Utilizing contemporary machinery for public law applications

In a significant move towards modernising television broadcasting, several major German broadcasters have announced plans to switch to High Definition (HD) only from November 2025.

The decision was made by ZDF, the second largest public broadcaster in Germany, and its family of channels, including ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat, and KiKA. The switch will also affect ARTE and Phoenix, which ended their Standard Definition (SD) broadcasting in November 2022 and at the beginning of 2025 respectively.

According to the ZDF, the reception of TV programs in low SD quality is hardly used anymore. This transition is expected to reduce costs for program distribution and align with the expectation of economic and thrifty handling of broadcasting fees.

The ZDF made this announcement from Mainz, Germany. The move comes after around 2.7 million TV households in the country were reported to have only an SD device at home, according to the "Astra TV Monitor 2023" industry report.

Large cable network operators such as Vodafone and Pyur are also set to switch off the last public broadcasters in SD this year. This switch-off of SD broadcasting is expected to occur this year, following a 15-year parallel broadcasting of both HD and SD.

The switch to HD-only broadcasting by ZDF will affect the ZDFinfo, ZDFneo, 3sat, and KiKA channels, as well as the main ZDF channel. Those who have not upgraded to HD will need a new TV or additional device for ARD and ZDF.

Besides ARD and ZDF, the regional third programs of ARD (such as BR Fernsehen, hr-fernsehen, MDR Fernsehen, and NDR regional channels) will also end their SD broadcasts by January 7, 2025, especially in Vodafone cable networks, where SD versions were switched off and replaced with HD or H.264/MPEG-4 formats.

It's worth noting that the major German private channels will continue to be available in SD for the foreseeable future. HD stands for "High Definition", offering a higher resolution of the image compared to "Standard Definition" (SD).

This transition marks a significant step towards a more modern and efficient broadcasting system in Germany, reflecting the growing preference for HD quality among viewers.