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.

Full List of Free To Air German Satellite TV Channels Available from the Astra 1 Satelltie.

123 Sat
3sat
Ambazonia Freedom TV
Anixe +
Anixe HD Serie
ARD Alpha
ARTE Deutsch
ARTE Français
AstroTV
Augsburg TV
Babestation 24
Baden TV
Bayerisches Fernsehen Nord
Bayerisches Fernsehen Süd
Bibel TV
Channel 21
Comedy Central Deutschland
Comedy Central Deutschland +1
Crime Time
Das Erste
Deluxe Dance by KontorDeluxe Flashback
Deluxe Lounge
Deluxe MusicDeluxe RapDeluxe RockDerakhte Zendegi TV
Deutsches Musik Fernsehen
Deutschlands GayChatDF1Disney Channel DeutschlandDMAX Deutschland
Dokusat
DW Arabia
DW English
DW Español
DW RussianEurosport 1 Germany
EWTN auf Deutsch
Fix & Foxi
Folx Music TV
Franken PlusGabriele TV AfricaGenius Plus TVGenius TrendGenius TV+
Handystar
Handystar 2Heiss und Sexy TVHGTV DeutschlandHip Trips!
Hope TV Deutsch
HR Fernsehen
HSE
HSE Extra
HSE Trend
Just CookingJust Fishing
Juwelo
Juwelo France
K-TV
Kabel Eins AustriaKabel Eins DeutschlandKabel Eins Doku AustriaKabel Eins Doku Deutschland
Kanal Avrupa
Khatereh TV
KIKA
L TV
Lilo TV
MDR Fernsehen Sachsen
MDR Fernsehen Sachsen-Anhalt
MDR Fernsehen Thüringen
Mein TV Shop
Missione Rinascita del Mondo
MTV GermanyMy Dirty Mobile
München TV
N-TV
N-TV Austria
N24 Doku
NDR Fernsehen Hamburg
NDR Fernsehen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
NDR Fernsehen Niedersachsen
NDR Fernsehen Schleswig-Holstein
New JerusalemNew Jerusalem Broadcasts
Nickelodeon Deutschland
Niederbayern TV Satellit
Nitro AustriaNitro DeutschlandOneOne TerraOst West 24
OTVA
Pearl TV
PhoenixProSieben AustriaProSieben DeutschlandProSieben Maxx AustriaProSieben Maxx Deutschland
QVC Deutschland
QVC Style Deutschland
QVC Zwei
Radio Bremen Fernsehen
RBB Berlin
RBB Brandenburg
Red AdventureRegio TV Satellit
RheinMain TV
RiC
Rojava TV
RTL AustriaRTL DeutschlandRTL Nord Hamburg & Schleswig-HolsteinRTL Nord Niedersachsen & BremenRTL Super AustriaRTL Super DeutschlandRTL UpRTL Up ÖsterreichRTL WestRTL Zwei AustriaRTL Zwei Deutschland
Sachsen Eins
Sat. 1 BayernSat. 1 DeutschlandSat. 1 Gold DeutschlandSat. 1 Gold ÖsterreichSat. 1 Hamburg und Schleswig-HolsteinSat. 1 Niedersachsen und BremenSat. 1 NRWSat. 1 Rheinland-Pfalz/HessenSat. 1 ÖsterreichSatelio InfokanalSchlager DeluxeSender Neu JerusalemSerien +
Shop LC Deutschland
Sixx AustriaSixx DeutschlandSolh TV
Sonnenklar TV
Sophia TV Español
Sport 1
SR Fernsehen
Stimmungsgarten TV
SWR Fernsehen Baden-Württemberg
SWR Fernsehen Rheinland-Pfalz
Tagesschau 24Tele 5
Telegold
TLC GermanyToggo AustriaToggo DeutschlandToggo PlusTraumfrauen TVTV Bayern
TV Ingolstadt
TV Rus
TV Rus +
Volksmusik TV
Vox AustriaVox Deutschland
Voxup
WDR Fernsehen AachenWDR Fernsehen Düsseldorf
WDR Fernsehen Köln
WDR Studio Aachen
WDR Studio Bielefeld
WDR Studio Bonn
WDR Studio Dortmund
WDR Studio Duisburg
WDR Studio Düsseldorf
WDR Studio Essen
WDR Studio Münster
WDR Studio Siegen
WDR Studio Wuppertal
WeltXplore
ZDF
ZDF Info
ZDF Neo
Zwei 2 Music TV
Çira TV