Hotel playstation console?

[enp82003]

hello, this is my first post. I just bought a "On Command PlayStation hotel console" because it looked kind of cool and rare, I love rare stuff. Anyway it was only $20 on ebay. Does any one know anything about this device?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280129270746

I can't seem to find anything on the internet expect for this little blurb


"We are pleased that On Command will be handling the expansion of PlayStation(R) in the hotel environment, which will allow an even broader base of consumers to experience the thrills of PlayStation," said Michael Ephraim, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia Pty. Ltd. "The availability now of PlayStation(R) in hotels is testament to the fact that PlayStation has achieved the same status as other entertainment products such as TVs, music CDs and videos."

and this blurb from a forum


"Similar setup at the Marriott Copley Place, Boston.

LG 37LC5DCB 37" LCD TV, on swivel stand. LG Remote Jack Pack RJP-110F on the desk with the same inputs as above. On Command (LodgeNet) 81-05062-05 (manufacture date 7-2001, almost certainly no HD capability out of this thing) on the back of the TV. No HD channels. Everything is a pretty lousy looking SD strech of analog channels. Input button on the TV is locked out, so what's the point of the breakout box with the HDMI, VGA, and composite inputs?

At least they've got NESN (SD) as one of the channels, so there's a Red Sox game every night for entertainment..."

the people in the forum just seem to be winning about HD, doesn't really give me any info on the box though lol.
This would be cool if (it had games stored in it that could be played) most likely not thought.
I think its just a receiver for a master system that picks up a PlayStation signal? but again i am not sure...
I remember using one of these though way back staying at a Hilton hotel with my family when i was a kid. I thought it was the coolest thing
(not my parents though for $10 an hour or something lol).

here some pics

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/man88e/on-command-2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/man88e/on-command-1.jpg

Thinking about it now.... If it did have games on it, it would have to have some type of storage unit and back in 2002 hard drives were a lot of money.
Most movies you buy at hotels on systems like this are broadcast but, yet if you think back in 2002 broadcasting a game would take up a lot of bandwidth.
I know there was an unreleased console (The Phantom) that was suppose to be able to play games that where downloaded from a Cable provider. But yeah this thing is
really a mystery to me.....

[PapaStu]

I've never seen one before, but I can almost guarantee that the box is just the go between between then master system and the end users TV.

I'm more intrigued by the controller than I am the box because I'd bet a buck that the box is a pretty standard On-Command box, that could be used for a N64 unit or any of the other systems that have shown up in hotels.

Those controllers normally only show up in relation to PlayStation development towers.

[enp82003]

I've never seen one before, but I can almost guarantee that the box is just the go between between then master system and the end users TV.

I'm more intrigued by the controller than I am the box because I'd bet a buck that the box is a pretty standard On-Command box, that could be used for a N64 unit or any of the other systems that have shown up in hotels.

Those controllers normally only show up in relation to PlayStation development towers.

Yeah I noticed that too. so I guess it was a good investment as i could sell the controller as a Dev controller... But i am not sure it would work. Its weird how they made the connections RJ instead of serial or what ever... Well i guess I'll find out what it does once it comes . I will post the results from my TV.

[Nikademus1969]

The resort I work at has the Gamecube version of this.

[enp82003]

The resort I work at has the Gamecube version of this.

I also work at a resort. They use lodgenet which i guess is the same company as on-command.
they had Video game controllers in the rooms at one time, before i worked there but i guess got rid of them.
BTW working front desk at a hotel is not fun, you see the bad side of human nature a lot. I but i look at this forum during the dead hours though :rolleyes:

[The 1 2 P]

I remember having one of these Playstations in my hotel when I went to Virginia for an anime convention back in 2002 or 2003. I didn't play any of the games because of how expensive it was, but I checked out the games list from the selection screen. I always wondered how they kept all those games stored. Were they back ups to save space or legit copies that loaded like a cd changer. Needless to say I've never seen one in the wild to be able to figure that part out.

[enp82003]

Well I mean it would be cool if I opened it up and there lies a little laptop hard drive with all the ISOs of the games ready to be played... But i don't know if that's how this thing works lol.
I'll let you know what happens once I plug the thing in.

[Nikademus1969]

I also work at a resort. They use lodgenet which i guess is the same company as on-command.
they had Video game controllers in the rooms at one time, before i worked there but i guess got rid of them.
BTW working front desk at a hotel is not fun, you see the bad side of human nature a lot. I but i look at this forum during the dead hours though :rolleyes:


yep...lodgenet is what we have. You order games just like you order pay-per-view, thru the remote.

[enp82003]

I know at my resort there is a kind of server computer that keeps track of all the movies that have been watched, by guest. I just don't know how broadcasting a game would work because not only is it out put but its also input. *_*

[Nikademus1969]

I know at my resort there is a kind of server computer that keeps track of all the movies that have been watched, by guest. I just don't know how broadcasting a game would work because not only is it out put but its also input. *_*

Well...our lodgenet goes down a lot, so I'm guessing it's not really THAT easy LOL

[enp82003]

We must of upgraded to their most basic package, No video games and really limited channels. I mean come on why no Comedy Central?! how are guest going watch the daily show or the Colbert Report? its my main source of news!... lol

[Tupin]

I know at my resort there is a kind of server computer that keeps track of all the movies that have been watched, by guest. I just don't know how broadcasting a game would work because not only is it out put but its also input. *_*
It is possible, they just broadcast it over a cable line and the system itself holds the info on the internal memory, it really is like downloading an ISO that is deleted when time is up.

[enp82003]

It is possible, they just broadcast it over a cable line and the system itself holds the info on the internal memory, it really is like downloading an ISO that is deleted when time is up.
Well the thing is, When I used this way back when i remembered no wait time at all. And to download a 700mb ISO it would take at least 5 mins in a local network. there was loading time like normal disk games that might of when it was being downloaded who knows lol...

[enp82003]

Ok! so it came today. Surprisingly the device is a lot lighter then i thought. I noticed the power wire's shielding was a little damaged as well there was also no on off button. I plugged it in to the TV and tuned in to the aux channel and nothing happened. not even any movement on the screen. Just a black screen this might of been due to the broken power wire.
The controller is pretty cool though it has a lot of cable coming out of it looks like flat cat 5 cable. The back says: Sony
Controller
Sony computer entertainment inc. M
-------------------------------------
SCPH-1080 Made in China
The actual Box has 2 TV ports one is for the stranded coaxial cable and another for a RJ11 port that goes directly in to a special port on the hotel TV (I seen this on TV's at the hotel i work at)
I kind of want to take apart the box and see whats inside it. if you have any questions feel free to ask. I'll post more pictures of it if any if requested.

[Marriott_Guy]

The box is simillar to the OCV converter that is located on the back of hotel televisions that run on that system. I am not a huge techie in this area, but hotels are my gig (see my user name). The games\video on-demand are stored locally on a number of servers and are streamed live to the guest room once purchased by the user via cable. Since the game\movie images are basically on very large disk drives the end user experiences very little (if any) load times. Movies\games on the local server(s) are updated monthly via HSI connection.

[enp82003]

The box is simillar to the OCV converter that is located on the back of hotel televisions that run on that system. I am not a huge techie in this area, but hotels are my gig (see my user name). The games\video on-demand are stored locally on a number of servers and are streamed live to the guest room once purchased by the user via cable. Since the game\movie images are basically on very large disk drives the end user experiences very little (if any) load times. Movies\games on the local server(s) are updated monthly via HSI connection.

Yeah that's what i figured. Darn there's a lot of people who work at hotels on this forum (rate and occupancy please?) :D . Glad i am not the only one. I think this thing is pretty cool. The AC power adapter has a place where you can plug another power cord in lol pretty useful.
Once i picked it up and felt how light/hallow it was i released there is no way games could be stored on, this not by 2002 standers at least.

[videogametrader]

Yeah I noticed that too. so I guess it was a good investment as i could sell the controller as a Dev controller... But i am not sure it would work. Its weird how they made the connections RJ instead of serial or what ever... Well i guess I'll find out what it does once it comes . I will post the results from my TV.

They probably made the controllers RJ45 so kids would not steal them and bring them home.