posted 04-27-2006 06:33 PM               

NASA, HDNet ANNOUNCE HDTV SPACE SHUTTLE BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP

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MEDIA ADVISORY
NASA, HDNet ANNOUNCE HDTV SPACE SHUTTLE BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Dallas, TX – March 29, 2006 - NASA and HDNet have formed a partnership allowing high-definition television broadcasts of all NASA space shuttle launches on the network’s HDNet channel through 2010.

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and HDNet Chairman and President Mark Cuban will discuss formal details of the agreement at a press conference April 6th from 5:45-6:15 ET. This event is hosted by the Space Foundation and will be held during its 22nd National Space Symposium, April 3-6, at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO.

“We appreciate the financial investment and technical expertise HDNet has brought to the table to help us reach audiences interested in this next generation of television," Griffin said.

The agreement covers full live launch and landing broadcast coverage of NASA’s at least 16 remaining space shuttle missions from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As a bonus, when feasible, HDNet will broadcast NASA’s unmanned rocket launches from Florida on its network. HDNet is also providing to NASA, free of charge, an NTSC signal of all launch broadcasts for media networks not yet equipped to broadcast HDTV.

“This is an exciting deal for HDNet. Every Shuttle Launch is a unique and historical American experience,” said Cuban. “For the next 5 years, the place to watch this experience live in high-definition will be on HDNet. We are proud that NASA has chosen HDNet for this important role.”

As a result of this agreement, HDNet will provide the facilities needed to cover these launches live and in full 1080i high-definition resolution. As it did for its exclusive high-definition broadcast of the Discovery launch last year, HDNet will provide twelve HD cameras, high powered telephoto lenses, recording systems, switchers, monitoring and a fiber optic system needed to get the camera signals from the
launch pad to the broadcast center several miles away. HDNet will be
the only all-HD network to broadcast full coverage of the shuttle launches.

posted 04-28-2006 01:08 PM               

I'll be able to afford a high def TV.

I remember how excited I was when I first got DirecTV and had the 24 hour NASA channel though!