AIX 2025: IdeaNova and SPI Showcase Two New Connected Cabin Solutions
Originally published on APEX
During the 2025 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), IdeaNova Technologies and Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI) have jointly unveiled two new connected cabin innovations: First, an IPTV solution that supports live TV, Digital Video Recording (DVR) and video-on-demand (VOD) content; and second, Inplay Flow, which enables passengers to mirror and cast YouTube videos directly to SPI seatback screens.
A Seamless Transition Between VOD & IPTV
The first solution unveiled by IdeaNova and SPI aims to create an unparalleled IPTV experience for passengers and was created by combining IdeaNova’s InPlay Edge system and SPI’s RAVE in-flight entertainment (IFE) system.
IdeaNova launched InPlay Edge, a software solution designed to optimize content delivery in the aircraft cabin using efficient content caching, at last year’s AIX event. It was developed exclusively for aviation using the Streaming Video Technology Alliance’s open caching specification and is compatible with any existing IFE hardware. As such, SPI says it will allow for the integration of hundreds of terabytes of cache space without the need for any additional equipment.
Merged with SPI’s RAVE system, the resulting IPTV solution supports both Live TV and VOD content. New features include the ability to rewind live broadcasts in a seamless transition from live broadcast to Digital Video Recording (DVR) content that is generated using what Juraj Siska, IdeaNova’s CEO, refers to as “intelligent, standard-compliant caching with the ability to leverage connectivity to pull content to a local server for subsequent viewing.”
“[It offers] intelligent, standard-compliant caching with the ability to leverage connectivity to pull content to a local server for subsequent viewing.”
– Juraj Siska, IdeaNova Technologies
“It offers passengers quick review of a ‘just-played scene’ (e.g. goal scoring) or a complete review of previous events (e.g. games or prior broadcasted TV),” explains Siska.
Furthermore, the solution comes with a configurable interface for managing cache options, such as disk space allocation, cache cleaning and per channel DVR configuration.
SPI’s seatback displays have also been configured to move from VOD to this IPTV feature with ease. The innovation provides passengers with a high-quality streaming experience comparable to those offered by their home entertainment systems without the typical constraints of in-flight connectivity.
Casting Content to the Seatback with InPlay Flow
The second solution created from the collaboration between Safran Passenger Innovations and IdeaNova is the InPlay Flow feature for YouTube and User-Generated Content.
The feature allows passengers to mirror and cast YouTube videos directly to their SPI seatback IFE screens. Additionally, it enables passengers to conveniently share personal content – such as pictures and videos – between their personal electronic devices and the seatback.
Siska believes “this product will become essential for all connected (and even disconnected) aircraft in the future.”
SPI: IFE Needs to Stand for In-Flight “Engagement”
By integrating “advanced technologies like InPlay Edge and InPlay Flow into our innovative products, we are setting new standards in connected personalization, delivering premium, user-focused entertainment solutions, something we call the Passenger Curated Experience,” stated Safran Passenger Innovations Vice President of Products and Strategy Ben Asmar.
As high-speed connectivity continues to be deployed across commercial planes, “airlines must find new ways to engage with passengers as opposed to just losing them to the internet, meaning any opportunity for future engagement becomes significantly harder.”
“The future must be about building connected IFE platforms, where the ‘E’ stands for engagement, allowing the passenger to engage with airline services, third party services, and importantly the entertainment options of their choice and not just what is available on board, something we now call the Passenger Curated Experience,” Asmar concluded.
