SWR looking for ideas for on board entertainment.

[Matt Taylor]

From December SWR is introducing a streaming service on board their 450s 444s and 442s and are looking for suggestions for content, it will be streamed to personal devices and is currently described as 'BWOD' (bring your own device). More details can be found here: https://forum.southwesternrailway.c.../on-board-entertainment---share-your-thoughts

From December 2018, we will also be starting to launch a complimentary, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) entertainment service, on South Western Railway services from London to Weymouth, Poole, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton Central and some outer suburban services (operated by the white Class 444 trains, blue Class 450 trains and newly refurbished 442 trains).

The new Class 701 trains will be fitted with the service when they start rolling out in 2019, and the West of England line fleets will also be fitted by mid 2020.

The BYOD entertainment service does not require an internet connection...

Presumably this will only be available on refurbished units but will also roll out to the 701s, not sure about the diesel fleet.

 

[Ih8earlies]

It will probably be the same/similar system that is being installed on Transpennine trains as they are refurbished.

Hope you enjoy Game Of Thrones.

 

[Deepgreen]

From December SWR is introducing a streaming service on board their 450s 444s and 442s and are looking for suggestions for content, it will be streamed to personal devices and is currently described as 'BWOD' (bring your own device). More details can be found here: https://forum.southwesternrailway.c.../on-board-entertainment---share-your-thoughts

Presumably this will only be available on refurbished units but will also roll out to the 701s, not sure about the diesel fleet.

'BYOD' perhaps?

 

[Domh245]

The franchise agreement requires SWR to install media servers on all of the fleets that they're keeping (and including the 701s), so I'd expect it to be similar to the system that LM installed, Virgin's BEAM, and so on.

That said, more generally "SWR looking for ideas for on board entertainment" - perhaps we could have staff breaking out into musical numbers every so often :P

 

[OxtedSignaller]

Just shows how superior SWR is to Southern Rail on their routes down to the south coast. Nothing like that on Southern nor do they have a guard on every train and catering service.

I’d imagine as said above it will be a downloadable app connected to the train WiFi usually in partnership with a streaming service such as Now TV on c2c. End of the day I am in favour of anything like this which can enhance the customer experience.

 

[Carlisle]

Just shows how superior SWR is to Southern Rail on their routes down to the south coast. Nothing like that on Southern nor do they have a guard on every train and catering service.
.

There was a period must be around 12 years ago when you encountered lots of catering trolleys on Southern trains on various routes, far more than SWT if I recall correctly, presumably they didn’t make enough money to survive long term .

 

[BestWestern]

Just shows how superior SWR is to Southern Rail on their routes down to the south coast. Nothing like that on Southern nor do they have a guard on every train and catering service.

Don't confuse 'SWR' with 'SWT'!

The former is thus far still very much running to the excellent template set by the latter, events so far suggest that isn't necessarily going to continue long term.

 

[superalbs]

Don't get these "media server" things...something wrong with a good ol' bit of working WiFi? I certainly manage!

Also, do the apps require you to be wearing headphones to play audio? That's quite important for me.

 

[DanTrain]

Don't get these "media server" things...something wrong with a good ol' bit of working WiFi? I certainly manage!

Also, do the apps require you to be wearing headphones to play audio? That's quite important for me.

Agreed, they sound like a brilliant initiative from 2005 - these days all people want is some decent wifi and a plug for their ipad/phone/laptop etc.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Don't get these "media server" things...something wrong with a good ol' bit of working WiFi? I certainly manage!

Also, do the apps require you to be wearing headphones to play audio? That's quite important for me.

Media servers mean that they don’t have to pay as much for WiFi as people stream the content stored on the train

 

[Joe Paxton]

Don't get these "media server" things...something wrong with a good ol' bit of working WiFi? I certainly manage!

Agreed, they sound like a brilliant initiative from 2005 - these days all people want is some decent wifi and a plug for their ipad/phone/laptop etc.

It makes media (A/V) content actually deliverable on-board. In simple terms, there isn't the bandwidth between the train and the wider internet to support lots of passengers streaming non-local stuff via the train's wifi.

I'm a bit 'meh' about it, but it seems a popular enough idea going by the number of train companies who have it.

 

[BestWestern]

Media servers mean that they don’t have to pay as much for WiFi as people stream the content stored on the train

Although of course wifi will remain available, presumably.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Although of course wifi will remain available, presumably.

Yes, that's how it works. Often the providers will block streaming services (or at least attempt to).

 

[Domh245]

I'm a bit 'meh' about it, but it seems a popular enough idea going by the number of train companies who have it.

In most cases they are being forced to install them by the DfT, rather than off their own backs

 

[cuccir]

Agreed, they sound like a brilliant initiative from 2005 - these days all people want is some decent wifi and a plug for their ipad/phone/laptop etc.

It does seem wierd that there's a more towards these systems. Surely anyone wanting 'in-flight' style entertainment will either have got themselves sufficient data to stream via 3/4g or have downloaded stuff in advance? What's the market for these services?!?

 

[ASharpe]

How about a complimentary newspaper? Metro in the morning and the Evening Standard for the return.

Waste would obviously be used in an anaerobic digester to provide power for the 750V.

 

[Chrisgr31]

There was a period must be around 12 years ago when you encountered lots of catering trolleys on Southern trains on various routes, far more than SWT if I recall correctly, presumably they didn’t make enough money to survive long term .

I am not sure if it is that simple although it is something that has been discussed many times in here before. The problem I think is that onboard catering has not generally kept up with modern life. It tends to be expensive and offers a variable selection and items that are available one day will not be available the next.

It's a pain buying your coffee etc before travelling and then having to carry it through the barrier with your bags etc so an option to buy on board offers convenience but you cant guarantee its there and if it is its expensive.

I do try and buy something on board board everytime though to try and keep the service.

 

[Chrisgr31]

It does seem wierd that there's a more towards these systems. Surely anyone wanting 'in-flight' style entertainment will either have got themselves sufficient data to stream via 3/4g or have downloaded stuff in advance? What's the market for these services?!?

I agree wi-fi and mobile data are surely the way forward although both offer issues. Only Friday I emailed Vodafone to complain about their data network. I don't mind so much that the connection is awful through rural Sussex, but I struggle to believe I cannot connect at London Bridge, or when the train is in East Croydon or indeed virtually anywhere between the two. Its also got noticeably worse recently. A friend and I used to joke about how I could get a connection when he couldnt on O2, now neither of us can!

 

[The Ham]

Although people will be inclined to bring their own pre downloaded content there's an argument that those going to work may not have time to download stuff from the night before if they are catching an early train to work in the morning.

 

[pompeyfan]

Surely that train WiFi will run off the same idea as it currently does, ie lots of mobile phone SIM cards in a module pulling in as much bandwidth as it can, which is all well and good until you get to some very rural places, where even GSMR isn’t perfect. There’s a few that I can think of on the SWR Network.

 

[BestWestern]

Although people will be inclined to bring their own pre downloaded content there's an argument that those going to work may not have time to download stuff from the night before if they are catching an early train to work in the morning.

Although of course many people going to and from work, particularly the London crowd using SWR, would much rather be able to do work-related things using decent wifi, than watch a repetetive selection of semi-recent films and random stuff from the telly.

 

[The Ham]

Although of course many people going to and from work, particularly the London crowd using SWR, would much rather be able to do work-related things using decent wifi, than watch a repetetive selection of semi-recent films and random stuff from the telly.

Yes and no. My expertise of seeing people screens is a mix of the two. If course with more local data it could mean more band width for those who want to use it.

 

[BestWestern]

Yes and no. My expertise of seeing people screens is a mix of the two. If course with more local data it could mean more band width for those who want to use it.

On something like VTEC it makes a lot of sense, being a proper long distance, intercity run with plenty of leisure traffic. Weekdays on SWR it just seems a rather strange offering. Alas, we'll see how it fares!

 

[Carlisle]

I am not sure if it is that simple although it is something that has been discussed many times in here before. The problem I think is that onboard catering has not generally kept up with modern life. It tends to be expensive and offers a variable selection and items that are available one day will not be available the next.

It's a pain buying your coffee etc before travelling and then having to carry it through the barrier with your bags etc so an option to buy on board offers convenience but you cant guarantee its there and if it is its expensive.

I do try and buy something on board board everytime though to try and keep the service.

Yes, I seem to recall those Southern trolleys used to board and alight at various stations en route, so presumably only well informed regulars actually knew which trains likley offered refreshments and on what part of the route.

 

[Silver Cobra]

I'll admit that I do make use of BEAM on both VTEC and VTWC when travelling for at least 90 minutes with them. The only downloaded content I have on my phone/tablet is music, and I don't have the greatest data allowance on my phone tariff, so I find it convenient to have access to films through BEAM to watch on longer journeys with both TOCs.

 

[MCSHF007]

Also, do the apps require you to be wearing headphones to play audio? That's quite important for me.

This is without question the key point.

 

[Warwick]

We used to have things called books when I was a lad. Trains used to have windows that you could look out of and watch the scenery go by. Have we brought up a generation with no attention span?

 

[telstarbox]

The scenery between London and Woking isn't spectacular, especially when you're seeing it for the 400th time that year...

 

[Carlisle]

We used to have things called books when I was a lad. Trains used to have windows that you could look out of and watch the scenery go by. Have we brought up a generation with no attention span?

Maybe it’s all part of the DFT strategy in preparation for Hyperloop

 

[The Ham]

The scenery between London and Woking isn't spectacular, especially when you're seeing it for the 400th time that year...

...and/or dark.