What types of individual in-flight entertainment systems are there?

The individual on-board entertainment systems for buses and coaches currently on the market are distinguished by three factors: what content is offered, we are talking about on-demand systems versus linear systems, the type of technology used for transmission of data (wired type Ethernet, by radiofrequency or wireless) and finally, the size of the screens, normally 7” or 9”.

In this article we will analyze in detail each of these factors that, on the other hand, are decisive when selecting the best individual on-board entertainment system .

Types of inflight entertainment systems on the bus

Contents: demand systems and linear systems

The type of content that is offered is the key piece of an entertainment system on board a bus. With on-demand systems, it is the passenger who selects the content they want using a touch screen. The basic offer normally consists of movies, music, radio, e-books and games , the traveler decides when he wants to access all this content, he can stop, fast-forward, rewind...

Other options that can be incorporated to enrich this entertainment offer on board is Satellite Television (by installing its corresponding antenna and tuner) and also Internet (by adding a router with sufficient bandwidth for simultaneous navigation by several users). If we decide to offer internet, it is very important that the displays are of the capacitive type (those that allow us to “zoom” with two fingers), they must incorporate a modern version of Android and they must support the operation of graphic applications (Adobe Flash is the most widespread on current websites).

Linear systems , on the other hand, offer a number of channels that the passenger accesses sequentially by means of +/- buttons. In each channel we will have content: movie, TV channel (if you have an antenna + tuner), music and Radio. The reproduction of each channel is fixed, and the passenger cannot stop or vary the reproduction.

Type of technology for data transmission

The type of technology used for data transmission is a very important factor that goes beyond the purely technical field , we distinguish several types: a Wi-Fi system (that is, completely wireless), a wired system and radiofrequency wiring technology.

– Wireless system – Wi-Fi : It is the easiest to install, they use a tablet-type display with great capacity for graphics and applications and they only need a 24V power supply. They are also less source of breakdowns and have greater flexibility , if for example we have to move seats or perform seat reconfigurations, we only have to change the 24V power supply. And in the case of uninstalling the system to give it a second life in another car, almost 100% is used because what we leave in the first car are only 24V cables.
Wired system . It presents a more complete installation since each display needs its data cable, consequently it has more possible sources of failure . But on the other hand, it offers more software management facilities , since all the power resides in the server that transmits the data by cable, it is enough to modify the software on the server so that the entire system is reconfigured, while in a wireless system each display would have to be reconfigured.
Radiofrequency wiring technology is reserved exclusively for Linear Access Systems. It is not about digital transmission, but analog (“video+audio”). The cable that circulates throughout the bus is coaxial (like the one for the TV in our house). In short, it is like the distribution of video on a farm, in which each house in this case is a seat.

Choose the size of the displays: 7” or 9”

The most common sizes are 7” and 9”, and it is not by chance. The usual bus or coach seats allow the installation of 7” displays on their backs (and not all of them!), while 9” displays require more space on them. The distance between the passenger's eyes and the display is suitable for 7” and 9”. For configurations with a short distance between seats, to prevent the display from being too close when the front passenger reclines, it is recommended to install 7”.
Some manufacturers present 10” displays for the Asian and South American market, due to the use of large seats in which they can be installed and that the backrest in front is at a sufficient distance. It has no fit in Europe, except for special vehicles.

After reviewing each of these three factors, all that remains is to ask one more question : how to choose the most appropriate one? In addition to the technical issues that we have pointed out in this article, we must also take into account others such as economic ones, here is one last help: if we assume that the most expensive system (Ethernet Wiring) costs €100, a wireless system would cost €75 -€80, and RF cabling costs €60-65. With all this, something will have helped him!

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