Boeing Eyes In-Flight Live TV on Your Laptop

cobravenum2 writes "Boeing is planning to add live television to its Connexion by Boeing service during 2005, The television programs will be delivered across the Connexion network, which uses satellites to provide high-speed data connections between aircraft in-flight and ground stations linked to the Internet. The service entered commercial use earlier this year and provides a 5 megabits per second shared downstream and 1 mbps shared upstream connection to suitably equipped aircraft. You'll be able to view up to four channels of live TV over your laptop."

Thank god...

[LewsTherinKinslayer]

Now I won't miss Adult Swim while I'm taking my flights to Europe and back.

Great

[mordors9]

Now I can have some loudmouth on one side talking on his cell phone and some woman watching oprah on the other. Life can't get much better.

Re:Airlines become profitable again

[svallarian]

Not sure if I want to mod this +1 funny or +1 (eww-hate to be sitting next to THAT guy on the plane)

What programming?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wonder if they'll have the new "Airport Security Bloopers" show where the security guards fondle or sexually assault (depends on your POV) passengers, pin granny down for a body cavity search, operate the usual drug and stolen luggage rings, and put "practice" bombs on international flights after finding them.

TV?

[bfields]

The service entered commercial use earlier this year and provides a 5 megabits per second shared downstream and 1 mbps shared upstream connection to suitably equipped aircraft. You'll be able to view up to four channels of live TV over your laptop.

5 megabits downstream and 1mbps upstream, and we get.... TV?

Great.

--Bruce Fields

Re:What about Over-Ocean Flights?

[wasted]

Ahhh, got it. Misread what I quoted.

Re:Thank god...

[JonLatane]

Now I won't miss Adult Swim while I'm taking my flights to Europe and back.

Because, you know, of the four channels the plane is able to receive, they would prioritize Cartoon Network over anything else available.

Re:I can see it now....

[krbvroc1]

This sounds like a good idea, until passengers end up watching live TV coverage of the next 9/11 and then start hunting in the plane they are riding in for assumed "terrorists" causing a riot in-flight.
Of course this is violation of the Terms of Service so you are protected:

# # Interference with Flight Crew: Do not Disclose any Content that would intimidate a flight crew member or flight attendant aboard an aircraft, interfere with the performance of the duties of the flight crew member or flight attendant or lessen the ability of the flight crew member or flight attendant to perform those duties. #

Interference with Airplane Operations: Do not Disclose any Content, knowing the information to be false, about an alleged attempt being made or to be made to hijack, bomb or interfere with the operations of an aircraft.
http://www.connexionbyboeing.com/index.cfm?p=cbb.t ermsofuse&l=en.US&ec= [connexionbyboeing.com]

Re:I can see it now....

[dswensen]

This sounds like a good idea, until passengers end up watching live TV coverage of the next 9/11 and then start hunting in the plane they are riding in for assumed "terrorists" causing a riot in-flight.

Oh, we won't need something as serious as all that to get passengers seeking frantic in-flight vengeance. A simple screening of Kangaroo Jack ought to do the trick.

Coincidence

[ThesQuid]

I just happen to be in an ANA flight and they happen to have the Connexion service, and it rocks! Getting 28kb/sec on my torrent now. Perhaps the RIAA will sue Boeing?

I don't need my stinkin tv

[Dano Watt]

Why would I need to watch TV on my laptop when it's 80 gig drive holds hours of porn?

Article is wrong / Mistake about bandwidth

[enoraM]

actually it's 5 mbps upstream and 1 mbps downstream, since we are referring a connection of an airplane and the ground.