Cameras on IFE equipment

[SQ217]

Anybody notice this before:

https://twitter.com/vkamluk/status/1097008518685573120

Apparently one of the 787's, might have to take some duct tape on the next flight.

[Boy]

SIA said they disabled it and are not planning to use it.

I think it's a really stupid decision by the equipment manufacturer to include a camera without including a cover by default. Also, why didn't SIA insist on the removal of those cameras?

[alian]

Irony is that they don’t have plane cameras but have seat cameras. Go figure ???

[alian]

SIA said they disabled it and are not planning to use it.

I think it's a really stupid decision by the equipment manufacturer to include a camera without including a cover by default. Also, why didn't SIA insist on the removal of those cameras?

Removal / Customization is costly and really not worth it

[ycp81]

EK's newer aircraft have the cameras below the IFE monitors as well.

[Boy]

Removal / Customization is costly and really not worth it

Care to elaborate on this? I don't see how it would be costly, especially since SIA ordered thousands of these. We're not even talking about changing form factor or adding extra components.

[kevin-sg]

Care to elaborate on this? I don't see how it would be costly, especially since SIA ordered thousands of these. We're not even talking about changing form factor or adding extra components.

Isn't it only about the front panel screen?

The equipment manufacturer should offer customers who do not intent to use the camera function a different panel that fully covers (without the opening hole).

[ninervictor]

Irony is that they don’t have plane cameras but have seat cameras. Go figure ???

They do have exterior cameras, just that it's not meant for passenger's IFE

[SQ228]

Hmmm... these seat back panels seem to be very advanced. I wonder if they could allow a passenger to screenshot and tweet the IFE 3D map app?

[orionmiz]

Care to elaborate on this? I don't see how it would be costly, especially since SIA ordered thousands of these. We're not even talking about changing form factor or adding extra components.

Yes, it actually cost money to remove the camera. You need manpower to remove the camera correctly, especially if it is emdded. They may also need to fill up that hole with epoxy, so that it doesn't look "ugly".

By the way, camera-removed smartphones (not talking about phones that originally comes without camera like iNo, but referring to phones that already has a camera on it) actually cost more that the ordinary smartphones with camera intact.

[alian]

They do have exterior cameras, just that it's not meant for passenger's IFE

yup and many airlines already enable them for IFE. make you wonder their thought of mind though

[alian]

Care to elaborate on this? I don't see how it would be costly, especially since SIA ordered thousands of these. We're not even talking about changing form factor or adding extra components.

When OEM manufacturers build products they a) need to build support and maintenance around it as well as b) the manufacturing process. Building different mold (i.e. one with camera the other without) has cost impacts. In terms of support they will need various software version to cater to the various options. Not to say its not doable and many of us can think of efficient ways to achieve this but manufacturers would take the cost efficient approach.

This is just a very thin top layer of the ration - there is much more and hard to describe.

Also while SQ may have order thousands, on a global perspective SQ total seat count is not very high esp when compared to EK, US3 etc.

[SQ217]

Yes, it actually cost money to remove the camera.

I don’t understand why the manufacture thought it was a good idea to include them in the first place. If it’s about video chatting to somebody on the ground, virtually everybody would have there phone on them anyway and chatting to a passenger in another seat on the plane just seems weird to me.

If they are going to spend money on hardware put it into 1 of 2 things better screen resolution or make the system more responsive.

[Boy]

When OEM manufacturers build products they a) need to build support and maintenance around it as well as b) the manufacturing process. Building different mold (i.e. one with camera the other without) has cost impacts. In terms of support they will need various software version to cater to the various options. Not to say its not doable and many of us can think of efficient ways to achieve this but manufacturers would take the cost efficient approach.

This is just a very thin top layer of the ration - there is much more and hard to describe.

Also while SQ may have order thousands, on a global perspective SQ total seat count is not very high esp when compared to EK, US3 etc.

I still feel the additional effort/cost would be negligible. There's no need to have a different mould. Software-wise, it's relatively easy to maintain just 1 variant that can work with the absence of the camera. It's running Android after all, where camera access is not guaranteed (permission-based). Besides, since SIA is not using the camera function anyway, existing code may even work without any change.

I don't believe SIA has no bargaining power (to ask for the modification at little to no extra cost) in this case. Looks more like an oversight if you ask me.

[FN-GM]

When OEM manufacturers build products they a) need to build support and maintenance around it as well as b) the manufacturing process. Building different mold (i.e. one with camera the other without) has cost impacts. In terms of support they will need various software version to cater to the various options. Not to say its not doable and many of us can think of efficient ways to achieve this but manufacturers would take the cost efficient approach.

This is just a very thin top layer of the ration - there is much more and hard to describe.

Also while SQ may have order thousands, on a global perspective SQ total seat count is not very high esp when compared to EK, US3 etc.

The is a good explanation. I buy IT equipment at work on a regular basis in the tens of thousands. It is expensive for anything custom - in fact many OEMs won't accommodate for any changes.