Chapter 5 Toward Next - Generation In - Flight Entertainment Systems : A Survey of the State of the Art and Possible Extensions

Traveling by air, especially long distance, is not a natural activity for humans. The combination of long flight duration, limited space, and an unusual cabin environment in terms of air pressure, humidity, and continuous noise causes physical and psychological discomfort and even stress for a large group of passengers. Excessive stress may cause some passengers to become aggressive and overreactive and may even endanger their health (Sophia 1998; WHO 2005). Airlines commonly install in-flight entertainment systems on long-haul aircrafts to improve passengers' comfort level. Usually, entertainment services are delivered via high-speed communication tools and state-of-the-art entertainment systems, which include audio/video on-demand, games, in-flight e-mail, Internet access, and ever-increasing digital entertainment options.