FAQ: In Germany, the cable TV service charge privilege ends. So what's next?
The service charge privilege will soon no longer exist. What does this mean for tenants? We answer the most frequently asked questions.
The so-called ancillary cost privilege is about to expire. In this FAQ, we explain what this means for tenants and what alternatives there are to cable TV.
The service charge privilege
Why does the service charge privilege exist at all?
The service charge privilege dates back to the 1980s and was intended to boost the spread of cable network connections in Germany. By the early 2000s, over half of German households were already receiving TV signals via a cable connection. Although the target had long since been achieved, the regulation remained in place.
When will the service charge privilege end?
The law will end on July 1 at the latest. However, your landlord can terminate the contract with the cable network operator before this date. He should inform you of this in good time so that you have sufficient time to arrange a new connection yourself.
Can the landlord also provide a cable TV connection after June 30?
Sure, if he has concluded a contract with the cable network operator, this is possible. However, the landlord is no longer allowed to charge the costs via the ancillary costs of the rental agreement, but must issue you with a separate invoice.
Consequences for tenants
What are the consequences for me as a tenant?
If the service charge privilege ends and your TV connection was previously billed via the landlord, you as a tenant will have to look for alternatives if the landlord terminates the collective contract with the cable network operator as a result. For example, you can conclude an individual contract with your previous cable TV provider or switch to other reception channels such as satellite (DVB-S2), antenna (DVB-T2) or Internet (IPTV).
Will anything change for me if I already have a contract with my cable network provider?
That depends on the contract. Many tenants already have individual contracts with Vodafone & Co. for cable access. These contracts will not change at this time.
The situation is different if you, as a tenant, have concluded an additional contract with the cable operator over and above the TV access previously organized by the landlord, for example to receive private channels in HD resolution. This additional contract usually ends with the landlord's collective contract, as the latter is the basis for the additional contract. If you wish to remain with your current cable provider, you will have to conclude an individual contract and the supplementary contract again.
Individual contracts are usually more expensive than a collective contract. Some housing associations have therefore negotiated with the network operators that their tenants can keep their TV connections at the old conditions. Ask your landlord whether this is the case for you or could still be the case.
I receive Internet and TV from Vodafone via coaxial cable. Can I switch to IPTV?
Yes, you can. If you currently receive Internet and TV separately via cable, you could cancel your cable TV contract in July and use your existing Internet connection for IPTV in the future. Vodafone even has its own IPTV streaming service with "Giga TV", but you can also use other IPTV services (more on this below).
- Nico Jurran, Freedom of choice in TV reception: What the abolition of the ancillary cost privilege means and how you can benefit from it
- Stefan Porteck, Upstream: TV streaming services put to the test
- Sven Hansen, Plug-in TV: Retrofit solutions for TV streaming
- Ulrike Kuhlmann, On the hot wire: How TV reception works without cable or a dish
DVB alternatives to the cable TV connection
What alternatives are there to a cable TV connection?
There are several alternatives to a cable TV connection: you can receive digital TV signals via antenna (DVB-T2), satellite (DVB-S/-S2) and the Internet (IPTV). Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, availability and quality of reception.
What do I need to receive DVB-T2?
DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting) is the second generation of digital terrestrial television with around 40 channels. You need a small rod antenna and a DVB-T2-capable receiver. Televisions from around 2017 already have such a tuner built in, for older TVs you can use an external DVB-T2 receiver; these are available for as little as 25 euros.
DVB-T2 is mainly broadcast in metropolitan areas; in rural areas there is often no reception. You can find out whether you can receive terrestrial television at your location and which antenna you need at ARD digital at https://www.dvb-t2hd.de/empfangscheck/empfangscheck.
What does DVB-T2 cost?
Reception of the public broadcasters ARD, ZDF and Arte is free of charge in HD resolution. To receive the private channels from ProSiebenSat.1 and the RTL Group in HD, you also need a CI+ decryption module from Freenet for a one-off fee of 80 euros and a Freenet TV contract for just under 8 euros per month; you can also find a number of offers in the Freenet store.
What about satellite reception?
In theory, there is nothing to be said against satellite reception via DVB-S/S2. It offers more channels than terrestrial TV or cable TV. And you can also receive channels that you cannot get in other ways, including special-interest channels or foreign-language channels. You will need a satellite dish and a receiver as well as a cable connection between the two.
However, your landlord may prohibit you from installing a satellite dish if you have another TV reception option in the house. The installation of such dishes constitutes a structural change, which is why landlords and, incidentally, condominium owners' associations must give their consent. Depending on the tenancy agreement and individual case, however, landlords cannot completely prevent you from installing a mobile dish on the balcony, for example.
TV reception via the Internet
What distinguishes IPTV from traditional TV reception?
The main difference is the transmission method: whereas with traditional TV reception, the signals are transmitted via aerial, cable or satellite, with IPTV they come into your home via the Internet, i.e. as a stream instead of a linear broadcast. This means you can easily pause during a live broadcast, call up programs afterwards and use the media libraries.
What are the advantages of IPTV?
With television reception via the Internet, you get a large selection of programs. IPTV does not require any additional hardware such as an aerial or satellite dish and you do not have to lay any cables, but can receive the TV programs via WLAN. As each viewer or device receives its own TV data stream, timeshifting and recording are possible without having to connect an external hard disk to the Smart TV or receiver.
What do I need to receive IPTV on my Smart TV?
You need a stable Internet connection, preferably with a bandwidth of at least 16 Mbit/s, and a subscription to an IPTV streaming service. Current Smart TVs have apps for all popular streaming services. Older televisions can be made fit for IPTV with an IPTV-capable receiver or streaming box. These are connected to the TV via HDMI and can sometimes also record broadcasts. You can also access the IPTV apps on mobile devices.
Which IPTV streaming services can I use?
On the one hand, there are TV apps such as the media libraries of ARD, ZDF and Arte, with which you can also watch the current programs. There are also paid services such as the IPTV streaming services HD+, Magenta TV, Zattoo and Waipu.tv. Each service has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of costs, range of programs and additional functions.
Comparison of TV streaming services
What are the main differences between the four IPTV streaming services mentioned?
HD+ comes in good picture quality and offers a large selection of HD channels, but the service is currently only available on a few smart TVs and is comparatively expensive. Magenta TV provides various video streaming services such as Netflix in addition to the usual TV channels. With Zattoo and Waipu.tv, you get very flexible subscriptions and many channels, albeit some in slightly lower picture quality. You can read more about the characteristics of the four IPTV services in our test.
Free TV apps
Are there free TV streams?
Yes, there are. The media libraries of ARD, ZDF and Arte, for example, offer live streaming functions. You can find them as an app on all current smart TVs and HDMI streaming sticks. With the streaming service Joyn from ProSieben and Sat.1, you have access to all media libraries of the private broadcaster group. If you register with Joyn, you can watch the basic offer ad-financed and in SD resolution.
Does IPTV streaming also have disadvantages compared to DVB reception?
Yes, when it comes to live streaming, every second counts: IPTV almost always appears on the screen with a delay; the latency compared to DVB may well be a few seconds. During live events such as the upcoming European Football Championship, it is of course almost unbearable if your neighbor is always cheering much earlier than you.
For such occasions, we recommend switching to DVB-T2 reception if possible (see above). ZDF and ARD transmit free of charge in HD with very low latency.
(uk)
