Mobile gadgets threaten in-flight entertainment

[harvyk]

Mobile gadgets threaten in-flight entertainment | Travel News | News.com.au

I call BS on this...

Having spent some time watching laptops and movies on mobile phones on planes when IFE was non-existant (or very ordinary like on AA) I can tell you that I would watch a screen in the back of a seat any day over the screen on my mobile phone, and I have yet to find anyone who feels differently (and I know quite a lot of people who travel very frequently, outside this forum)

 

[russ]

I call BS on your BS!

I watch movies or recorded TV programs on my laptop on almost every domestic flight I take. It sure beats watching the same movie time after time, plus if I only get half way through something I can finish watching it.

Also my MP3 player is great to sit back with my eyes closed and listen to Podcasts.

 

[oz_mark]

Would I watch a movie on my phone or PDA - no

Would I watch a movie on my laptop - yes.

 

[Dave Noble]

I rarely use the airline IFE. I use a laptop with movies/entertainment. If on Qantas, my screen is far better than the airline screen, it doesn't get interrupted by pointless announcements from flight deck or from FAs

I did recently use an airline IFE since it had a 23" WS video screen and a cpl of movies that I did want to watch, but that is the exception rather than the norm

I don't care if airline has no IFE ; I just want laptop power

Dave

 

[harvyk]

I call BS on your BS!

I watch movies or recorded TV programs on my laptop on almost every domestic flight I take.

The article states long haul flights. Where you'd actaully complete a movie or five, where the laptop \ ipod battery would have run flat well before landing (if no in seat power is available)

On just about every domestic flight AVOD is not an option. QF no longer offer Seat back IFE (since removing the B747-300's) DJ only have live to air streaming foxtel (no AVOD) and JQ only have movie units for hire which are similar to iPods anyway. (which I believe is only JQi)

It's international flights where AVOD is rolled out, not domestic.

 

[Dave Noble]

The article states long haul flights. Where you'd actaully complete a movie or five, where the laptop \ ipod battery would have run flat well before landing (if no in seat power is available)

I haven't taken a >4 hour flight for a long while without being able to get in-seat power

On just about every domestic flight AVOD is not an option. QF no longer offer Seat back IFE (since removing the B747-300's) DJ only have live to air streaming foxtel (no AVOD) and JQ only have movie units for hire which are similar to iPods anyway. (which I believe is only JQi)

It's international flights where AVOD is rolled out, not domestic.

There is no reference in the article to airline provided AVOD that I can see. Domestic flights are even better for self provided entertainment since there are few domestic flights where one would need to worry about battery draining before end of flight

Dave

 

[JohnK]

Total and utter rubbish.

Airlines, already badly hit by weak demand for air travel and volatile jet fuel prices, are likely to welcome the move, as it would allow them to save on costs such as licensing fees to production studios and maintenance fees.

It sounds like to me the proposal is to get rid of IFE. :shock:

The biggest draw for airlines, industry watchers say, is that they could save money in tough economic times, while simultaneously disguising the change as a product enhancement.

Passengers engrossed with their laptop PCs and mobile entertainment devices that can be used continuously as a result of the power sockets on every seat could also free up cabin crew.

I do not want to use any gadgets on an aircraft other than IFE. The last thing I need is to carry useless gadgets with me on overseas trips....

 

[harvyk]

I haven't taken a >4 hour flight for a long while without being able to get in-seat power

In Y???

Certainly most airlines provide inseat power these days in J and F, but Y it's still uncommon, and also note every traveller has an iPod or phone which you can watch movies on...

 

[docjames]

I'm with JohnK on this one. I choose intl carriage based on IFE amongst other factors. QF and others would lose my business if they drop IFE.

I dont want to carry an ipod around the world, let alone my laptop, and have to worry about losing it. There's plenty of choice on modern IFE (seatback) and i dont need it the rest of the time (i'm not travelling around the world to watch movies or listen to music i can hear in australia!).


Having said that, i dont think QF are getting rid of seatback IFE any time soon - they're currently installing on the TransTasman 738s.....

 

[Dave Noble]

In Y???

Certainly most airlines provide inseat power these days in J and F, but Y it's still uncommon, and also note every traveller has an iPod or phone which you can watch movies on...

Even in economy on the right airlines; even Qantas has seat power in economy on the 388

Many travellers have laptops if they dont have ipods

seat power is a consideration for me rather than IFE; the only IFE I tend to ever watch is that movie with a plane flying across a globe which ( when on qantas ) gets turned off about 30 mins before arrival

Dave

 

[harvyk]

Even in economy on the right airlines; even Qantas has seat power in economy on the 388

Many travellers have laptops if they dont have ipods

seat power is a consideration for me rather than IFE; the only IFE I tend to ever watch is that movie with a plane flying across a globe which ( when on qantas ) gets turned off about 30 mins before arrival

Dave

True, but at this stage how many flights are on the A380??? So far I have only been on one (the majority of my int travel is on the B747). Now that's not to say that they won't install in-seat power in all Y cabins in the future, but right now it's a rare beast.

I'm with docjames \ JohnK, I have also chosen int carriers based on their IFE options (inc flying AirNZ soley because QF are not currently flying with AVOD on TT routes)

 

[serfty]

I started arranging my own IFE after being blessed with "Little Miss Sunshine" on three consecutive flights between MEL and AKL over a three week period.:shock:

I do travel with a laptop, so I now pre-load two or three screenplays before travel.

With a detachable six hour battery, I can watch up to three movies without recharging (I have my own N/C headphones).

I'm still happy to employ the AVOD on 333/332/744/388 with the ability to stop start and rewind and regard using the laptop movies as a backup on these flights.

 

[dajop]

+1 for IFE and not laptops (forget mobile phone, I'm not going to watch 5 or 6 hrs on a mobile) on long hauls.

There's a plenty to organise pre trip without having to bother with organising video movies on the laptop.

And then there's the recline/not recline issue. On most airlines and with many laptops it is virtually impossible to angle the laptop in a reasonable position if you are behind a recliner.

I do however take on board my own IFE, in case I can't find anything of interest. It is on demand, can stop and start, rewind and fast forward - and never needs rebooting and never runs out of power. If I finish "viewing" a particular title I can pick up a new title at most airports. Also no restrictions on use during take off and landing, and usually not affected by recliners. Although do I admit the technology is a bit old hat.

 

[simongr]

In the past 2 years I have only watched IFE on my iPod touch or laptop on DOM and INT whY, J and F (unless flying on CX). IFE is a non-event for me now on aircraft.

This way I can control what I watch and if I run out of time I can finish the show/movie on the train from HKG to the Conrad

 

[tuapekastar]

With rare exceptions, planes seem to be the only place I watch movies, so I'm unlikely to have seen the movie on the plane before, be it mainscreen, or a selection on AVOD.

Would probably not take a laptop *just* to watch movies, but if I had one on board, I guess in future I'd ensure a movie or three on there to watch, just as backup to the provided IFE, should it be not suitable, already seen, or simply not working.

I suspect it'll be a long time before IFE on planes (in general) becomes totally BYO.

 

[crazydave98]

I think people are not seeing the full picture here (bad pun intended) or looking far enough ahead. The idea is to facilitate people watching their own content and being able to access the internet.

More and more people are using mobile devices such as iPod and iPhone to store movies, podcasts etc. - for example my wife has 12 full length movies ripped from DVD and a few episodes of Flight of the Conchords. Within a few years these devices (including all mobile phones) will probably be able to store our full DVD collection just as iPod already stores our entire CD collection. The future IFE concept is to be able to dock your mobile device to use the bigger seatback screen and draw power - although the way battery technology is going this is unlikely to be necessary in the future anyway.

Bandwidth to aircraft will also steadily increase and cost come down, so although it may be some time before you can download movies or play games online, it will happen. In the meantime you will certainly be able to browse the net at decent speeds and use email for example. So the airline/IFE will move from being a content provider to being a facilitator for passengers to amuse themselves however they like, with either their own stored content or online. Get used to it people - it's going to happen.

cheers
CrazyDave98