Panasonic’s Astrova Offers OLED for Your Plane’s In-Flight Entertainment—Rolling Out This Year

Panasonic Avionics' Astrova brings OLED to your in-flight entertainment to help maximize the experience of traveling via planes, and various airline companies are adopting the tech for future use.

Some airlines already promised that Astrova's new screens would be available later this year, offering a first-of-its-kind 4K HDR display embedded on a seat's headrest.

The good thing is, that it would be available even if you are only flying coach, providing a massive update to the LCD screens that are available on most long-haul flights.

Panasonic's Astrova Offers OLED for In-Flight Entertainment

Panasonic Avionics' Astrova is now shaping up to be the standard for in-flight entertainment. It offers a 4K HDR OLED display for flights, a welcome upgrade from the LCD screens that have been a standard for the economy class.

These Astrova IFEs are placed on the back of the seat's headrest. They offer two USB-C charging ports with up to 100W charging capabilities and Bluetooth support for wireless headsets.

The company offers the Astrova in 13, 16, 19, 22, 27, 32, and 42-inch screens, but it would depend on what the airline would be offering for their flights. That being said, it also offers LED lighting systems that help improve lighting and prevent overhead cabin lights from disrupting the experience.

Astrova is Rolling Out to Partner Airlines This Year

Icelandair and Qantas are looking to roll out the Astrova IFE this late 2024 and by 2025, with Icelandair bringing it to a new Airbus A321neo LR with 13-inch screens for economy and 16-inch screens for business class.

Qantas, on the other hand, would retrofit the Astrova to A330-200 craft and for new A350-1000 planes.

United Airlines also announced this last year, with its fleet getting the Astrova IFE in 2025.

Other partners include Singapore Airlines, Egyptair, Saudia, and Qatar Airways.

In-Flight Entertainment Developments

In-flight entertainment can make or break a journey unless you prepare by downloading movies to your computers, tablets, or smartphones to make the most of your travel. However, certain companies offer significant experiences, even for those in economy, with AirCanada known for partnering with Apple to bring Apple TV+ titles to stream mid-flight.

Since 2015, Virgin has offered Panasonic's Eco V2 inflight system, which is powered by an Android operating system and offers massive connectivity options. Virgin's in-flight entertainment is also extensive, as it not only allows streaming but also allows games, media via USB ports, and a credit card reader.

Last year, Panasonic's Astrova was also announced to be coming soon on United Airlines flights, with the company yet to announce the availability of these new screens for public use.

Astrova is setting up a standard for in-flight entertainment that offers richer colors, improved brightness, and overall better quality for airplanes, which will come soon for companies that have adopted its tech.