November 29, 2007 – INDICATIONS that MAXjet has dropped the digEcor digEplayer handheld IFE device and switched to e.Digital’s eVU (Inflight Online, November 15) appear to have some substance.

Inspection of the transatlantic premium-only carrier’s Website reveals images of what looks very much like Californian-based e.Digital’s eVU player on the page detailing the onboard service offering. Calls to the airline and the two suppliers had gone unanswered at today’s deadline.

Earlier this year MAXjet customer care analyst Jim Dibble wrote to one passenger: “Over the course of the past year we have experienced numerous issues with the onboard inflight entertainment ... and have decided to make a change. Mid-October is the expected date for the new MAXplayers.”

This apparent loss of business is a blow to Utah-based digEcor at a time when new orders are thin on the ground and it remains locked in a protracted and messy intellectual property dispute with e.Digital.

The latter, though, sees its year going from good to better. It has chalked up multiple sales of eVU to a number of leading European carriers, as well as several deals via turnkey service provider Mezzo, and reported revenues for the six months to the end of September totalling $3.72 million compared with $34,000 for the same six months in the previous year.

Earlier this month e.Digital president Will Blakely said: “We expect the recent launch of our eVU Extended Range, offering 20+ hours of continuous video playback from a single battery charge, to lead to new IFE business and follow-on orders this quarter and in calendar 2008.”