DirecTV launches first of four hi-def birds

[Gregg Lengling]

DirecTV announced the successful launch of Spaceway F1, the first of four advanced satellites that will give the DBS provider the capacity to offer more than 1,500 local HD and 150 national HD channels.

After settling in at 102.8 degrees West longitude, the Ka-band Spaceway F1 bird will enable DirecTV to offer "hundreds" of HD signals starting this fall in markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa.

The second satellite, Spaceway F2, is set to launch in June. DirecTV 10 and DirecTV 11 are slated to go up in 2007.