KASSEL / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – From November 18, 2025, ZDF will stop SD transmissions from five channels. Millions of households in Germany are affected and have to switch to HD technology in order to continue receiving programs such as ZDF, ZDFinfo and KiKA. This change primarily affects households with older televisions and receivers.
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ZDF has announced that it will stop broadcasting several programs in standard definition (SD) from November 18, 2025. This decision affects five channels, including the main program ZDF, as well as ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat and KiKA. The programs will then only be available in high definition (HD) via satellite. This measure aims to reduce the costs of program distribution and to improve the economic use of broadcasting fees.
The switch to HD primarily affects households that still use older technology. According to a study by ASTRA TV Monitor 2024, around 2.5 million households in Germany cannot yet receive HD TV. This is particularly challenging for satellite viewers with older receivers or televisions without HD functionality. Cable customers should also pay attention, as several cable network operators have announced that they will also end SD transmission.
ZDF’s decision follows the example of ARD, which stopped SD transmission in January 2025. The partner programs ARTE and Phoenix had already taken this step in 2022. This shift is part of a larger trend in the broadcast industry, which is increasingly focusing on HD and digital broadcasts to meet the increasing quality demands of viewers.
For many households, this means that they will have to upgrade their reception equipment in order to continue to have access to the affected programs. Facilities such as hotels, hospitals and nursing homes, which often still use older devices, are particularly faced with the challenge of updating their technology. The broadcasting fee remains unchanged at 18.36 euros per month for the time being, although a planned increase was rejected.
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