Seatback monitors for in-flight entertainment are just so yesterday.
That's evident as American Airlines began testing a new in-flight video system on two Boeing 767-200 aircraft which enables passengers to stream movies, TV shows and other content from an in-flight library to their Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
In so doing, American Airlines becomes the first carrier in North America to test the new service, which is being provided by Aircell.
Aircell, which is American Airlines' onboard Wi-Fi provider, uses an air-to-ground communications system, and the airline thus is only testing the service on transcontinental flights. The air-to-ground system employes three antennas installed on the exterior of the aircraft and they connect to Aircell's mobile broadbank network in the U.S.
American hopes to deploy the streaming content on its Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft this Fall if it get the nod from the Federal Aviation Administration. Pricing for the product will be announced closer to launch, the airline says.
At the same time, American Airlines announced plans to expand its Wi-Fi capabilities. Beginning this summer and continuing through 2012, American plans to get Wi-Fi-ready all of its domestic aircraft flying within the continental U.S.