Both deliver a branded welcome screen, on-TV guidebook and remote management for short-term rentals. The key difference: LG Pro:Centric Stay requires compatible LG hotel TVs, while BetterSTR TV runs on any Android TV device, or a plug-in HDMI stick on the TV you already own.
LG Pro:Centric Stay is an excellent system, if you’re willing to buy LG hotel TVs for every room. It runs on LG’s commercial Pro:Centric TV hardware and offers welcome messaging, on-TV guidebooks, LG Channels streaming and automatic credential clearing at checkout. BetterSTR TV delivers the same guest-facing essentials but is hardware-agnostic: it installs on inexpensive Android TV / Google TV devices (or our pre-loaded HDMI stick) and plugs into the TVs your properties already have. Its welcome screen is also free forever, with all Premium features free for the first 2 weeks and Premium from just $2/month after that.
LG Pro:Centric Stay is a cloud platform that runs on LG hotel TVs. Availability and features vary by LG TV model and region, and deployment typically goes through an LG sales consultation. For a hotel refitting every room with new commercial displays, that’s a natural fit.
For a short-term rental operator, swapping every TV for an LG commercial model is expensive and slow. BetterSTR TV avoids that entirely: it’s an Android TV launcher you install on a cheap streaming box, or our HDMI stick that turns any TV with an HDMI port into a managed guest screen, with no TV replacement, no single-brand lock-in.
An Android TV / Google TV launcher on hardware you choose:
A cloud platform that runs on LG commercial TVs:
| Feature | BetterSTR TV Most Flexible | LG Pro:Centric Stay |
|---|---|---|
| TV hardware required | Any Android TV box / HDMI stick | Compatible LG hotel (Pro:Centric) TVs |
| Use your existing TVs | Yes, via HDMI | Needs LG commercial TVs |
| Pricing | Welcome screen free forever; Premium from $2/month | Via LG sales consultation |
| Branded welcome by guest name | Yes | Yes |
| On-TV guidebook & house info | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi QR code on the TV | Yes | Varies by model |
| Streaming apps | Android TV app ecosystem | LG Channels / OTT |
| Gated in-app Plex (Movies/TV) | Yes | No |
| Clears guest sign-ins at checkout | Yes | Yes (Netflix/YouTube) |
| Marketing screensaver | Your photos and branding, upsells, your other properties and local restaurants & tours (yours or paid sponsors), updated across the fleet | Idle signage, varies by model |
| Smart home: climate, lights, blinds & locks | Air-con temperature & mode, lights, fans, blinds, locks and scenes on the TV and the guest’s phone; auto on/off at check-in & checkout (Home Assistant or Shelly, Premium) | Through a separate room-control system (e.g. Control4) |
| Open API & Claude MCP | REST API plus a Claude MCP server: control TVs, send guest messages and update properties and bookings by asking Claude. API docs | Integrator platform for LG partners (Pro:Centric+) |
| Full remote control of each TV | Power on and off, reboot and drive the TV remotely from your portal | Remote cloud management |
| Guest activity for troubleshooting | Power on/off history, which apps are in use and whether a guest is casting | Not advertised |
| Background music with volume control | Music of your choice, with the volume set from your portal | Not advertised |
| Auto power-on at check-in / standby | Yes (supported hardware) | Varies by model |
| Fleet management | Bulk-update screensavers, settings, content and app versions in one go: by property, tag, building, city or the whole fleet | Cloud management |
| Deployment speed | Minutes: plug in & scan a QR | Procurement + install of LG TVs |
| Best fit | Short-term rentals & mixed TV fleets | Properties standardising on LG TVs |
The biggest cost in a TV system is often the TVs themselves. BetterSTR TV sidesteps that. It runs on a small Android TV device or our pre-loaded HDMI stick, so you keep the screens you already have and go live in minutes per room. There’s no single-vendor lock-in, no waiting on commercial-display procurement, and no “availability varies by model/region” caveats.
To be even-handed: if you operate at hotel scale, are already standardising on LG commercial displays, and want the guest system built into the TV with no extra device on the back, LG Pro:Centric Stay is a strong, enterprise-grade option backed by a major manufacturer. It delivers welcome messaging, on-TV guidebooks, LG Channels and automatic credential clearing on certified hardware. BetterSTR TV competes by removing the hardware requirement and the up-front cost, which is what most short-term rental operators care about.
If you manage apartments, cabins or homes with a mix of existing TVs and you want a branded guest screen on every one of them without buying new televisions, BetterSTR TV is the pragmatic choice: cheaper hardware, faster rollout, and free to start. If every room is being fitted out with new LG commercial TVs anyway, LG Pro:Centric Stay is worth evaluating alongside it.
Branded welcome screen, guidebook, WiFi QR and streaming, on any Android TV, managed over the air.
Start free, no card needed Explore BetterSTR TVYes. BetterSTR TV delivers the same guest-facing essentials (branded welcome screen, on-TV guidebook, streaming and remote management) without requiring LG hotel TVs. It runs on inexpensive Android TV hardware or a plug-in HDMI stick, so you can use the televisions you already have.
No. That’s the main advantage. LG Pro:Centric Stay runs on compatible LG commercial TVs; BetterSTR TV runs on any Android TV / Google TV device or our HDMI stick, which plugs into a normal TV’s HDMI port.
Yes. Like LG Pro:Centric Stay, BetterSTR TV clears the previous guest’s app sign-ins (such as streaming services) and re-personalises the welcome screen for the next booking.
Minutes per room. Plug the device (or our pre-loaded HDMI stick) into the TV, scan a QR code to pair it to the property, and it goes live, with no commercial-TV procurement or installer required.
The welcome screen is free forever, and all Premium features are free for the first 2 weeks with no credit card required. After that, stay on the free plan or upgrade to Premium from just $2/month. LG Pro:Centric Stay is sold through LG’s commercial channel, with pricing and availability that depend on the LG TV models and your region, on top of the cost of the LG TVs themselves.
For short-term rentals, BetterSTR TV delivers the same branded guest TV experience without the LG hardware requirement, on cheaper devices, faster, and free to start. LG Pro:Centric Stay remains a strong option for properties standardising on LG commercial TVs. Also compare BetterSTR TV vs WelcomeScreen, or see the full BetterSTR TV product page.