Vodafone also ends SD broadcasting of ZDF
On 18 November, satellite broadcasting of the ZDF channels in SD will end. The channel group will also only be available in HD from cable provider Vodafone.
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Vodafone will stop broadcasting ZDF channels in SD quality on November 18. This was announced by the cable provider on Monday. On this date, the broadcasting of ZDF programs in SD quality via satellite will be switched off. As a cable service provider, Vodafone could theoretically have continued to broadcast the ZDF programs in SD but decided against it.
According to Vodafone, this is primarily due to the low interest in SD broadcasting: according to the company, only two percent of cable customers were still using a TV receiver that is not HD-capable at the beginning of the year. Vodafone argues that the figure is now likely to be even lower, as the SD broadcasting of ARD channels was already ended at the beginning of the year.
The situation was similar back then: satellite transmission of the SD signal was terminated, which prompted Vodafone to switch off cable distribution as well. It is therefore not surprising that the cable service provider is taking the same approach with the SD switch-off of ZDF. By switching off the public broadcasters in SD, Vodafone is freeing up capacity, which should benefit the “room for maneuver for future network design.” Internet users, for example, should benefit from higher data rates.
No more funds approved since 2021
Anyone who does not yet own an HD-capable receiver, does not care about the ARD switch-off, but would like to continue watching ZDF, must now take action and buy a new receiver. Such a receiver can also be connected to televisions that are not HD-capable. In addition to ZDF, the channels ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat, and KiKA are affected by the SD switch-off.
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The satellite switch-off of the public broadcasters' SD signal is based on a recommendation by the Commission for the Determination of the Financial Requirements of Broadcasting Organizations (KEF). For years, the KEF has been advising the broadcasting groups to only broadcast their content in HD to save costs. In 2021, the KEF put the savings potential at 13.7 million euros and cancelled the funds for SD broadcasting.
(dahe)
