From 7 January 2025, Vodafone Deutschland will distribute the TV channels of German public broadcaster ARD exclusively in HD resolution on its cable network; SD distribution will be discontinued.
The affected channels are ARD’s general interest service Das Erste and ARD’s regional channels. On the same day, ARD will also end the SD distribution of its channels on the Astra satellite system (19.2° East).
According to Vodafone, most of the more than 11 million cable TV customers already use HD reception. Less than two 2% use a TV receiver that only supports SD resolution. According to Vodafone, these are TV receivers from Kabel Deutschland or Unitymedia that are more than 12 years old.
For customers who are unable to receive HD channels, Vodafone will offer support and information on the switchover on a service page, providing assistance ahead of the move.
Vodafone intends to mainly use the capacity freed up by switching off the SD channels to increase performance and data rates for internet access via the cable network.
