Vodafone will carry all ZDF channels on its German cable network exclusively HD resolution from 18 November 2025.
The move affects ZDF, ZDFneo, ZDFinfo, 3sat and KiKA, marking the end of their SD distribution via Vodafone’s cable network.
The date coincides with ZDF’s satellite SD switch-off, when the public broadcaster will cease transmitting its services in standard definition on Astra (19.2° East). The transition is part of ZDF’s long-term strategy to focus entirely on HD broadcasting, offering sharper images and richer colours. The termination of the dual broadcast in HD and SD will also save costs.
According to Vodafone, almost all of its cable TV households already have HD-capable devices. At the beginning of the year, just 2% of customers were still using receivers limited to SD quality, a figure expected to have fallen further since fellow public broadcaster ARD switched to HD-only broadcasting in January 2025.
For those still relying on older equipment – particularly cable receivers from Kabel Deutschland or Unitymedia over 12 years old – Vodafone advises upgrading to HD-capable hardware. Viewers without HD-ready TVs (manufactured before around 2010) can still connect an HD receiver with a Scart output.
To prepare viewers for the transition, Vodafone will display on-screen messages on ZDF’s SD channels from 7 October 2025, warning of the upcoming shutdown. ZDF is also providing detailed information for viewers on its website.
Meanwhile, Vodafone continues to modernise its cable and fibre infrastructure. The company is currently reorganising the frequencies used for digital TV and radio transmission – a measure that will free up capacity for faster broadband and improved internet performance.
As part of this upgrade, Vodafone is introducing the NorDig-LCN standard, which enables compatible receivers to automatically detect and update new channel positions. This eliminates the need for manual re-sorting or updating of favourites lists.
By discontinuing SD distribution, Vodafone will gain additional capacity in its network. The freed-up spectrum will allow for higher broadband speeds and pave the way for future digital services.
The company has already standardised its remaining SD channels to use the more efficient H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) compression format, aligning with the technology used for HD broadcasting.
