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In Flight Entertainment Comparison

In flight entertainment has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. It is now unusual not to be able to watch a movie on any flight of more than a few hours. However, as the technology behind in flight entertainment has advanced, there is now a large gap between the best and the worst airlines. It may also surprise you to learn that many of the largest full service airlines are among the worst in terms of movies and other in flight entertainment. This article will look at what you should expect today in terms of the entertainment offered. It will also show you how to find out exactly which movies are playing on your next flight.

Not every aircraft has in flight entertainment, IFE. In Europe for example, very few short-haul aircraft have any form of in flight entertainment. Some flights can be up to four hours so be prepared for this and bring a book or mp3 player. In North America, Australia and Asia most airlines do have onboard IFE. It is always worth checking on SeatGuru.com whether the aircraft you are flying on has any form of IFE.

Most low cost carriers worldwide have no entertainment on board, aside from a magazine. There are a few exceptions here, most notable Virgin America in the USA and Virgin Blue in Australia. Air Asia X, one of the world’s only long haul budget carriers, also has IFE. As is the case with most things on budget airlines, if they do have IFE you must usually pay for the privilege of watching.

Overhead TV Screens are the oldest form of in flight video entertainment. They consist of a number of TVs placed throughout the cabin so that everyone can hopefully see one. Audio is piped through the audio system in each seat – headphones are required and often charged for. Many airlines have unusual dual socket headphone connectors which make using your own headphones a challenge. It also means that there is little benefit to a passenger to take a pair of the headphones with them after the flight is over. Many electronics stores sell in-flight adapters so you can bring any pair of headphones with you and use them onboard. It is worth investing in one of these adapters as the cost is so low.

The downside to overhead screen is you are forced to watch just one movie or tv show and have no choice. If you have a choice in aircraft, it is worth checking Seatguru.com to find out which entertainment option is available. Many older aircraft such as Boeing 757, 767 and 747s have overhead screens whereas more modern aircraft at more likely to have individual TV screens.

Towards the end of the 1990s, some airlines started to introduce personal TVs on their long haul aircraft. This trend quickly caught on and has almost become the standard for long haul flights. When it comes to personal TVs, the main advantages are that it is much easier to see the screen compared to overhead screens. It also allows passengers to choose from different programming available.

At first, Personal TVs had a selection of channels (usually 8-12) with different movies and TV shows. The system is comprised of essentially 8-12 tapes playing a 2-3 hours programme on repeat. Movies and TV shows are shown on repeat and the passenger must simply tune into the programme to watch it. Some airlines also offer basic games such as Mario or Tetris through these as well.

AVOD, or Audio/Video on Demand and is revolutionising in flight entertainment. The technology has been around for many years now and continues to be rolled out across many airline fleets. Some airlines, for example Singapore Airlines, have had this around for many years. Instead of watching a predefined “recording” of a movie or series of TV shows, you select what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.

AVOD systems typically have a much larger selection of programming with hundreds of movies and a huge range of TV shows. There is also a great selection of music, all available on demand. If you need to stand up to stretch your legs then that is no problem. You can start and stop the program whenever you want. It is also possible to fast forward and rewind shows so you will never have to worry about missing crucial moments.

The next generation of IFE is already starting to appear. AVOD systems will be expanded to offer a much larger amount of content. Imagine choosing from thousands of movies and entire series of TV shows. Also, with the amount of portable video devices, such as iPhones, appearing all over the world it is finally time to see these integrated into IFE. Singapore Airlines has pioneered the first onboard iPod dock. You can plug your iPod into your personal TV and watch your own movies or TV shows through the screen. For non-Apple technology, generic display ports are available so virtually any device with video-out functionality can use this. Furthermore, USB sticks can be used to load music and documents onto the screen, however not video at this stage.

WIFI internet connections are increasingly becoming available which promises much potential for IFE. Imagine viewing YouTube videos on your seatback TV or watching a live sports match through streaming services, such as the BBC iplayer. IFE will start to resemble actual PCs very soon and this opens a whole realm of possibilities for both mobile entertainment and office facilities.

How to find out what Movies are Playing

Did you also know that it is possible to check which movies will be playing on most airlines in advance of your flight? The information is usually published around a month in advance on airline websites. Click on the links below to view the entertainment in flight options on the airlines’ website

Air Asia
Air Canada
Air France
Air New Zealand
AirTran
American Airlines
British Airways
BMI
Cathay Pacific
Continental
Delta
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Frontier
Japan Airlines
jetBlue
KLM
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airlines
United
US Airways
Virgin America
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Blue