# When you fly, do you use the in flight entertainment system? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308 "2022-07-02T16:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/21 "2022-07-02T23:44:11Z")
Other. I set it on the flight map and never touch it again. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/22 "2022-07-03T00:13:12Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I can’t fathom the idea of getting on a plane (or sitting in a waiting room, or getting into any other situation where I’d be sitting around for any length of time) and _not_ bringing something with me to pass the time. I’m the same. One reason I even have a tablet is for more comfortable reading without having to haul the weight of hard-copy books around (I do still own quite a few of those, they do have their place in my life, but for situations that involve a lot of lugging, I appreciate the lighter-weight option). I don’t travel much at all, let alone by air. Only time I’ve ever been on a plane, I was about 7 at the time. My phone and tablet, OTOH, are quite well acquainted with the Kaiser office building wifi. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/23 "2022-07-03T00:42:19Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Long distance flights are responsible for the majority of movies I’ve watched in the past 5 years. Likewise: I use long distance flights as an opportunity to catch up on recent(ish) films that I’ve heard good things about. ---
**Author:** ![SharltoCopley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sharltocopley/32/12309_2.png) [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/24 "2022-07-03T00:46:32Z")
I am a nervy flyer. I only use the screen on ‘Today’s Flight’ mode so I can keep an eye on the speed, altitude and location (makes me feel a little bit in control). Bonus points if it’s an A380, which has cameras on the exterior giving you a view of the airplane, and this helps with my anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/25 "2022-07-03T00:49:20Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Likewise: I use long distance flights as an opportunity to catch up on recent(ish) films that I’ve heard good things about. Myself as well, it’s often the lighter stuff outbound as I’m excited. I’ll watch the Oscar bait stuff on the return. I’ve only flown overseas for pleasure with a tiny bit of business mixed in. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/26 "2022-07-03T00:54:46Z")
I read books. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/27 "2022-07-03T01:16:24Z")
I’ve been flying long enough to go from single screen projected movies (and pay-to-use “airphones”), to in-seat mini screens, to what we have now. As soon as portable DVD players became affordable, I used them and never went back. eta: when I was on a flight where you could listen to air-to-ground chatter, I did. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/28 "2022-07-03T01:25:37Z")
I voted yes, but I meant the WiFi entertainment. I cannot remember the last time I’ve flown and seen those in-seatback screens. I do use by the WiFi entertainment because I can usually get live TV, so if I want to follow a game, it’s through that system. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/29 "2022-07-03T11:30:26Z")
Rarely. I read. My Wife uses it sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/30 "2022-07-03T12:43:02Z")
I have my kindle, tablet, and headphones from the instant I sit down until I’m getting ready to deplane. If anyone other than a flight attendant tries to interact with me I ignore the intrusion. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/31 "2022-07-03T22:36:23Z")
I got devices; E-book reader, etc. On long trips I fire up a movie on the laptop with shared earbud jacks with **Mrs. FtG** and watch what _we_ want to. Really makes the time fly (!). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/32 "2022-07-04T00:18:30Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > For me, the answer is yes, almost all the time. Even if I’m reading my kindle or some hard copy, I’m likely streaming music from in flight entertainment. Pretty much this - I use my smartphone [Sonim8] as an ebook reader - aldiko with calibre on the laptop to load books into my phone. I will put music or a movie on the entertainment center, and read my [airplane mode] phone. I don’t get streaming, while I have a heritage unlimited account, I dislike streaming - if I cant load it into my phone or tablet, I don’t use it. [I actually have books and music on SD cards/chips/thumbdrives for portability.] ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/33 "2022-07-04T17:04:12Z")
The equipment I usually ride on has no seat-back screens but does have wi-fi and a large on-board library of free movies, music, TV shows, etc., to be shown on your own device(s). And has a mostly reliable satellite connection to the ground internet for everything except streaming. Though this latter service costs something per flight or per month. I have no use for the TV shows, movies, music, or games. Neither in my living room, nor on an airplane. On my tablet I’m usually either reading a pre-downloaded library book, or killing my email, blogs, e-magazines, or SDMB online. I have umpteen hours of music on the tablet but never think to listen to any of it. It’s just in there so I could throw away all the CDs I bought it on years and decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/34 "2022-07-09T13:42:03Z")
I’ll use it if there is a newish movie that I want to see - but on most flights there isn’t. Mostly I watch/listen to something on my tablet either streaming or downloaded and or read something on my kindle. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308/35 "2022-07-10T19:15:09Z")
When we flew business class to Hong Kong I listened to some Beethoven piano sonatas on the entertainment system. But that’s about it. I have a Kindle, I bring some real books, and I have some puzzle books. And why watch a movie on a tiny screen when I can watch it just as well on my giant screen at home? Kind of ruins it for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-fly-do-you-use-the-in-flight-entertainment-system/967308.md?page=1)