Go with the flow: IdeaNova launches Inplay Flow
This is a special feature from PAX Tech’s 2023 June AIX issue on page 9.
IdeaNova’s Inplay Flow gives passengers the
best of both worlds by allowing them to share
content between PEDs and seatback screens
The rise of streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix has changed the way media is consumed both at home and inflight. With the ability to download content onto personal electronic devices (PEDs) and watch it when they like, passengers now have more entertainment options when they fly.
This has prompted some commentators to predict the demise of the embedded seat-back screen.
For some airlines, this has also meant choosing one option over another. But now a new software solution from IdeaNova Technologies is aiming to change the relationship between seatback inflight entertainment (IFE) and wireless IFE from competitive to complementary.
Giving passengers “the best of both worlds,” IdeaNova’s Inplay Flow, which debuts during this year’s AIX 2023 in Hamburg, Germany (June 6 to 8), was developed to allow passengers to share content including movies, TV shows, pictures, or documents between their PED and their seatback screens. This includes pre-downloaded content and, if allowed by the license usage, content stored locally on popular subscription video-on-demand platforms, such as Hulu and Paramount Plus.
This content sharing can help budget-conscious airlines reduce their costs for licensing content. Meanwhile, passengers on airlines that already provide licensed content can benefit from a wider selection that combines their own and airline-provided content.
Inplay Flow can leverage any current (LAN (local area network) or Wi-Fi) based networking or future networking options such as LiFi or Wi-Fi 6 technology.
Another key feature of the software is its ability to operate in two different modes. In the first, a passenger can provide screen-sharing options for the playback of video, static images, and audio files. In the second, Inplay Flow can be operated via a native app integrated into an airline-provided passenger application.
A special aspect is that digital rights managed (DRM) encrypted content can also be shared, as long as it is permitted by the content owners and studios.
Inplay Flow was developed “based on passenger feedback and our IFE expertise in customer scenarios, including back-end streaming software on headend aircraft servers, seatback displays, and customer-facing applications beyond traditional content-watching experiences,” said Juraj Siska, Co-Founder of IdeaNova, in a media statement. “Customers wanted more than an either-or scenario — seatback vs. PED.”
Juraj Siska,
Co-Founder,
IdeaNova
Speaking to PAX Tech ahead of the upcoming release, he adds, “Inplay Flow unleashes greater opportunity for immersive in-cabin entertainment and the elevation of business productivity tools, while reducing infrastructure and content cost.”
Siska continues: “Inplay Flow allows business passengers to leverage seatback as their second screen, improving the work environment while flying, thus improving productivity. Passengers can for example, cast their spreadsheet on seatback display while working on an email from their personal devices, crossreferencing data from the spreadsheet.”
As a testament to its powerful potential, Inplay Flow is currently on the 2023 Crystal Cabin Awards shortlist in the “In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity” category. The Crystal Cabin Award winners will be announced at the AIX Show in Hamburg on June 6.
