DirectTV Goes To Space, Offers Astronauts a Complete HD Experience

The level of popularity enjoyed by high-definition television has virtually skyrocketed over the past few years, so much so that it has now gone beyond the limits of the Earth's atmosphere, hitting space. And I'm not talking about TV satellites here, but about DirectTV's latest offering (read marketing gimmick), who has offered NASA a complete HD makeover of the International Space Station.

Thus, since the latest mission to the ISS managed to repair the solar array and firmly attach the Harmony module - the ISS' first new living space in six years -, DirectTV has announced that it's ready to offer the entire DirectTV experience to the ISS crew. If NASA accepts DIRECTV's offer, the satellite TV company is prepared to offer its top engineer to assist in the installation of the familiar satellite dish on the roof of the new module.

Furthermore, DirecTV will also throw in the most advanced HD DVR on the market, a 42-inch flat screen HDTV and a sturdy velcro-wrapped remote control, thus allowing the astronauts to enjoy a full and complete high-definition experience.

"Sure, there's the awe-inspiring view of planet earth from more than 200 miles up, but what do you do for an encore after you've entered your 180th day in space?" said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president, marketing for DIRECTV, Inc. "But on a more serious note, we truly applaud both the shuttle and ISS crew for their incredible accomplishments and are honored to offer an HD experience worthy of the International Space Station. As a satellite TV service we obviously have a vested interest in space exploration and we've certainly benefited from NASA's many technical and scientific achievements over the years. This is one way we can give a little something back."

DirectTV's "gratitude" is also related to the fact that the company's about to launch its DIRECTV 11 satellite early next year to support further HD expansion, which means that they'd like to keep NASA as happy as possible.

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