ARD switches off four programs: TV viewers have to change

ARD has confirmed that four SD channels will be shut down. Viewers who receive programs via satellite are advised to switch to the HD version. Treadmills will provide information about the changeover for a month.

ARD: Four SD channels disappear

A spokeswoman for ARD Digital has confirmed that four channels broadcast via satellite in SD quality soon can no longer be received. These are the channels One and Tagesschau24 as well as Phoenix and Arte, which are produced with ZDF. ARD had already pointed out the shutdown in May.

The stations mentioned will from November 15, 2022 are no longer available. By then at the latest, viewers who have previously only watched the SD versions will have to switch to HD. If you are still using old tube TVs or other non-HD-capable devices, you will need a new TV.

In order to prepare viewers for the planned shutdown, ARD will leave the broadcasters from September 15th show a treadmill. There it is explained that the SD versions of the stations will soon no longer be available via satellite. The HD channels are easy to recognize by the suffix HD in the name of the channel logo.

In the video: The big streaming providers in comparison:

Over time, the public service say goodbye to more SD stations. ARD and ZDF have not yet announced an exact schedule. In December 2021, the ARD ended the SD distribution of the channel ARD Alpha.

For households with cable reception nothing will change as a result of ARD’s announcement, since the respective cable network operator is responsible for retransmission. SD shutdowns have also occurred here.

TV in SD: One million households affected

Although HD television has been available for a long time, the Astra TV monitor from 2021 is still putting it around one million satellite households in SD quality. This contrasts with around 90 percent of households that watch programs in high definition (source: info satellite).