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Update on our Airbus Reconfigurations (Seats, Entertainment, Channel 9, etc.)

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Update on our Airbus Reconfigurations (Seats, Entertainment, Channel 9, etc.)

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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:08 pm
  #766  
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...highlight=wifi
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...highlight=wifi
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...highlight=wifi

Last edited by UAPremExecflyer; Oct 16, 2013 at 12:09 pm Reason: added thread links
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:11 pm
  #767  
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Originally Posted by Hawaii_flyer
.....And the confusing part is.. they said that devices must be in airplane mode. Doesn't airplane mode disable wifi....
On an iPhone, when you turn on airplane mode, it does disable wifi by default but all you need to do is go into settings and turn wifi back on
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:30 pm
  #768  
 
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I'm not sure why UA specifies operating systems... anything Wifi capable should be able to connect. Android phones should not be a problem.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:34 pm
  #769  
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Not sure if the thread title is a pun or not - but my UA Wifi experiences have definitely been (clari)fiction
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:34 pm
  #770  
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Originally Posted by SEA1K4EVR
I'm not sure why UA specifies operating systems... anything Wifi capable should be able to connect. Android phones should not be a problem.
Just because you can "connect" doesn't mean you'll be able to view the content. I presume some sort of media viewer (akin to Silverlight) is going to be required, and that's why there's a reference to specific operating systems.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 12:51 pm
  #771  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Just because you can "connect" doesn't mean you'll be able to view the content. I presume some sort of media viewer (akin to Silverlight) is going to be required, and that's why there's a reference to specific operating systems.
Aaaah.. well until there's actually content to access it's kind of a moot point. If you've got a browser you should be able to use it for regular web access.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 1:17 pm
  #772  
 
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If there's third-party software involved, it's gonna piss a lot of people off. I'm doubtful. I think, at a minimum, there will be a browser-based option that will be platform-independent.

System requirements haven't been a thing since 1993. They can be completely ignored in almost all cases, the most frequent exception (in my experience) being government websites, which seem to be bid using a process whereby the government spends $20 million for a website that is guaranteed to only work in one browser ever.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 2:01 pm
  #773  
 
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I haven't personally tried it yet, but as long as your Android device has Chrome installed, you should be fine. I'm told they're using DRM-free HTML5 video on mobile devices.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 5:53 pm
  #774  
 
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
Feel free to vote in the poll - you can be the first "I love them!" response out of the ~50 to have flown them and have an opinion
I hadn't flown and voted, now I have flown and can't vote again. Hmm...
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 6:45 pm
  #775  
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Originally Posted by SFO 1K
I hadn't flown and voted, now I have flown and can't vote again. Hmm...
Only 1 vote allowed per account and no vote changing is possible.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 6:56 pm
  #776  
 
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Originally Posted by mgcsinc
If there's third-party software involved, it's gonna piss a lot of people off. I'm doubtful. I think, at a minimum, there will be a browser-based option that will be platform-independent.
At the SFO mini-DO United presented about WiFi and IFE. They said that access will be possible via a browser or via the United app on mobile devices. He didn't speak specifically about the technology for the browser-based solution but he did mention that one of the challenges they faced was implementing DRM. It wouldn't surprise me if Flash or Silverlight is required for the browser-based solution since they provide relatively easy solutions to parts of that problem.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 7:00 pm
  #777  
 
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Originally Posted by Sykes
At the SFO mini-DO United presented about WiFi and IFE. They said that access will be possible via a browser or via the United app on mobile devices. He didn't speak specifically about the technology for the browser-based solution but he did mention that one of the challenges they faced was implementing DRM. It wouldn't surprise me if Flash or Silverlight is required for the browser-based solution since they provide relatively easy solutions to parts of that problem.
So UA Insider was misled about the reconfig birds not going dark. Any mention of this?

I stand somewhat corrected. Wifi should be up and running on every reconfigured airbus when it pulls out of the shop, but streaming (and power) is not coming until 2014. I still believe this is disjointed and causes additional unnecessary disruption on the passenger.

Last edited by anc-ord772; Oct 18, 2013 at 11:42 am
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 7:24 pm
  #778  
 
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Sheesh. DRM because someone's going to rip off a 720P (or less) quality movie streaming via wifi in flight by recording it?

Make the sucker HTML5, so it works with everything, and move on.

As for channel 9, just allow free access to the liveatc.net streams for the airports and en-route frequencies in question.

I'm glad to see someone is forward thinking. I rather see free movies, power plugs, and "bring your own device", which is probably cheaper than united putting in-seat IFE and paying the extra costs/gas tax that such a solution entails. A kindle/IPAD/cell phone is cheap enough anymore.
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Old Oct 16, 2013, 10:19 pm
  #779  
 
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Originally Posted by goalie
On an iPhone, when you turn on airplane mode, it does disable wifi by default but all you need to do is go into settings and turn wifi back on
It works the same way on my Android phone.
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Old Oct 17, 2013, 2:04 am
  #780  
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Originally Posted by Sykes
At the SFO mini-DO United presented about WiFi and IFE. They said that access will be possible via a browser or via the United app on mobile devices. He didn't speak specifically about the technology for the browser-based solution but he did mention that one of the challenges they faced was implementing DRM. It wouldn't surprise me if Flash or Silverlight is required for the browser-based solution since they provide relatively easy solutions to parts of that problem.
LH trialled their version of LHS Boardconnect recently. It required download of an app on iOS and Android or MS Silverlight installed on Windows based system.

No IFE content provider will allow airlines to stream without some form of DRM.
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