DirecTV Inflight and Satcom Direct are bringing live television to business aircraft equipped with low-earth or geostationary orbit satellite connectivity. The DirecTV IPTV content includes sports, news, weather, and other entertainment programming.
Available in September, aircraft owners and operators will be able to purchase IPTV as part of Satcom Direct connectivity service plans. “The service…can be seamlessly integrated with Satcom Direct’s plans or purchased and accessed separately through the DirecTV app and compatible Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku devices,” according to DirecTV. Satcom Direct and third-party providers will manage IPTV pricing.
Like its legacy direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service, which is still supported, IPTV is available over the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. DBS provides only standard definition resolution, while IPTV will be available in two high-definition profiles, low (360p and 1 Mbps) and high (720p and 3 Mbps).
No additional hardware is required to add IPTV, and it integrates with installed in-flight entertainment systems. Users can add custom content, such as training videos.
“We are always looking to expand our portfolio of high-quality, flexible services for our customers,” said Michael Skou Christensen, chief commercial officer at Satcom Direct. “This latest addition to our Satcom Direct ecosystem allows passengers subscribing to the DirecTV service to enjoy live TV just as they do at home or in their office.”