Latest In Moving Map And Display Technology

Something new Wednesday at the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) conference and exhibition in Seattle: Rockwell Collins introduced its new line of moving map and in-flight information products for commercial aircraft. The new Airshow 4200 is a distributed video-based product, and Airshow 4200i is an in-seat interactive product. Both products integrate with the leading IFE systems to provide content that is highly customizable and tailored to meet the needs of each airline customer.

"The new Airshow 4200 continues the heritage of the Airshow 420 and 210, but dramatically raises the bar for visually compelling in-flight information," said Tim Rayl, senior director, Airshow Systems. "The new 3-D maps in the Airshow 4200 generated a lot of excitement with early customers, and the interactive Airshow 4200i map product positions us for the next generation of digital, in-seat IFE systems.

"The Airshow 4200 has been developed with a major advancement in features, functionality, and look-and-feel over previous map products. It is a full-featured multimedia platform, incorporating a wide variety of capabilities, including 3-D route maps, real-time news feeds, connecting gate information, and point-of-interest media libraries. For the first time, the Airshow 4200 can be used for full-motion MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video displays, such as safety briefings, short subjects, advertising, duty-free, and other non-encrypted content. The Airshow 4200 outputs two channels of NTSC video in a distributed mode to overhead or in-seat monitors. This allows the distribution of map and flight information on one channel and connecting gate information, news feeds and similar content on the second channel.

The Airshow 4200i in-seat interactive moving map incorporates many of the same options available with the Airshow 4200, but instead of "pushing" video to all cabin monitors, 4200i lets each individual passenger "pull" maps, news, and other content to their seat. Simulations of 3-D route maps are included, along with all of the other map and flight information. Intended for digital Ethernet-based IFE systems, the Airshow 4200i uses HTML and Macromedia Flash to optimize distribution.

Both versions of the new map products capture real-time flight information from the aircraft's flight management computer, long-range navigation system and aircraft communication systems. Both products also use the on-board ACARS connection to retrieve current airport terminal information. For Airshow Network news feeds (including WSJ, CNN, BBC, Bloomberg and others) the Airshow 4200 and 4200i connect to the aircraft's NATS, Satcom, or Iridium communications systems.

In fact, almost simultaneously with the product unveiling came the 4200's first customer: Air New Zealand. Eight new Boeing 777 aircraft and seven existing Boeing 747 aircraft will be installed with the Airshow 4200. Initial installation is set for mid 2005. This follows the airline's recent decision to install Rockwell Collins' eTES in-flight entertainment equipment on these aircraft.

Initial shipments of the new Airshow 4200 and Airshow 4200i will begin the second quarter of 2005.

FMI: www.rockwellcollins.com