Imtech Marine Introduces IM IPTV
Imtech Marine developed an IPTV solution specifically suitable for merchant and special vessels.
The IPTV system enhances the crew comfort on board and helps the ship owner retain its valuable crew. It is based on Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and offers interactive multimedia services such as television, video, audio, text and graphics delivered over IP-based networks. The system reduces costs by eliminating the cable TV infrastructure and works via a plug-and-play IP network. The Imtech Marine IPTV solution offers TV and a package of regularly refreshed high class content like blockbuster movies, top TV series, music, news and sports. It also offers another functionality: a tailored infotainment system, to communicate about the company, to describe safety procedures and to educate the crew about relevant topics. The system can be integrated with Imtech Marine’s Global VSAT solution, which facilitates remote access, trouble-shooting and maintenance.
The system was developed in close collaboration with Belgian dredging company Jan De Nul. Imtech Marine installed IPTV on its entire fleet. Ruben De Lille of Jan De Nul said, “Crew entertainment for Jan De Nul is an important part of crew welfare. The Jan De Nul crew must feel at home while on board. We offer services that can be compared to a four star hotel. Apart from good food in the messroom, a fully equipped gymnasium and a lounge bar, each cabin is provided with modern devices: free Internet access, a television set with DVD player and an Entertainment system that allows the crew to watch both satellite and terrestrial TV channels, listen to the radio or music on demand and to watch video-on-demand movies. Our crew is on duty 12 hours a day, for six weeks at a time. After work it is important for them to have the possibility to relax. Our Entertainment system plays an important role in this. Even in the gymnasium we have installed some Entertainment stations so our crew can relax both their body and mind.”
Latest blockbusters
Imtech Marine IPTV has all of the latest movies and TV channels available. The IPTV solution feeds the system on a regular basis with the most recently released blockbuster movies. Imtech Marine has the commercial distribution rights for Video On Demand/IPTV for the latest blockbuster films from Columbia Pictures, 20th century fox, Universal, DreamWorks, Warner Bros, Paramount studios and there are more studios on the way. Imtech Marine has also acquired a license from several other content producers, such as the BBC.
Future upgrades and remote maintenance
The crew can choose a channel in their cabin and select TV in different languages or subtitles. They choose movies from a catalogue and have full control, in the same way as they would at home. All the new movies are added to the server onboard so downloading from the Internet is not necessary, saving huge amounts of bandwidth. For the owner, there is a monthly fee, which is more simple than paying per movie. The IPTV solution provides all of the hardware and software needed during the initial installation. Future upgrades include the possibility for remote maintenance and long-term content feed.
