Washington, D.C. (December 8, 2006) -- In a new DIRECTV commercial for its HDTV service, Jessica Simpson posing as her Dukes of Hazzard character Daisy Duke looks into the camera and says:

"You're not going to get the best picture out of some fancy big-screen TV without DIRECTV. It's broadcast in 1080i. I totally don't know what that means but I want it."

Well, Time Warner knows what 1080i means and it says DIRECTV is not always delivering it. The cable operator has sued the satcaster, saying its claim about having  "the best picture" is false.

In a lawsuit filed yesterday in Manhattan, Time Warner says the commercial starring Simpson -- and a similar spot featuring Star Trek's William Shatner -- suggests that DIRECTV offers the best HDTV picture quality on the market. But Time Warner says there's no evidence to prove that.

The lawsuit also contends that DIRECTV has made false advertising claims about the NFL Network, which Time Warner currently does not carry but DIRECTV does. The cable operator says the satcaster's ads say viewers won't be able to watch their local teams unless they get DIRECTV.
 

Jessica Simpson's DIRECTV spot has Time Warner fired up.