In-Flight Entertainment on Wikipedia
In-Flight entertainment (IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. After World War II IFE was delivered in the form of food and drink services, along with an occasional projector movie during lengthy flights. In 1985, the first personal audio player was offered to passengers, along with noise canceling headphones in 1989. During the 1990s the demand for better IFE was a major factor in the design of aircraft cabins. Before then, the most a passenger could expect was a movie projected on a screen at the front of a cabin, which could be heard via a headphone socket at his or her seat.
Manufacturers of IFE systems include Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Thales Group, Rockwell Collins and LiveTV. Design issues for IFE include system safety, cost efficiency, software reliability, hardware maintenance, and user compatibility.
