How To Receive German Satellite TV Channels in the UK

German and Austrian Satellite TV has traditionally always been been very accessible and easy to view in UK.

The good news is most of the main National German and Austrian TV Stations are broadcast Free to Air from the Astra 1 Satellite located at 19º East. All you require is a Satellite Receiver and 60cm Dish and away you go. No Subscriptions or Annual Cost.

 

2025 UPDATE

In 2025 Some of the German Satellite TV Channels will stop transmitting in Standard Definition (SD) from the Astra 1 Satellite.

ARD Das Erst ZDF 3SAT KIKA and few a few others will no longer be available with older SD Satellite Receivers.

Although the channels will no longer work in SD they will continue to transmit and be available for an expected 15 Years with a HD High Definition Satellite Receiver.

In most cases it will just be a simple case of replacing your old SD Receiver with a new HD Satellite Receiver such as the Technisat Technistar S6, you will not need to change your dish or replace the LNB.

What German and Austrian TV Channels are available in the UK?

We really are quite spoilt for choice when it comes to the large selection of TV channels available to view from Germany and Austria

A Sample of German and Austrian Satellite TV Channels :

Main TV Channels :

ARD / ZDF – equivalent to BBC1 and BBC2 in the UK

Regional channels : 

• RBB – Berlin / Brandenburg
• NDR – Hamburg / Schleswig-Holstein / Niedersachsen
• WDR – Nordrhein-Westfalen
• MDR – Sachsen / Sachsen-Anhalt / Thüringen
• SWR – Baden- Württemberg
• Hessen
• Bayern

General entertainment: 

• RTL
• RTL 2
• Super RTL
• RTL Plus
• SAT 1
• Pro Sieben
• Kabel 1
• Vox
• Das Vierte
• Tele 5

Sport

• DSF
• Eurosport

Children’s programmes : 

• Kika (Kinderkanal)
• Toggo Plus
• Disney ( US)

Culture/Art : 

• Arte
• 3 SAT

News / Finance : 

• Euronews
• N-TV
• N24
• Bloomberg

Music :

• MTV
• Viva

What Equipment Do I Need to Receive German TV?

Firstly and most importantly you will require a Satellite Dish and LNB directed to the Astra 1 Satellite at 19º East. So that’s 19º East from South. to give you an idea Sky UK and Freesat are a littler further round at 28º East.

The signal from the Astra 1 cluster of satellites is very strong over Europe including the UK so we recommend a 60cm dish which is a little larger than a standard Sky dish although I know it is quite possible to use a Sky dish and still receive a good signal. Further North and in Scotland you may find a slightly larger dish will work better.

ICECRYPT 60cm Pole Mount Solid Dish Charcoal

It is important you do not have any obstructions such as trees or other buildings in the way as they will block the signal coming down from the Satellite and you will be unable to receive a signal.

Secondly you will require a Satellite Receiver. Many are available on the market and you do not need to spend a lot of money. We generally recommend the Technisat range of receivers as they are a German based company that have been producing high quality satellite equipment for many many years. Having said that other manufacturers such as Technomate and AB Cryptoworks are just as capable.

Free to Air German TV CI+ HD Satellite Receiver

Can I Pause Rewind and Record German TV?

Yes with the correct Satellite receiver you are able to use functions such a Record Pause and Rewind much the same as you can with Sky and Freesat receivers. The Technisat 4K Digit ISO will allow you to do all of these and even record one channel whilst watching another. The only thing you will also require is a Twin Output LNB from the dish with a Twin cable to the receiver. Basically the Technisat ISO has two seperate tuners built into it allow you full access to recording more than one channel at the same time.

Can I Watch German TV With a Sky or Freesat Satellite Reciever?

Although technically with older Sky HD and Freesat HD Satellite Receivers it is possible to tune in German and Austrian Channels in reality it’s not an option.

Firstly German TV comes from a different Satellite to our UK Channels so the chances are your dish is pointing at the Astra 2 Satellite at 28º East and secondly these receivers are solely designed for UK reception use and not European TV. So you really do need to look at the satellite receivers that we discussed in the chapter above.

Can I Receive RTL HD and Sport 1 in HD?

Yes you can with a Technisat Technistar S6 or other similar Satellite Receiver with a CI+ Common Interface slot you can purchase a separate German HD+ Viewing Card and CAM that will give you access to extra channels such as RTL1 HD RTL2 HD Sport 1 HD ProSieben HD and many more.

Can I Subscribe to Sky Germany?

Sky Deutschland including the popular Fußball Bundesliga “German Football League” Games are available on a Pre-Paid 12 Month Subscription Card.

It is important to note that it is strictly forbidden for Commercial Premises such as Pubs and Clubs even if privately owned to use or show these channels as it breaches commercial viewing rights and can lead to prosecution.

If you are interested for private home use and viewing please contact us for package availability and latest costs.

Do You Install German and Austrian Satellite Dishes and Receivers?

We no longer have our own installation team but I have a Nationwide list of Trusted and Recommended Engineers that I have been hand picking and working with since 1995.

With so many cowboys that think they know what they are doing and with no credentials working within the industry I would much prefer you contact me so I can recommend and talk to a local engineer in your area first. That way we can be assured you will be getting the highest standard of installation and support without being ripped off buy a fly by night that will over charge and carry out a shoddy installation.

What If I’m Unable to Have A Satellite Dish for German TV?

In some circumstances it is not possible to install a satellite dish. This may be because you live in an apartment block or you have trees or another obstruction that blocks the satellite signal. What can you do then?

In these situations it may be possible to stream the channels via an German IPTV box which provides the Natioanal German Satellite TV channels without a Dish. The problem with these IPTV devices for German and Austrian TV is that the service is not provided by the Broadcaster and thus is not an official service and as such may not be as reliable.

It is possible to source IPTV boxes for German TV but only the Free to Air Channels and nothing that is Subscription Based or Pay to View.

It is always my 1st and preferred choice to have a Satellite Dish and Set top Box for the best in picture quality and performance but if you have no other choice please contact us to see if any other options are available.

I hope my guide has been of some use to you but of course if you have any questions or queries we would love to hear from you.