How Does In-Flight Entertainment Work?
In-flight entertainment (IFE) is often the highlight of flying for many travelers, and it will typically come in the form of airline-provided screens that offer fliers access to music, TV shows, popular movies, and more. While many customers have grown accustomed to such amenities, they are actually a more recent addition to many widebody commercial airliners. Additionally, in-flight entertainment systems in aircraft currently face the chance of being removed due to overall cost concerns for general operations. In this blog, we will discuss the history of in-flight entertainment parts and systems, allowing you to have a better understanding of how they work, and their future.
While in-flight entertainment has been featured in some form for many decades, the first major implementation of screens for passenger entertainment began around the 1960s. Unlike the IFE systems of today, these typically came in the form of a single display that would be viewed by all passengers within visual range. As such, a single movie could be displayed at one time, and any passenger who wished to listen in could plug in their individual headphones into a receptacle provided on or near their seat.
However, in the 1980s, Northwest Airlines began testing the implementation of individual 2.7” displays that would be placed on the back of each seat of their Boeing 747s. This quickly became popular, sparking interest across the industry for similar implementation. By the 2000s, the drop-down screens of the past began to be phased out as more and more airlines pushed towards installing individual screen options.
When observing the entertainment unit installed onto the back of a seat, one may notice that there are no visible wires present. This is because all wires are neatly tucked away within the walls of the aircraft, tracing from the top panel near the oxygen masks to the power units in the sidewalls. Also attached to these units are some small avionic systems that are often present beneath seats. As most in-flight entertainment systems in aircraft require little wiring, only a few fiber optic cables are needed for the transportation of all data and power necessary for the entertainment unit to function. As IFE technology has improved over the years, streamlining has allowed for further part reduction.
In order for entertainment to be available on a particular IFE system, each individual airline will need to work with license owners and make deals for content. As such, the quality of content will come down to the willingness of airliners to pay. Generally, new Hollywood movies will be the most expensive, while older content and international movies are the cheapest.
As airlines seek to mitigate costs in the present, the IFE system in its current form has become threatened. Many airlines consider the IFE system to be too expensive to procure and manage, as well as view them as a drain on power that could be better used elsewhere. As a result, many airliners have begun removing IFE systems from their fleets. Despite the removal of screens and units in many aircraft, passengers are not entirely left to their own devices for entertainment. As streaming and Wi-Fi becomes the standard across the globe, many aircraft are moving to provide passengers with internet connectivity so that they can use their own tablets, phones, and other devices for accessing entertainment.
As many newer widebody planes come with Wi-Fi capabilities as a standard, the future of in-flight entertainment will likely continue to center around passenger streaming. Aviation Axis is an online distributor of aircraft components, and we are your source for all the aircraft interior parts and electronic components necessary for you to keep your passengers comfortable and entertained while in the sky. Take the time to peruse our expansive part inventories at your leisure, and our team of industry experts are on standby 24/7x365 to assist you through the purchasing process with unmatched prices and lead-times. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our offerings, give us a call or email at your earliest convenience, and a dedicated account representative will be in touch.
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