DigEplayer

Infobox Company
name = digEcor

type = Private
genre =
foundation = Washington
founder = Bill Boyer Jr.
location_city = Springville, Utah
location_country = U.S.
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people =
industry = Inflight Entertainment
products =
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
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owner =
parent =
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num_employees =
subsid =
slogan = "Digital Entertainment Solutions"
homepage = [http://www.digecor.com www.digEcor.com]
footnotes =
intl =

The "digEplayer" is a product of "digEcor." It is a self-contained, portable audio video on demand (AVOD) hard-disk based digital entertainment device.

Similar in size to a portable DVD player, the digEplayer's hard drive is preprogrammed with movies, television shows, cartoons, videos and music, as well as airport maps, destination information, promotions and advertising.

The digEplayer was the first portable self-contained AVOD In-flight entertainment (IFE) device and created a whole new IFE product category.

digEcor's [http://www.digecor.com/clients.php current customers] offer the product on selected flights.

Product history

The digEplayer is the brainchild of Tacoma, Washington native and entrepreneur Bill Boyer Jr., who at the time was a baggage handler at Seattle based Alaska Airlines. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system” - Seattle PI, September 10, 2003] ] In response to information posted about in-flight entertainment challenges on the Alaska Airlines employee website, Boyer conceived of a portable hard-disk based audio video on demand media player that he later named the "digEplayer." [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system”] Seattle PI, September 10, 2003] [ [http://www.airfax.com/airfax/features/viewstory.asp?filepath=feb2004%5Calaskadigeplayer.htm “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers”] – AIRFAX.com, February 2004]

On behalf of Aircraft Protective Systems (APS), a Washington corporation he founded earlier to commercialize other products he developed for the aircraft industry, he obtained $2.5 million initial financing from family and an Angel investor to fully develop and market his conceived product, which became the first self-contained portable AVOD in-flight entertainment (IFE) device. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/funding.asp?company=APS “In the Money – APS”] - Seattle PI, Venture Capital Notebook, 9/8/2000] [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_8_32/ai_n6121821 “Flight of fancy? Launching a high-tech product can be a technical and financial challenge. Try these tips to get yours off the ground"] Entrepreneur, August 2004]

Boyer/APS contracted with San Diego-based e.Digital Corporation to develop and manufacture the original digEplayer 5500. [ [http://www.embeddedstar.com/press/content/2002/10/embedded5799.html e.Digital, APS Partner To Develop and Market Portable, Customizable Entertainment System For Major Airline, 10/24/2002] ] e.Digital engaged Korean OEM Digitalway to do the industrial hardware design. Additionally, e.Digital licensed video encoding and encryption security from DivX, Inc. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_26-2_112/ai_109030131 e.Digital and DivXNetworks Partner to Supply the Technology Inside APS' digEplayer - 10/23/2003] ] [ [http://www.divx.com/company/press/press_detail.php?pr_id=75 APS and DivXNetworks Partner to Bring Portable Video-on-Demand to Airline Industry - 10/6/2003] ] and licensed other media player technology from Ittiam Systems. [ [http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_41/b3903409.htm "Scouring The Planet For Brainiacs - Worldwide innovation networks are the new keys to R&D vitality and competitiveness", BusinessWeek, October 11, 2004] ] Digitalway was also the original manufacturer of the digEplayer 5500 until e.Digital transferred manufacturing to Maycom Co.

Boyer was able to convince 20th Century Fox and later other studios to provide first-run movies and other content for the player. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_11_37/ai_110461912 “Video on demand takes off—literally”] - Telecommunications Americas, Oct, 2003] Boyer's employer, Alaska Airlines, became the first customer for the digEplayer, [ [http://www.alaskasworld.com/newsroom/asnews/ASstories/AS_20030909_084339.asp “Alaska To Become First Carrier to Offer APS DigEPlayer Portable Video On Demand Entertainment System”] - Alaska Airlines Press Release, 9/9/2003] Based upon the apparent success of the Alaska Airlines digEplayer implementation, APS was able to sell the digEplayer to additional airlines. [ [http://www.mcneilwilson.com/text/page.jsp?docid=64&page=news_detail&ref=3&section=news "HAWAIIAN AIRLINES GETS PERSONAL WITH DIGEPLAYER IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT"] - Hawaiian Airlines press release, July 13, 2004] [ [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/oct/1087627.htm North American Airlines to Offer digEplayer On New Routes; New Oakland, CA routes to Hawaii] - APS Press Release, Oct. 26, 2004]

Company history

"digEcor" was founded by Bill Boyer Jr. as originally as "Aircraft Protective Systems, Inc." ("APS") - a Washington corporation. Boyer and his investors sold all stock in APS to Utah-based Wencor, an international aircraft parts distributor, in October, 2003. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/205999_entrepreneurs31.html "Five entrepreneurs with solid records back in ring"] - Seattle PI, December 31, 2004] Wencor re-named Washington-based APS "digEcor" and moved its headquarters to Springville, Utah

Recognition

The digEplayer received the "IFE Product of the Year" award at the March 2004 IPEC/LARA Inflight Online Awards Dinner. Alaska Airlines received the "Airline IFE Service of the Year" based upon the implementation of the digEplayer. [ [http://www.shephard.co.uk/Inflight/default.aspx?Action=-1000945703&ID=cd458d98-c56c-4ef7-841f-c0770a12f7f4 IPEC: Inflight Online Awards Dinner] ]

Legal dispute

digEcor vs. e.Digital Corporation

* Non-delivery of product by e.Digital:In March 2006, digEplayer supplier e.Digital announced that its contract manufacturer, Maycom, was either unwilling or unable to fulfill a purchase order it had placed to fulfill an order from digEcor for 1,250 digEplayers and batteries. [ [http://www.edigital.com/shal032306.htm SHAREHOLDER ALERT, 03/23/06] ]

:In May 2006, digEcor, filed a lawsuit against e.Digital regarding the non-delivery of its pre-paid purchase order placed in November, 2005. digEcor sought, among other things, actual damages of $793,750, consequential damages of not less than $1,000,000. e.Digital eventually delivered the players to digEcor without batteries in October 2006 and the parties entered into a partial settlement agreement reducing the actual damages claim to $98,846 for the undelivered batteries. The remaining matters are unresolved as of December 2007.

* Breach of agreement not to compete by e.Digital:digEcor is also seeking an injunction barring e.Digital from engaging in any competition with digEcor until after 2009, alleging violation by e.Digital of an April 2002 agreement [ [http://www.edigital.com/April2002NDA.pdf Nondisclosure Agreement between e.Digital and Bill Boyer, Jr.] ] not to compete with digEcor for a period of 7 years it entered into with Bill Boyer Jr., original owner of digEcor (then named APS) and conceiver of the product and business model. [ [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system”] Seattle PI, September 10, 2003]

*General reference for section: [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/886328/000114420407034402/v079461_10k.htm eDigital Corporation Annual Report (10-K), 6/29/2007]

ource articles

* [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/138884_airdvd10.html ‘Sky's the limit for a baggage handler's in-flight entertainment system” - Seattle PI, September 10, 2003]
* [http://www.alaskasworld.com/newsroom/asnews/ASstories/AS_20030909_084339.asp “Alaska To Become First Carrier to Offer APS DigEPlayer Portable Video On Demand Entertainment System”- Alaska Airlines Press Release, 9/9/2003]
* [http://www.airfax.com/airfax/features/viewstory.asp?filepath=feb2004%5Calaskadigeplayer.htm “DigEplayer Portable VOD Big Hit With Alaska Air Passengers” – AIRFAX.com, February 2004]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_8_32/ai_n6121821 “Flight of fancy? Launching a high-tech product can be a technical and financial challenge. Try these tips to get yours off the ground” - Entrepreneur, August, 2004]

References

External links

* [http://www.digecor.com digEcor website]