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Comment by disposedtrolley | Hacker News Reader

That would be awesome, but it would also mean that IFE systems would actually need to be made well!

The current ones from Panasonic seem to have caught up to the original iPad: https://www.panasonic.aero/our-offerings/systems/x-series-bl...

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It’s hard! They’re not slow by choice, they’re slow because of the years it takes for safety approvals, testing, and certification to complete. I’ve met a creative director who’s responsible for Norwegian’s IFE last year, and she was telling me about some of the crazy challenges it is to try and work with the hardware and software constraints they get. The software teams certainly have the resources and knowledge to build a great, modern platform.

> Nearly every element [of an airplane seat] undergoes a safety-enhancing process called “delethalization”: seats have to withstand an impact equal to sixteen times the force of gravity [and many other constraints] .... Largely as a result, in-flight entertainment systems are almost unbelievably expensive. The rule of thumb, I was told, is “a thousand dollars an inch”—meaning that the small screen in the back of each economy seat can cost an airline ten thousand dollars, plus a few thousand for its handheld controller.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/21/game-of-throne...

Can someone explain how an object that can withstand and impact equal to sixteen times the force of gravity is not going to be lethal to the person who's face hits it?

I've always wondered why screens in the back of seats were allowed, as they seem to clearly be an additional hazard compared to a nice soft cushioned seat back that they displaced.

That’s fascinating! Thanks for sharing both of you - I had an inkling that regulation and testing has a massive impact on the usability of IFEs.

I know some airlines supply an iPad which can be mounted to the back of the headrest and needs to be stowed at takeoff or landing. I wonder what kind of testing would be required for those setups.

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