Overview
- ZDF will end SD satellite broadcasts for ZDF, ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat and KiKA, with those channels continuing in HD only.
- Viewers using older satellite receivers or TVs must upgrade equipment, with ZDF highlighting particular challenges for hotels, hospitals and care homes.
- Several cable operators have signaled they will also stop SD distribution on the same date, so cable households should check their setups.
- The ASTRA TV-Monitor 2024 estimates about 2.5 million German households still cannot receive HD, indicating a sizable group at risk of losing access.
- The move ends nearly 15 years of parallel SD/HD transmission for cost savings as the monthly Rundfunkbeitrag stays at €18.36 and ARD/ZDF pursue a court challenge over a rejected fee increase.