[Nick]

Live, High Definition Coverage of the December 7th Night 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, 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.

 

[Nick]

Also, on Tue, Dec 5 at 12:30 PM ET (9:30 AM PT) HDNet World Report, among other
topics, gives viewers an advance inside look at the next space shuttle flight, and the
crew that blasts off aboard it.

 

[Nick]

Heads up, so to speak! :sure:

HDNet's live coverage of the launch of STS-116 Discovery in hi-def begins today (Thu.,
Dec. 7) at 6:00 PM ET

STS-116 will be the twentieth U.S. mission to the International Space Station. The flight
will deliver and attach the third port truss segment to the station -- the Integrated Truss
Structure P5. HDNet, as one aspect of its partnership with NASA, will present the live
launch of STS 116, as well as other significant events of the launch.

Also, you catch the launch live on NASA TV, and online. Click HERE, then scroll down
to the link on the right side of your screen.

Launch Weather Podcast 1:01

 

[Richard King]

A PVR Event. I'll be driving up the road again. Hopefully this time I bring a charged battery and CF card for my camera.

 

[Nick]

I hope you have good weather, Richard. There's a probability of cloud cover
postponing today's launch. The launch window is only 10 minutes long.

 

[Richard King]

It's a no go for me. It has been lightly raining here and they are saying the weather is a no go right now at the Cape, so I am not going to potentially waste 3 hours driving there and back.

 

[Kash76]

I'm looking and I only see hockey and a movie on HDNet channels?

 

[bidger]

Kash, from the NASA link Nick provided:

"Space Shuttle Discovery as the vehicle awaits liftoff at 9:35 p.m. EST".

 

[Nick]

Kash, from the NASA link Nick provided:

"Space Shuttle Discovery as the vehicle awaits liftoff at 9:35 p.m. EST".

HDNet launch coverage 6:00pm-7:30pm E, launch scheduled for 9:35 E? WTF?

Initially, I thought it was a programming or scheduling SNAFU that would somehow
magically resolve itself, but as air time approached I slowly began to fear that the
situation was really FUBAR. I hope the launch goes better than HDNet's timing.

Those of you who expected to see the launch on HDNet based on info I provided
here, then I sincerely apologize -- something I seem to be doing a lot of recently.

If you watched the pre-launch, did you notice that there was more of the technical
coverage and less talking heads? Maybe HDNet does listen to it's viewers, one
of which, no thanks to Comcast, I will no longer be as of January 2007.

Damn Adelphia-to-Comcast conversion! :bang

 

[xkermit72]

I have been waiting all day for this. I just run in from work and frikkin hockey is on. WTF HDnet...

 

[purtman]

I spoke to somebody from HDNet. He said HDNet is providing the feed between periods and will also switch during the game to see the broadcast live.

I have been waiting all day for this. I just run in from work and frikkin hockey is on. WTF HDnet...

 

[wishfull1]

HDNet website is also showing coverage at 10pm

Thu., Dec. 7th 10:00 PM ET NASA on HDNet - Space Shuttle Discovery STS-116 Launch

Cheers
Bob

 

[wishfull1]

Coverage on now.

Cheers

 

[jbertarellis]

I'm in St. Louis and game is blacked out. Only time I ever wanted to watch, I don't see either game or launch?

 

[purtman]

Not getting the launch in KC if you have DirecTV. We have the Blues' game on. Rather than provide us an alternate feed, we're not seeing it. All week the launch has been advertised and now we don't get to see it.
I spoke to somebody at DirecTV and they told me we were out of luck. Hopefully, we won't get stiffed if this doesn't go off.

 

[bidger]

Launch is scrubbed. See the right column of the link.

 

[P Smith]

"9:37 p.m. - Space Shuttle Discovery is being safed. There's no word just yet on when the next launch attempt might be; weather at Kennedy tomorrow is expected to be worse than today, with little improvement Saturday. Stand by for further information.

9:35 p.m. - We have exceeded our launch window for today, and without clear, convincing evidence of favorable weather, tonight's launch attempt has been scrubbed."

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-vlcc.html

 

[Richard King]

Saturday. Glad I didn't make the trip.

 

[Nick]

NASA has set the next launch attempt for Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8:47 p.m. EST.

No word yet on whether HDNet will carry the resheduled launch.

 

[HIPAR]

They have also televised Air Force GPS satellite launches.

All of that expensive dedicated HDTV equipment would make them more money broadcasting sports events so I suspect the partnership with NASA is actually a contract with the Government to provide video coverage of the launches.

My brother, who is not a space buff, watches the rocket launches. He says they look spectacular in HD.

--- CHAS