Continental rolling out DirecTV, IM, and email to 225 planes

In another mostly positive step for in-flight entertainment options, Continental Airlines will be rolling out DirecTV along with email and IM service on 225 of its planes starting next January -- the majority of its domestic fleet, according to Reuters -- although watching some tube will reportedly cost economy passengers six bucks-a-pop. Continental is teaming up with LiveTV on the venture, a subsidiary of JetBlue which also provides that airline with DirecTV, XM, and, more recently, limited Yahoo email and IM services courtesy of its 800MHz bandwidth acquisition. LiveTV will both provide and install a majority of the in-plane hardware in exchange for most of the revenue from economy section TV viewers; the 36 DirecTV channels will be free to first class passengers, and anyone with compatible devices and a Yahoo account can connect to the flying hotspots.

[Via Reuters]

[ayemac @ Jan 29th 2008 2:08PM]

So if the planes get receive D*, why can't I in my car?!?

"I want my DTV!!" (some old school MTV antics, if you will.)

[Evan Blass @ Jan 29th 2008 2:14PM]

Oh, but you can...for a price:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/directv-offers-new-tracvision-a7-satellite-tv-system-for-vehicle/

[Liam @ Jan 29th 2008 2:11PM]

Is that Whose Line is it Anyway? That show RULES!

[Evan Blass @ Jan 29th 2008 2:14PM]

I think it's the New Price is Right

[paragraph @ Jan 29th 2008 2:13PM]

This is definitly interesting, but the cost is silly, unless i'm on a 30 hour flight, i wouldn't be interested...

really, $6 for some cruddy TV? I have a PMP for a reason...

[chareman14 @ Jan 29th 2008 2:14PM]

price is right actually

[chareman14 @ Jan 29th 2008 2:15PM]

the show*

[futaihikage @ Jan 29th 2008 2:44PM]

Wow... all that technology in one plane ... if only they can get these things to leave the ground ON TIME, then I would be happier

[Yankees368 @ Jan 29th 2008 3:00PM]

Why in the world would they charge $6 for some crappy TV? Jetblue is right on with free TV, charging $5 for a movie.

It's also too bad that continental will be stuck with that crappy 800mhz Yahoo! only internet. That is just useless.

[m @ Jan 29th 2008 4:29PM]

continental probably needs/wants the money, but you must remember that the two airlines have very different business models. jetblue is non-union, and among other things ONLY pays the flight crews for the time they spend IN THE AIR. they also cut out many of the traditional elements you still find on CO, for example inflight meals (terrible as they are). CO also has to maintain code-sharing and other reciprocal relationships with other airlines, meaning that if CO is grounded, they can potentially get you on another airline to complete your trip. if your jetblue plane can't fly, however, you're stuck until they get a replacement, no matter how long that takes. remember what happened last winter, was it? there are definitely downsides to both models, and there are many people who would rather pay $6 for TV than risk getting stuck on the tarmac for 5+ hours.

[Cash @ Jan 29th 2008 8:35PM]

Dunno what you are complaining about. Continental is one of the few airlines still offering any kind of entertainment onboard, which before this consisted of movies, tv shows, and a google earth-esque map of the plane's location as well as outside conditions and estimated remaining flight time. They also offered inflight music at five bucks a pop, which you could bypass if you used the free headset coupon that prints out when you check in for your flight online.

[Kevin C. Burns @ Jan 29th 2008 3:06PM]

there was no price given for the Wi-Fi just that you need a Yahoo! account, does that mean it's free?

[michaelportent @ Jan 29th 2008 3:29PM]

All this and more could be yours for the high, high price of whatever Continental's airfares are currently!

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 29th 2008 4:15PM]

NEXT january?! gay.

[m @ Jan 29th 2008 4:34PM]

what a stupid comment. i don't know about anybody else, but i find that heterosexuality generally costs me much more than $6.

[Bob @ Jan 29th 2008 7:33PM]

just a matter of time b4 some hacker on one of these flights to the west from the east (or vice versa) to hack these to get mac os x to run on it or linux. 10 gajillion points to whoever does get linux to run. 15 gajillion if it has engadget on firefox. 50 gajillion if its os x. 100 gajillion if its os x w/ engadget on it. Add 5 gajillion if its on firefox.

[Richard @ Jan 29th 2008 8:57PM]

Please tell me that the 4:3 screen in the picture isnt the one they are going with? If so, what? you get to see 2/3rds of the TV shows that everyone else does. I have noticed that more and more things are being made with no regard for the 4:3 title safe area, and when at friends places with their sat boxes set to centre cut it _really_ annoys me to see half a face and similar.

I hope that its just a stock photo from the 90's that someone has shopped drew onto.

[Jerry @ Jan 30th 2008 12:13AM]

Um, that's a pretty standard pic of Drew on The Price is Right...definitely not shopped and not cropped in anyway. TPIR is still a 4:3 SD show. Sad, but true.

[hh @ Jan 30th 2008 9:48AM]

$6 isnt bad. thats about the costs of a basic dinner.
free would be nice of course. but $6 is certainly manageable.

[Ainsworth @ Jan 30th 2008 2:56PM]

I'd rather see text messaging than e-mail.