DIRECTV Launches New HD Satellite

DIRECTV this morning successfully launched its new high-def satellite into orbit, the first step for the satcaster in bringing HD local channels to American consumers. The new satellite, dubbed Spaceway F1, is the first of two Ka-band satellites that will launch this year (the other goes up in June). With these two new birds, DIRECTV will be able to begin offering additional HD channels like ESPN2 HD as well as HD local channels in the top 12 U.S. markets. Two more satellites, DIRECT 10 and 11, will are scheduled to launch in 2007. Combined, the four satellites will provide additional capacity to deliver more than 1,500 local HD and more than 150 national HD channels and other advanced programming services to consumers.

The first group of markets to receive local HD channels via Spaceway F1 includes New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa. These markets represent nearly 36 million homes or 32.8 percent of all U.S. TV households.