B767 CREW WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PAX BECAUSE THEY WERE USING DVD PLAYERS.

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DVD PLAYERS IN FIRST CLASS CAN'T BE OVERRIDDEN BY PA. I WAS INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT OF A SAFETY PROB ON B767 ACFT EQUIPPED IN FIRST CLASS CABIN WITH DVD PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT DEVICES. THE AUDIO CHANNEL OF THESE DEVICES IS NOT ROUTED THROUGH THE ACFT AUDIO SYS AND AS SUCH ARE NOT OVERRIDDEN BY THE PA SYS WHEN IN USE. COUPLED WITH THE USE OF THE NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS; THE PAX IN FIRST CLASS OFTEN SIT OBLIVIOUS TO SAFETY AND OTHER PA ANNOUNCEMENTS. AS THE DVD'S ARE STAND ALONE UNITS; I DOUBT THEY UNDERWENT STC CERTIFICATION. HAD THEY BEEN REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED AS INTEGRAL; THE FARS WOULD REQUIRE THEY BE OVERRIDDEN LIKE THE NORMAL AUDIO CHANNEL. THIS MAY BE A REGULATORY OVERSIGHT BUT IT STILL LEAVES A SERIOUS SAFETY GAP SHOULD TIME CRITICAL INFO NEED TO BE PASSED BY PA. I RECOMMEND THAT THE DVD PLAYERS BE WITHHELD FROM FURTHER SVC UNTIL A PA OVERRIDE TO BOTH THE DVD AND NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS BE DEVISED AND IMPLEMENTED. CABIN CREWS CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO CIRCULATE THROUGH THE CABIN PULLING HEADSETS OFF PAX IN AN EMER.