SD shutdown: What those affected have to do now
In Germany, many people still watch TV via DBV-S, the shutdown of which is already planned. This practical tip shows you what you need to know about the end of SD reception and how to make the switch.
SD television will be switched off: DVB-S will end in 2020
HD television has already arrived in many German households. Nevertheless, many people continue to watch in the old SD format. However, this should soon be over.
- From mid-2020, the public broadcasters ARD and ZDF should switch off SD television. For reasons of cost, the two transmitters may not continue to operate the SD signal.
- Private broadcasters are still legally required to broadcast in SD until 2022. According to the current status, Pro7, RTL and Co. want to continue broadcasting in SD afterwards.
- SD reception is switched off for satellite reception via DVB-S. If you still want to see public service in 2020, you have to switch to the new DVB-S2 standard by then. Then you will receive all channels in HD.
SD shutdown: switch from DVB-S to DVB-S2
Switching to DVB-S2 is not necessarily associated with additional costs. If you have only seen the channels in SD quality so far, new hardware will probably have to be found.
- If you want to continue watching TV via satellite, you need a DVB-S2 receiver. If your television does not have such a receiver integrated, you can retrofit an external receiver. You can get the HB-Digital Receiver for 30 euros, the DVB-S2 receiver from Samsung for around 50 euros.
- If your TV is getting old, it can also be worthwhile to buy a new one. When buying, just make sure that the new TV has a DVB-S2 receiver. Alternatively, you can also retrofit an external receiver here.
- The reception of DVB-S2 is chargeable. In Germany you can receive all channels via Freenet TV or HD +. There you will receive a chip card that enables reception. You can either insert the card into the television or into the external receiver.
No more satellite: switching to other types of reception
The end of DVB-S does not necessarily mean a change to the new DVB-S2. There are many more ways to continue watching TV, even without a satellite dish.
- DVB-T2 offers a good alternative. The successor to DVB-T is relatively new on the market, so that only very current TV models have already integrated a corresponding receiver. However, you can also get an external recipient for little money. Reception via Freenet TV costs similar to that of DVB-S2.
- If you want to completely do without additional receivers, you can also receive all TV channels via the Internet. Depending on the package, providers such as Waipu or Zattoo send up to 100 channels to your PC, mobile phone or directly to the television. To use the services on the TV, you usually need additional devices such as a Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast.
In the next practical tip, we will explain the difference between DVB-T and DVB-S.