HDNet Preps for Nighttime Shuttle Launch Dec 7

[dkennedy]

HDNet Preps for Nighttime Shuttle Launch

December 1, 2006

Multichannel News Release

HDNet will present live coverage of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 7 at 9:36 p.m. (EST).

The network said this marks the first nighttime shuttle launch since November 2002, and it will be the first nighttime launch to air in HD.

[Skaggs]

HDNet to provide live, high definition coverage of the night time launch
of Space Shuttle Discovery

Network to utilize new broadcast production truck dedicated solely to
NASA launches

DALLAS, TX, November 30th, 2006—The night sky will provide a dramatic
backdrop for HDNet’s live coverage of the launch of Space Shuttle
Discovery, scheduled for Thursday, December 7th at 9:36pm ET – the first
night time launch since November of 2002.

HDNet’s live coverage of the launch of STS-116 will begin at 6:00pm ET.
This will be the first time that a night launch will be broadcast in
high definition.

"Capturing any Shuttle launch in high definition is a challenging
event,” said HDNet Co-Founder and GM Philip Garvin. “A night launch is
even harder, but we expect it to be spectacular. We take in video from
over 20 HD cameras spread around the massive NASA & Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station – in some cases our video signal travels over 8 miles of
fiber."

HDNet will again be deploying a special Canon DIGI SUPER 100xs lens with
image stabilization capable of a 1860mm focal length. This will lens
enable a 1080i camera, situated at one of the tracking sites, to follow
Discovery at least 176,000 feet, or 33 miles into the earth's atmosphere.

"We have now dedicated a special production and uplink truck exclusively
to cover these launches further demonstrating HDNet’s strong commitment
to NASA," said Mark Cuban, Co-Founder and President of HDNet. "We're
proud to bring these launches to a whole new generation of television
viewers."

The broadcast truck, built by the engineers of HDNet, includes a Grass
Valley Kayak HD Switcher, Ensemble HD Cross Converters & Frame Syncs,
Telecast Rattler fiber transmitters, Leitch X75's & Panacea Router. All
monitoring is done in high definition, with virtually no down-converters
on board.

HDNet World Report Chief Correspondent Greg Dobbs and former Shuttle
Astronaut Charles "Sam" Gemar will anchor live from the launch site at
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. HDNet's exclusive HD partnership
with NASA allows the network unprecedented shuttle and astronaut access
including coverage of the pre-launch preparations of Discovery's crew.