Video: Ever been stuck on a plane and wish you could watch your TV and movies on something a bit bigger than an iPad? If you’re savvy enough with your Qantas or Emirates frequent flyer points, or if you’re cashed-up enough to be happy splashing out for a business class seat, Emirates’ new Boeing 777-300ER flights starting November add a surprisingly high-tech feature: in-seat HDMI.
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Emirates’ 777 seats may not be quite as spacious as the A380 — which only has two seats in the centre configuration, rather than the Boeing twinjet’s three — but it’s a leapfrog in terms of the tech available to the high-flying passenger.
As well as that in-seat HDMI for throwing your tablet or laptop’s video up on to the big screen, the seat also boasts the industry’s largest personal TV screen at a whopping 23 inches. The seat itself, as you’d expect, converts to a full 180-degree lie-flat bed.
Singapore Airlines has the same HDMI input setup on its refreshed 77Ws, too — except it calls it ‘eXport’, and it’s only available in the even more ritzy first class cabin.
This looks great for watching your downloaded media on a larger screen on a long-haul international flight, although we’re guessing setting up a Chromecast is still out of the question. At the moment, Emirates expects its first 777-300ERs in November, and has 188 on order — and it’s likely some will supplement Australia’s various A380 and 777-200LR routes. [YouTube]