System for providing in-flight entertainment with data redundancy

1 . A system for providing in-flight entertainment, the system comprising:

a first server disposed within an aircraft, the first server having stored thereon digital content;

a second server disposed within the aircraft, the second server having stored thereon digital content;

a network switch disposed within the aircraft, wherein the network switch is communicatively linked to both the first and the second servers; and

a plurality of video display units, each of the plurality being located proximate to a passenger seat within the aircraft, each of the plurality being communicatively linked to the network switch, each comprising a user interface that permits a passenger to request digital content,

wherein both the first and second servers are configured to transmit their respective stored digital content to the plurality of video display units via the network switch, and

wherein each of the plurality of video display units decodes and displays the video content upon receiving it.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second servers is normally assigned to provide its digital content to a different group of the plurality of display units, wherein when the first server becomes unable to transmit its digital content to the group of display units to which it is assigned, the second server transmits its digital content to the group of display units to which the first server is normally assigned.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network switch is an Ethernet switch that routes Ethernet frames containing the digital content to the plurality of video display units.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital content is transmitted to the plurality of video display units as streaming video, wherein each of the plurality of video display units comprises a decoder for decoding the streaming video.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of video display units has a touch screen user interface.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital content stored on each of the servers comprises in-flight movies.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless access point communicatively linked to the network switch.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the network is a wireless network, and the plurality video display units access the network via the wireless access point.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network switch is a first network switch, the system further comprising a second network switch communicatively linked to the first and second servers.

10 . A system for providing in-flight entertainment, the system being located on-board an aircraft, the system comprising:

an on-demand server having stored thereon digital content;

a first network switch communicatively linked to the on-demand server;

a second network switch communicatively linked to the on-demand server;

a plurality of video display units, each of the plurality being located proximate to a passenger seat within the aircraft, each of the plurality being communicatively linked to both the first and second network switches, each of the plurality comprising a user interface that permits a passenger at the seat to request the digital content,

wherein the on-demand server transmits its stored digital content to a subset of the plurality of video display units via either the first or second network switch,

wherein both the first network switch and the second network switch are configured to route the digital content to the subset of the plurality of video display units, and

wherein each of the subset of the plurality of video display units decodes and displays the digital content to a passenger upon receiving it.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second network switches is normally assigned to a different group of the plurality of display units, wherein when the first network switch becomes unable to communicate with the group of display units to which it is assigned, the second network switch communicates with the group of display units to which the first network switch is normally assigned.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second network switches are Ethernet switches that route Ethernet frames containing the digital content to the plurality of video display units.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the digital content is transmitted to the plurality of video display units as streaming video, wherein each of the plurality of video display units comprises a decoder for decoding the streaming video.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user interface of each of the plurality of video display units is a touch screen interface.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the network is a wireless network, and the plurality video display units access the network via a wireless access point.

16 . A system for providing data redundancy on an in-flight entertainment network that is deployed on an aircraft, the system comprising:

a server having stored therein digital content;

a plurality of video display units distributed throughout the aircraft, the plurality being communicatively linked together in a daisy chain, wherein a first display unit of the plurality and a second display unit of the plurality are disposed at each of the two respective ends of the daisy chain;

a primary communications path defined between the first display unit and the server; and

a secondary communications path defined between the second display unit and the server;

wherein the server transmits its stored digital content to the plurality of video display units via both the primary and secondary communications path, and

wherein each of the plurality of video display units decodes and displays the digital content upon receiving it.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein a break occurs such that at least some of the plurality of video display units can no longer receive data via the primary communications path but still continue to receive data via the secondary communications path.

18 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a network switch communicatively linked to both the server and the plurality of video display units such that all communications from the server along the primary and secondary communications paths are routed through the network switch.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the digital content is transmitted to the plurality of video display units as streaming video, and wherein each of the plurality of video display units comprises a decoder for decoding the streaming video.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the digital content comprises in-flight movies.