United Installing 4K OLED Screens From Panasonic

Airline says the 10-13 inch screens will create a 'fully immersive' experience

United announced this week that it is upgrading its in-flight entertainment services with new 4K OLED backseat screens from Panasonic.

The deal is the largest ever for Panasonic Avionics and is its first customer in the Americas for its new Astrova in-flight engagement (IFE) solution. United plans to install Astrova on select new Boeing 787 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft beginning in 2025.

Collectively, these agreements cover both line-fit and retrofit installations across United's fleet and are part of United Next, which is enhancing the passenger experience on narrowbody aircraft flown in domestic and short-haul international markets. The United Next program includes seatback entertainment screens at every seat — first class has 13-inch monitors, while economy has 10-inch monitors, larger overhead bins, high speed Wi-Fi, USB outlets at every seat, Bluetooth audio connections for in-flight entertainment, and LED lighting throughout the cabin.

Mark Muren, Managing Director – Identity, Product, and Loyalty at United Airlines, says: "Our customers tell us that they want to be engaged, entertained and productive in the air. Our new partnership with Panasonic Avionics will make that possible and enable us to set a new standard of in-flight excellence as a key part of United Next. Together United and Panasonic will drive new standards of engagement when customers come onboard a United aircraft."

Panasonic Avionics says Astrova is the first IFE solution to offer 4K OLED technology, adding that image quality is sharper, clearer, with an infinite contrast ratio, which delivers cinema-grade colors and the perfect black. It also creates a fully immersive experience for passengers with high fidelity 3D spatial audio delivered by Panasonic Avionics’ latest Bluetooth technology, "together creating the pinnacle of IFE experiences, unmatched in the industry."

United's passengers will also have up to 100 W of DC power via USB-C at their seat, providing the ability to fast charge the latest phones and tablets, and laptops through all phases of flight.

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Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand's Tech Leadership events.

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