Japanese Teac is returning to the In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) business with the release of a new solid state video reproducer. In 1996, TEAC?s first IFE products were developed with TEAC airborne video technology designed specifically for the requirements for commercial airline operations.

In 2004, TEAC spun-off the airborne video IFE business as a separate company, TEAC Aerospace Technologies, which was then acquired four years later by Goodrich and then United Technologies.

However, TEAC continued to design and manufacture all Goodrich and United Technologies IFE products through all those years, and has continuously supplied IFE products to the market through TEAC Aerospace, Goodrich, and United Technologies under the TEAC brand name.

Now, in February 2014, United Technologies and TEAC have agreed for TEAC to return directly to the IFE market. As such, TEAC is returning to its legacy IFE business by releasing an all new solid state video reproducer, the TEAC VE-801SDi.

The VE-801SDi reproduces videos from an SD memory card directly, and requires no time for download. In addition, the player can replace conventional IFE reproducers with minimal engineering or aircraft impact. Because the VE-801SDi uses the same form factor as almost all current IFE tape video systems, it provides plug and play compatibility with many currently installed 8mm/Hi8 and VHS-based reproducers without aircraft modification.