While some travellers like to completely disconnect from technology during their cruise or ferry journey, others prefer to unwind by watching a blockbuster movie or a TV series, or cheering on their team during a live sporting event. But issues such as unstable connectivity networks, low latency, slow bandwidth speeds and inclement weather can make it challenging to consistently deliver high-quality live TV or video on demand (VoD) entertainment at sea. And this can have significant ramifications for the overall passenger experience.

“It doesn’t matter how fantastic the rest of the cruise was, passengers will remember the moment they missed their team score the winning goal because the screen froze or went blank,” says Andrew Brown chief operating officer at Maxicaster. “Entertainment is a fundamental element of the passenger experience, and in an industry where competition is rife, it’s crucial for operators to deliver uninterrupted, top-quality entertainment experiences every time if they want to satisfy and retain customers.”

However, it is difficult for them to achieve this goal. “There are so many connectivity options that it’s hard for operators to identify which best fits their needs,” explains Brown. “Equally, crew members do not have the time to become experts in the daily operation and management of the onboard entertainment system.  

“Cost is also a prohibitive factor – for example, there’s a groundswell towards cable modem termination system (delivering internet protocol) connectivity but many ships are still using legacy radio frequency infrastructure and they don’t want to spend a fortune upgrading it.”

Drawing on more than 40 years’ experience as a video-centric software and technology provider, Maxicaster has developed a cost-effective solution to help operators overcome these issues, while also empowering them to easily upgrade their entertainment offering over time. The all-inclusive, modular solution incorporates all aspects required to launch and maintain a premium service including software, hardware ongoing services and content. Importantly, this is offered as a technical managed service, removing the operational barriers for maritime operators.

“Ship operators have historically purchased standard internet protocol TV solutions that had limited upgrade possibilities, so they either had to keep the same entertainment solution for years or invest a lot of money to fully replace it if they wanted to offer something new,” says Brown. “Our modular solution gives operators the flexibility to start with core modules such as live TV, VoD and playout channels, and continually evolve their offering to include additional service modules in line with changing market trends, guest expectations, and operational environments. They tell us what they want, we update the software, and they pay a monthly fee to cover whatever services they’re using.”

Read the full article on Cruise and Ferry Website https://www.cruiseandferry.net/articles/exceeding-entertainment-expectations-at-sea-with-maxicaster-1