German public broadcaster ARD will transmit its complete TV channel portfolio in HD quality for DTH satellite households via Astra (19.2° East) from January 7, 2019.
The last two missing channels ARD-alpha HD and Radio Bremen TV HD will be added to the line-up on 10.00 CET. The two channels were previously only offered on SD resolution.
Initially, the signals will be up-converted to HD resolution. From February 2019, regional channel Radio Bremen TV will be available in native HD quality; educational channel ARD-alpha is to follow during the course of the year.
The two new HD channels will be broadcast unencrypted on transponder 39 (11.053 GHz H, SR 22,000, FEC 2/3). For reception, viewers are recommended to perform a channel search on their TV set or set-top box.
ARD-alpha HD and Radio Bremen TV HD are also available to cable operators for carriage. The two largest cable companies Vodafone and Unitymedia will distribute both channels from the end of January 2019.
HDTV reception is widespread among German viewers: According to the Digitisation Report 2018, around 31 million households have an HD-capable TV set. Of the 17.4 million DTH satellite households, around 80% own an HD TV set.
