TV on the train?

[packetswitch]

http://www.thestar.com/article/198054

The GO train is putting its passengers a little closer to their living rooms by installing TV screens on its rail cars.

The screens are showing news, weather, entertainment and sports highlights, but are designed as an advertising vehicle with the expectation they'll raise $8 million for the transit authority over 10 years.

GO trains are commuter services in and out of Toronto; they use those nifty little hexagon-shaped double-decker coaches that I've talked about before.

I've seen the 'infoscreen' model in great action on the City-Airport Train (the expensive one) in Vienna, and found it quite funky, especially coming from an airport to a city, as it gave the essential information in a very clear fashion.

One innovative thing about the GO plan is that they will broadcast the accompanying audio on the FM band, so you can 'listen in', but those that don't want to listen don't have to. I'm normally not too welcoming of new ways to get commercial messages into my eyelids while in 'public space' but given that commuter trains already carry advertising, I don't think this would be an unbearable addition - and if the information is useful, it would be a great thing to think about...

[Derek Wheeler]

Ive voted no on the basis that it is a good idea, but having worked in this area in the past, it will no doubt degenerate into a useless, commercial ridden output that nobody looks at. Carrying actual programming that is interesting and watchable tends to be dictated on the cost to ad sales ratio. Ads win out and the viewer loses interest.

Ryanair has the best model many years ago with their inflight TV service.

[packetswitch]

Here's the 'outline' schedule for the Toronto service. It seems a bit ad-heavy. I'm trying to remember if GO trains already have ads on the inside - if not, I'd imagine passengers will be fairly cross at the amount of ads as it's going from zero to quite a lot.

Ryanair TV - what was that about?

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by packetswitch

Ryanair TV - what was that about?

I havent been on a Ryanair flight in years as my P11 salary affords me a much classier airline. Yeah right!

Back in the late 90s they used the TV system on their planes to play a specially devised programme (changed bi-monthly) that featured tourist info, duty free sales, ads for places such as the "Dubliner" pub in temple bar, safety announcements and music videos. For a short flight, it worked really well. I made a few ads for it, but then it disappeared off the map. It had a good mixture unlike current efforts which are just ad vehicles.

[richards]

Heathrow Express has BBC World News every few mins or so! Not bad for a 15 mins journey. Pricey though!

[Aphfaneire]

Its not exactly the live tvs all over the subway in Total Recal or the talking personal holograme ads in Minority report, but its the future, bring it on!

[markus]

Originally Posted by packetswitch

http://www.thestar.com/article/198054

decker coaches that I've talked about before.

I've seen the 'infoscreen' model in great action on the City-Airport Train (the expensive one) in Vienna, and found it quite funky, especially coming from an airport to a city, as it gave the essential information in a very clear fashion.
.

A bit off-topic but you know the few extra stops on the normal line to the airport just take 9 minutes longer and the price is 3 euro instead of 9 on the CAT. Unfortunately the CAT has turned into a tourist rip off.

[packetswitch]

Heh, yeah I discovered that on my second visit. Oops. First time out, the organiser of the event I was attending specifically instructed that the CAT should be taken. I suspect a kickback.

It's for similar reasons that I have never taken Heathrow Express (so I didn't see their BBC World!) or Gatwick Express (that one's ridiculous, either a Southern train to Victoria or FCC Thameslink to Kings Cross (or whereever) is much cheaper and barely a couple of minutes longer).

[Colm Donoghue]

My 2 cents goes to getting all existing information screens working correctly before any other madness.

[MrX]

Lets hope Irish rail don't get any ideas!!!

You could have Craig Doyle on a flat panel LCD screen on all Irish trains telling feeding you misinformation about the next stop!

Aircoach has a system where the stop announcements are video based. i.e. a lady appears on screen telling you "We're about to approach Trinity College!"

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by MrX

Aircoach has a system where the stop announcements are video based. i.e. a lady appears on screen telling you "We're about to approach Trinity College!"

When it's working/ turned on.

[dowlingm]

Several colleagues are GO commuters so I'll get the lowdown when it goes live. Toronto Transit put infoscreens on subway platforms but they are almost always useless at portraying service disruption. Unfortunately that's what IE would probably be like.

On the other hand GO Transit seem to "get it" that commuters need to know what's going on - they have an email mailing list which contacts commuters by route/station (including feeder bus news) and a web page (that actually does get updated unlike IE) when there's a derailment or a collision at an LC or whatever.
http://www.gotransit.ca/PUBLICROOT/s...wtrainbus.aspx
http://enews-gotransit.com/Signup.aspx

[Mark Hennessy]

They've been using them on the Tokyo Yamanote line line for a good few years.
The initial novelty factor wears pretty thin very quickly

[losexpectation]

what happened to dart tv?

the sets on tara street? /can't think if they are still there.

[Aphfaneire]

The two sets in pearse are gone too. And i think that odd poster like plasma screen that was there for a while on p2 seems to be gone aswell.

[Thomas J Stamp]

I thought this was about crossdresing and stuff.

Dissapointed.

[sean]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

I thought this was about crossdresing and stuff.

Dissapointed.

???

My view is that these should not be considered in any case, there's too much advertising and stuff in our faces as it is. If this nonsense were foisted onto captive passengers I would damn well expect there to be a reduction in fares.

As for it giving useful information, isn't that what the PIS es, platform displays, Dart/BusTXT and the (how many do they have?) CIE websites are supposed to do?

Oops, that's right they get it wrong all the time. That would be a good place to start.