http://www.shephard.co.uk/Default.aspx?Action=-187126550&ID=f1209713-1195-43bc-a390-9d1d63184772&Section=Inflight

April 4, 2008 – FOLLOWING IMS’ announcement at Aircraft Interiors in Hamburg that it was to supply new BA transatlantic venture OpenSkies, this week saw handheld IFE action from two more suppliers, Dublin-based Airvod and British company Bluebox Avionics.

Airvod unveiled a new version of its original Mach5 player, while Bluebox has been selected to supply its Bluebox Lite to low-fare operator Iceland Express. 

Airvod’s new Crystal packages all the features of Mach5 – 8.4in high screen, user-friendly GUIs, swipe-card payment, user statistics management and WiFi capability - in a lighter and more compact unit with the aim of making storage and carriage easier and more cost-efficient. The new product is compatible with Mach5, allowing airlines to use the same support equipment.  Bluebox Avionics plans within the next few weeks to deliver an initial 50 Bluebox Lites to Iceland Express, which flies to 14 destinations in Europe. Serving up fully DRM-compliant early-window films plus television programmes, music and PC games, the units will be deployed with digital surround-sound headsets.

Content acquisition, encoding and integration will be handled under a separate contract by London-based Phantom Media, which is partnered in Bluebox Avionics with aviation software specialist AviIT. Under the joint venture AviIT is responsible for all software and infrastructure design and development while Phantom Media handles content provision.

Iceland Express is Bluebox Avionics’ second announced customer, following UK carrier bmi. The company plans to show Bluebox Lite and the rest of its product range, which includes a semi-embedded system, at Aircraft Interiors Americas in Long Beach, California, this September.