The bigger and flashier, the better. That's the trend in limousines today. And as the limos' exteriors have become more elaborate, the interiors have gotten a series of sophisticated upgrades as well.

From mirrored ceilings and extended moon roofs to mini bars and even hot tubs, today's limos ensure that occupants have a luxuriously good time.

Nowadays, the limousine is not only a fashionable domain for corporate big shots and Hollywood moguls, but also for the masses to add splashes of distinction to special events. It has become more than just an automobile, in fact: The limo can be anything from a party on wheels to a mobile office.

One of the main attractions in today's limos is satellite TV. Television in moving vehicles was tried before, of course. But at the time, over-the-air TV signals were distorted on a moving antenna, making watching TV on the road a dubious experiment filled with static and rolling pictures.

To solve this problem, KVH Industries, which manufactures mobile, high-bandwidth satellite communications systems for the marine and RV markets, developed its TracVision A5 system. The 5-inch-high satellite TV antenna mounts unobtrusively to the roof of a vehicle and, thanks to advanced technology, provides a static-free, uninterrupted DirecTV signal to vehicles out on the open road.

Customers' needs are becoming more sophisticated, limousine company owners say, and satellite TV now is in demand.

"It's a selling point," Arnaldo Ricciulli, owner of Florida-based Millennium Limo Inc., says of the TracVision A5 systems recently installed in three of his stretch Hummer H2 limos. "My customers get all excited about it and they complain if I show up with a vehicle that doesn't have it."

Business travelers are requesting it because they want to watch the news, weather and financial reports before boarding a flight. Passengers who are on their way to sporting events enjoy TracVision A5 because they never have to miss a minute of the pre- or post-game coverage.

KVH and the TracVision A5 have given a boost to satellite TV and limo luxury worldwide.