If it's any consolation, those birds (747) are being retired in the next few months. Replacement 777-300ERs do have PTVs in economy.

I will take a reliable internet connection over PTVs any day of the week. I actually think this is a more forward-thinking strategy; as more people travel with their own devices and their own screens, the PTV becomes less relevant. Give people reliable power to charge their devices, a good internet connection, and entertainment (i.e. the personal device entertainment from onboard servers).

But, I understand that PTVs are still an industry standard, so it's not unreasonable to expect them on longhaul flights.