This Sunday, January 31, the three main channels from the ProSiebenSat.1 Group will join the Astra HD+ platform. Originally scheduled for January 1, Sat.1, ProSieben and kabel eins will now be available in HD on satellite.
The three channels join RTL and Vox from the RTL Deutschland Group, which started broadcasting on the platform on November 1, 2009.
For reception of the HD channels, consumers need to buy a dedicated HD+ satellite receiver, which includes a smart card which has been activated for a 12-month period. After that, they need to top[ up the card for a yearly payment of €50.
At the moment, HD+ sets are availbale from Humax, Technisat, Technotrend Görler and Videoweb. For people with receivers that are prepared for CI Plus, special CI Plus modules for HD+ will become available later this quarter. They will come with an HD+ smart card.
A special CI Plus module for legacy receivers will become available in the second quarter of the year, according to SES-Astra, for a price “under €100” also including the HD+ smart card. However, such receivers will need a special software update. The HD+ website will offer information about the suitability of the legacy receivers.
