutional Television' or iTV was born.'

The iTV television sets range from traditional picture tube sets (21', 25', 28', 29'), LCD (23', 30') all the way to plasma screens (42') and can cater for a wide range of applications. There is an ongoing review of the market demands, for instance for 17' TV sets with built-in FM radios for certain segments, but also research into new flat screens and fitting accessories.

According to the company, Philips HT5404 and HT2217-series of televisions sets can be used, either as stand-alone units or as a part of an interactive hotel television system. Two dozen different features have been inbuilt in the system that has proven use within the hospitality industry. The hotel guest can use the television set as an alarm clock, use the teletext feature and also automatically limit volume levels at late hours. The television set allows programming of channels within 12 seconds and will also automatically report to the technical department, when the batteries of the remote control are low.

A wide array of special remote control and so-called smart loaders allow easy and swift copying of channel parameters and blocking channels. Front panel controls on the television sets can be locked, preventing hotel guests or children from tampering with the settings. Following the trends in North America and Europe, the television sets are capable of multi-standard reception, hi-fi stereo sounds and have an energy saving feature, that limits the power usage to nil when switched to stand-by.

iTV opted for an 'Open Architecture' approach when the HT-series were designed a few years ago. These sets facilitate seamless connection to interactive systems through an interface located on the rear panel of the sets, also called 'SmartCards'. The interactive engines (from system integrators such as 2M, Otrum, Prodac, Quadriga, VDA) allow server-based interaction, streaming video, games, email services and the Internet.  The system also allows the user to use the television sets in the stand-alone mode and, at a later stage, to decide whether to add the third party interactive system.

iTV has recently  introduced a revolutionary concept called Mirror TV.
'Mirror TV uses a unique polarised mirror technology, which transfers close to 100 per cent of the light through the reflective surface,' says the Philips spokesman. 'It is the first product created at the Philips HomeLab, the company's research incubator for future electronic products and technologies, to reach the commercial market. The Mirror TV is ideal for non-traditional viewing spaces when it is installed flush to the wall.'
Philips initially plans to market the Mirror TV to hotels, but also sees a market for the product in customised environments within the next few years.

'The Mirror TV is an important step forward for consumer technologies, and for Philips,' said Dr Gottfried Dutine, CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics, 'It provides the solution to the ever-shrinking spaces in hotels and retail environments. The design hides the electronics, giving spaces an architecturally refined display and enhancing the upscale ambiance that hotels and retail environments strive to provide guests. At up to 30 inches, the Mirror TV could be placed on the wall as a centrepiece.'

Al Ghandi Electronics has won many prestigious projects in Dubai which now stand testimony to the quality of products and services. These includes a lot of luxurious hotels, commercial towers, complexes, offices and villas.

To ensure that the quality of service never suffers, Al Ghandi Electronics maintains a complete service centre in Dubai. Engineers are constantly trained on a continual basis to be up to date with the latest products and to offer the best service at all times. Such attention to detail and customer satisfaction has no doubt cemented for the establishment of an enviable reputation, making it one of the most respected names in the field today.