eDigital Personal Video Players Coming to Airplanes

The airlines used to serve up food and drink. Now they`ll serve up digital media. Guess we can`t live by bread alone; we also need our daily dose of movies and music.

Under a deal between digital media hardware and software developer eDigital Corporation and airline service and equipment provider Aircraft Protective Systems Inc (APS), movies and TV shows will be offered next year through portable video players (PVP) handed out to the passengers on an unidentified major international airline. Between 3,000 and 4,000 of the PVPs will be produced for the launch of the service. Each device will have a seven-inch screen and will come preloaded with 25-40 hours worth of movies, TV programs and music. The content will be rotated every 30-60 days. Passengers will pay a flat $10 fee to watch or listen.

APS customer service representative Patrick Hawkins said his company approached eDigital with the idea. He said APS went with eDigital for the deal because the two companies shared the same vision as to how the service should work. According to Hawkins, in-flight entertainment has always been a money-losing venture. He said airlines lost $9 million last year from in-flight schemes.

The PVPs are based on a line of devices developed by eDigital, with some added technology provided by APS. Consumer versions should be out by Christmas and will cost $200-$500, depending on storage size and the kind of video display. The consumer versions will use Divx 5, the digital video format developed by video compression house DivxNetworks Inc.

APS is discussing content licensing deals with Fox and three other major motion picture studios. Passengers will be able to reserve a PVP when they book a flight and can use it while waiting at the gate as well as during the flight.

APS is to sell the eDigital widget. The price will include recurring and non-recurring service fees plus licensing fees and royalties. eDigital declined to disclose the financial details of the contract.