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."

2 Things

[tarunthegreat2]

1) Does Boeing Run Linux?

2) Ummm... don't we already have those nice LCD screens on the back of seats (or folded to the side) on most 747s already? How is this an innovation in anyway? Wouldn't u rather just use the already supplied screen, as opposed to bring out your laptop and stuff? -1 Redundant, n/t

I fail to find this that cool

[drgath159]

"Boeing hasn't announced the names of the channels that will be available but they'll be international news and financial news channels, he says."

Booooooring. If you have a laptop, why the hell would you watch StockMarketTV? Watch a DVD or hell... play some scorched earth. I love my PDA when I take flights cause I just load a few DVD rips on my SD card and have enough juice and content to watch for about 8 hours.

Can airlines ever think of anything other than cheesy novelty features. Does anyone actually use the phones built into the seat? No. Use that high speed connection to give us internet!

Re:The problem is...

[stuuf]

I assume they'll pipe one stream of each of the 4 channels into a router on the plane and then multicast it to everyone, so the bandwidth won't depend on how many people are watching. If they want to offer more channels at a relatively high quality then they will need more bandwidth.

Internet access.

[DustyShadow]

I'd much rather have internet access on my laptop while I fly instead of 4 crappy tv channels.

Not to mention the Airlines pricing this service..

[green pizza]

Most of the large airlines in the USA have a really difficult time dealing with onboard services and prices. Several of the biggies started charging for their poor quality meals. Pretty much every USA airline has a very poor excuse for first class (especially when compared to foreign airlines). Customer service is more than just a few listed items on some cutesy poster by the ticket counter.

So I'm wondering how these same airlines are going to implement and charge for this new service. Just because Boeing is offering it, doesn't mean that every airline is going to automatically buy and install these systems and not charge the passengers!

If American Airlines can't figure out how to serve a *large* dish of ice cream in first class, then I don't see how they're going to find the value in onboard streaming data and video.

Worse yet: everyone in coach USING their laptops!

[green pizza]

Oh great, now everyone's going to pull out their laptops while en route!

When I fly in economy/coach class, I invariably spend at least one leg of my flight sitting beside somone who insists on using his 15+ inch notebook computer! Now, even if the seat in front of him is in it's fully upright position, there still isn't quite enough room to open the lid to a comfortable 110-degree angle. And because of the compact nature of coach class, the front (trackpad) edge of the notebook is only a few inches away from his chest... so there's not enough room for his arms, forcing him to jut out his elbows a good 8 inches in each direction so he can comfortably use the keyboard and trackpad.

PLEASE PEOPLE! Use your PDA in economy class. If you must use a notebook, get a 12" or smaller model. It's not just uncomfortable for you, it's uncomfortable for anyone sitting beside you.

CNN Airport Network

[green pizza]

**ANYTHING** has to be more interesting than the CNN Airport Network station you see in airport terminals.

cut that bandwidth!!

[zmollusc]

WTF? You can drastically cut the bandwidth needed by storing the station logos and advertising locally on the aircraft. Even better, since most TV is repetitive, you could generate it 'on the fly' (ha ha).

"Buy our product! Oooh yeah! It's really great! Woo!"

"You're watching Boeing-o-vision! Parp parp parp Boeing telly BOEING TELLY Boeing Telly parpity parp"

"And now, the news"

"News Time! News Time! Squeak! Parp! Toot! News Time!"

"Britney has/hasn't had plastic surgery. The war against terror continues. More news later."

"News Time! News Time! Squeak! Parp! Toot! News Time!"

"You're watching Boeing-o-vision! Parp parp parp Boeing telly BOEING TELLY Boeing Telly parpity parp"

"Buy our product! Oooh yeah! It's really great! Woo!"

"No, buy our product instead! Oooh yeah! It's really great and better than the other stuff! Woo!"

"You stink, buy our deoderent!"

"you suck as a parent unless you buy your kid our plastic crap!"

"You're watching Boeing-o-vision! Parp parp parp Boeing telly BOEING TELLY Boeing Telly parpity parp"

"And now, I Love Lucy, followed by the news"
...etc for fricken hours at $20 an hour to the captive audience.

Re:Why Bother? JetBlue has TV.

[HeghmoH]

If the big airlines keep up their "the only people who hate the customer more than we do is the TSA" approach to customer service, the little guys who don't actually suck might just end up taking over.