December 19, 2007 - CHINA Eastern Airlines is the first carrier to select the dPAVES digital version of Rockwell Collins’ narrowbody broadcast IFE system for installation in Boeing aircraft.

The airline has ordered dPAVES for six new Boeing 737-800s, as well as 30 Airbus A320s aircraft, with deliveries to begin next year and continue to 2010. 

The China Eastern installation will feature the 160Gb Broadcast Digital Server (BDS) with integrated Airshow 3D moving-map, 10in retractable LCD screens, Rockwell Collins’ Flyable Data Loader (FDL) for easy loading of content, and automated scripting to allow programme length to be matched to flying time.

Introduced in September last year, dPAVES is up to 85 per cent smaller, 70 per cent lighter and 75 per cent less demanding of power than its analogue predecessor. It is also said to offer more storage than other digital systems - up to 60 hours of video, including encrypted content, and 128 hours of audio. This will allow allows China Eastern to store two play periods of content, with the server automatically selecting the new content at the beginning of the new play period.