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DigEplayer a Hit With Hawaiian Airlines
Wednesday March 31, 8:05 am ET

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040331/sfw044_1.html

Latest Use Proves Exciting View Into the Future of APS' Portable In-Flight Entertainment Device and Its Tremendous Value on the Transpacific Routes


TACOMA, Wash., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, March 21, Hawaiian Airlines and APS launched the digEplayer 5500, the worlds first completely self-contained, portable in flight entertainment system on the device's first transpacific flight from Seattle to Honolulu.
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"It was unbelievable watching the response from the passengers. When I worked the beverage cart with the Hawaiian flight attendant loaded with the digEplayers, we had 3 players running on top of the cart, showing a children's movie, Master and Commander, and music videos. It took us less than 15 minutes to sell out all 68 players we had available to rent," said Bill Boyer, Chairman and Founder of APS.

Ken Clark, Manager of In-flight Training at APS states, "I have never seen anything like it, families of four had no problem paying for players for each members of their family. We even saw passengers returning home from the previous week, reserving players once again."

Boyer and Clark flew nearly 20,000 miles in 6 days from Hawaii to the mainland, working alongside the hardworking Flight Attendants for Hawaiian Airlines. Boyer continued, "The flight attendants took to the digEplayers right away and we appreciate their enthusiasm and support for our player."

The system found its way to Hawaiian Airlines because of Luana Aiona, Mgr., Product & Systems Development Onboard Services, and her interest in the digEplayer after seeing it at the World Airline Entertainment Association conference in Seattle last September. Aiona said, "When I first saw the digEplayer on the second day of the conference I immediately realized the potential the digEplayer would have for us."

Gordon Locke, Sr. VP of Marketing & Sales with Hawaiian also commented, "This fits our product innovation strategy. During the test period we ran a comparison on these first 5 flights between the digEplayer and our standard in-flight system and the digEplayer outsold head-set sales by nearly 5 to 1."

Ms. Aiona went on to say, "The reaction from our passengers, crew members, pilots, ground personnel and Management staff has been overwhelmingly positive. I am convinced the players will be a big hit on our Honolulu-Sydney routes with the long flight times."

The digEplayer 5500 is the world's first portable, Video-On-Demand, In-flight entertainment system. The player can hold over 30 full length feature movies and 10 hours of dynamic music content available on demand for the airline passenger. The digEplayer is a cost efficient means for the airlines to provide a variety of entertainment options from first run movies and television shows to music videos and destination information. Ms Aiona added, "While we originally looked for an in-seat system, the digEplayer is a true AVOD system without the wiring, aircraft down time and weight!" Boyer continues, "Using the rental formula developed originally by APS, the payback period for carriers like Hawaiian Airlines can be less then 6 months."

APS is a privately held corporation from Tacoma, WA.




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Source: APS, Inc.