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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.

About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.

HDNet is your exclusive, high-definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010), and, "Dan Rather Reports." HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR Grand National Division and Mixed Martial Arts including World Extreme Cagefighting and the Diesel Fighting Championships; groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including U2, Eminem, Gorillaz and more, plus original music programs "Sound Off with Matt Pinfield," "True Music w/Katie Daryl" and "On Stage at World Cafe Live"; groundbreaking interview shows including "Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone" and "Higher Definition," in addition to fun and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Deadline!," "Art Mann Presents," and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high-definition home to the critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as "Dead Like Me," "Smallville," "Joan of Arcadia," "Boomtown" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe."

HDNet Movies produces and broadcasts more original movies than any other network and is the exclusive home of day and date movie releases from HDNet Films including the Academy Award nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within," and "Bubble," the first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and produced exclusively for HDNet Films. Other HDNet Films releases include "One Last Thing" starring Cynthia Nixon, "Herbie Hancock: Possibilities," and coming soon, Matt Taubers' Tribeca Film Festival nominee "The Architect," starring Anthony LaPaglia and Isabella Rossellini, "Diggers," starring Paul Rudd, Ron Eldard, Maura Tierney and Lauren Ambrose, "Quid Pro Quo," starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga, "Hunter," the story of the life and death of infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from director Alex Gibney, and producer Graydon Carter. Also coming soon are "Fay Grim," from maverick writer-director Hal Hartley, starring Superman's Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum, and "Broken English," from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne. Many more are to come.

HDNet Movies also features a wide selection of major studio theatrical releases - all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio so that HDNet viewers get the best possible home theater experience.

The HDNet networks are available on Bright House Networks, Charter, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.

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