Overview

• ZDF, ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat and KiKA will be available only in HD via satellite starting November 18, 2025.
• Cable operators Vodafone and Pyur plan to switch off the remaining public-service SD channels on their networks later this year.
• Households with SD-only equipment will need an HD-capable TV or an external receiver to continue receiving ARD and ZDF.
• An industry report in 2023 counted about 2.7 million German TV households with only SD-capable devices.
• Public broadcasters have been phasing out SD for years, with Arte and Phoenix ending SD in November 2022 and ARD completing its switch at the start of 2025, while major private channels remain available in SD for now.