Maritime technology integrator Elcome International has unveiled a new Video on Demand (VoD) service for ship crew members, providing high-quality, culturally relevant entertainment directly to their personal devices.
This service allows streaming of a diverse range of content to up to 26 separate devices simultaneously, without affecting the vessel's internet speed.
The Elcome VoD service operates on flexible subscription models, including monthly, quarterly, or annual plans, which are managed by the ship operator.
Elcome senior manager connectivity Asneed Ameer said: “Until now, most crews could only watch a single TV channel at a time in the mess hall, often in a language foreign to their own.
“With Elcome VoD, seafarers can now unwind in their own cabin with a library of movies, TV series, podcasts, and news programmes in their preferred language with zero impact on ship’s satellite bandwidth or connectivity costs.”
This approach contrasts with traditional streaming services that often incur significant satellite data costs.
Elcome's system includes an onboard media server that updates content overnight on a daily and monthly basis, utilising low-traffic periods to minimise bandwidth usage.
Content is streamed entirely over the ship's local network, with satellite internet only being used during the predetermined update window.
The platform offers two subscription options with the basic package providing 160 movies and 189 hours of TV content, while the premium package includes 200 movies and more than 830 hours of TV, with additional options such as Euronews or ABS-CBN's TV Patrol.
The curated content catalogue caters to seafarers from various nationalities, featuring a wide selection of genres and cultural bundles specifically designed for Indian, Filipino, and multinational crews.
“Shipowners gain a cost-effective crew welfare enhancement that supports retention and morale, while crews get entertainment that respects their cultural and language preferences,” added Ameer.
The service is currently undergoing trials on several vessels, including offshore support ships and merchant fleets.
Elcome has positioned its VoD service as competitively priced, comparing it to the monthly costs of two consumer streaming subscriptions, but without the hidden data expenses associated with typical online entertainment platforms.
