HD +

HD PLUS GmbH
legal form	Company with limited liability
Seat	Unterföhring
management	Georges Agnes, Timo Schneckenburger (both managing directors )
Branch	Satellite television
Website	www.hd-plus.de

HD + is a chargeable additional program offer in (higher definition) HD quality via the digital satellite platform of HD PLUS GmbH , a subsidiary of the satellite operator SES SA. In addition to all free-to-air HD offers, 24 private TV channels can be broadcast in HD quality via HD + as well as two UHD channels can be received in an additional package (as of July 2020). HD + extends the basic encryption of television programs resolved in HD to a digital rights management. Costs for television broadcasts can be billed to the user according to different models. In order to be able to use HD +, users who receive their programs via satellite need an HD-capable TV set, as well as an HD + receiver, an HD + module, an HD + TVkey or a Sky subscription with HD +. HD + has been integrated directly into Panasonic and Samsung televisions since spring 2019 and in Vestel branded devices since summer 2020 and can therefore be used without additional hardware.

A component of HD + is the so-called comfort function, which is available in the corresponding TV sets from the manufacturers Samsung, Panasonic and Vestel. It enables selected programs to be viewed from the start with a restart. In addition, users have access to media libraries from several private channels and can use an interactive TV guide with an individual search without incurring additional costs. The convenience function replaced the smart TV offer HD + RePlay, which was launched at the end of 2012 and made it possible to transfer the content of the media libraries of several private broadcasters via a satellite receiver with internet connection for a period of one week after the broadcast in TV broadcast quality to watch.

Project partners and dissemination

old HD + logo (until 2013)

Since November 1, 2009, HDTV versions of RTL and VOX have been broadcast on this platform . The HD channels from Sat.1 , ProSieben and Kabel eins were added on January 31, 2010. The Sport1 HD channel has been part of it since November 1, 2010 . On December 1, 2010, HD versions of RTL II and sixx went on air via HD +. Comedy Central and Nickelodeon followed on June 1, 2011 . While Comedy Central HD is available 24 hours today, nickelodeon HD was removed from the channel portfolio in March 2019. On July 1, 2011, the HD version of N24 was added . The Tele 5 HD identifier was activated on October 18, 2011, and the broadcaster started broadcasting in HD one day later on October 19, 2011. On May 1, 2012, Super RTL HD and DMAX HD started. On December 17, 2012, the music channel Deluxe Music HD was activated. On January 17, 2014, the Disney Channel , which was then free to air, was also included as an HD version in the HD + range. On April 1, 2014 n-tv HD went on air ahead of time , and TLC HD on April 4 . On April 16, 2014, additional channels were added to the platform with ProSieben MAXX HD and RTL NITRO HD. MTV HD has been available on HD + since September 2, 2014 . On January 1, 2015, the station Sat.1 Gold HD followed. The action channel Insight TV was added on October 4, 2016. Since December 1, 2016, HD + Eurosport 1 HD is the 23rd broadcaster to broadcast its program on this platform. On March 1, 2019, the nickelodeon, which has since been renamed "Nick / MTV + HD", ended, which in the meantime began to share the broadcasting slot with a version of MTV that was offset by one hour . Instead, the now 24-hour Comedy Central returned to HD distribution via satellite. On January 17, 2020, Kabel eins Doku HD was the 24th channel on HD + to go on air. In addition, two UHD channels are available via HD +: On September 4, 2015, the channel UHD1 by HD + started with content in Ultra HD quality. In addition, RTL launched its own UHD channel on April 28, 2018, which is broadcast exclusively via HD +. Selected program highlights such as the series “Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten” can be seen in UHD quality via RTL UHD.

Since the launch of the HD platform, the proportion of programs broadcast in native HD has been gradually expanded. While US films and US series were initially broadcast almost exclusively in HD, most of the in-house productions are now also produced and broadcast in HD. Even the major sports broadcasts are now almost exclusively broadcast in native HD. As of May 2013, RTL HD broadcast more than 90 percent of its programming in native HD. The ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG shone "with a few exceptions, the entire prime time Sat.1 HD, ProSieben HD, Kabel Eins HD and Sixx HD in native HD from."

The purchase price of an HD + satellite receiver, HD + module or a TV with integrated HD + includes the option of receiving HD + free of charge for the first six months (previously 12 months). Initially, a PrePaid HD + extension cost 50 euros, from 6 May 2014 60 euros and since 15 February 2017 70 euros. HD + also introduced a subscription model in May 2014. In this subscription model, which can be canceled monthly, the customer currently pays 5.75 euros per month. The Nagravision encryption standard is used for the HD + cards and the Videoguard encryption standard for Sky receivers .

Restrictions

Broadcasters can regulate or completely prevent HD + recordings. For each individual shipment (as of 2010) you can

• completely stop recording,
• Time limit the playback of TV recordings (between six hours and 61 days)
• Completely prevent or limit time-shifted television (for example only up to 90 minutes after the end of the program)
• Use the individual key of the DVB recorder to bind TV recordings to the respective device, which then cannot be played back by other devices. Recording on an external hard drive can also be prevented.
• completely stop fast-forwarding (e.g. to suppress advertising).
• Define whether and in which resolution (possibly downscaling to SDTV ) the video output should take place via the analog output (e.g. SCART ) and whether this is provided with copy protection ( Macrovision ), such as with HDTV broadcasts.

Of the restrictions mentioned, some HD + channels currently only use the option of preventing fast-forwarding during playback. Since April 16, 2014, however, it has been possible to fast-forward programs recorded on SAT.1 HD, ProSieben HD, Kabel eins HD, sixx HD and ProSieben MAXX HD at up to eight times the speed using an HD + receiver or CI + module. No recordings via the CI + module are possible for other broadcasters, but a 90-minute timeshift function is available. In principle, recordings are not possible via Sky .

On February 5, 2013 the media magazine DWDL.de reported that HD + now has more than one million paying customers after more than three years. According to HD PLUS GmbH, HD + had 2.68 million users as of September 30, 2013, of which 1.28 million were paying customers. At the end of 2015, the number of HD + customers was around 2.94 million, of which around 1.84 million were customers with a paid subscription. According to the company, the number of users of HD + in 2017 was around 2.1 million customers. In addition to the paying customers, around 850,000 households were in the free HD + test phase. Compared to the previous year, HD + was able to achieve growth of 45 percent.

At the start of the 2017/2018 Bundesliga season, HD + offered the Eurosport package in addition to the HD + channel package, which included the pay-TV channel Eurosport 2 HD Xtra and access to the streaming service Eurosport Player. Eurosport 2 HD Xtra showed 45 Bundesliga games live per season, including all Friday and Monday games as well as the Sunday Bundesliga games at 1:30 p.m. On June 30, 2020, HD + stopped marketing the Eurosport package because Eurosport no longer had the rights to broadcast Bundesliga matches and, as a result, matches were not broadcast on Eurosport 2 HD Xtra.

technology

The requirement for reception is an HD + receiver (HDTV receiver or UHD TV receiver that has been expanded to include the required properties) or an HD + module that is installed in a TV set via the corresponding consortium CI-Plus interface or a receiver, or a TV set model year 2019 from Panasonic, Samsung or Vestel brand devices from model year 2020 in which HD + is directly integrated. These devices decrypt the television signals that have been encrypted using the Nagravision encryption method. Unencrypted HDTV channels according to DVB-S and DVB-S2 standards can still be received. The programs of the pay TV provider Sky Deutschland can only be received in an HD + receiver with a Sky-CI-Plus module if the HD + receiver has a CI-Plus slot. Some HD + receivers offered this option by means of a CI interface and a suitable AlphaCrypt - CAM (module). Since June 2011, HD + reception has also been possible with Sky receivers. For the Sky receivers, the television signals are also encrypted in Videoguard . For the HDTV stations broadcast via the HD + platform, the extended properties are then required that are not part of the DVB standard. According to the current status, full support of HD + is only possible with special HD + -capable receivers. These must either be approved directly for HD + or have a CI + interface into which the new modules for inserting the HD + smart card can then be inserted . At the time HD + was launched on the market (2009), a number of free-to-air HDTV receivers were on the market that did not decode HD +. These were generally equipped with a CI interface . Some receiver manufacturers provided a firmware update with which the receiver could be upgraded. Including manufacturers such as Humax , TechniSat and Vantage . In addition to the firmware update, customers could purchase CI-CAMs (modules) called legacy modules. A list of receivers that could be retrofitted with CI-CAMs was later published on the HD + website. These updates and special modules then deliver, among other things, the tightened copy protection mechanisms that broadcasters and / or rights holders require for broadcasting HDTV programs. Recording from HD + channels is only possible with some receivers that have been retrofitted in this way.

Reception parameters

These 24 channels can currently be received on the HD + platform via Astra 19.2 degrees east.

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	polarization	Symbol rate	FEC	modulation	Service ID	PCR PID	Video PID	Audio PID	logo
Comedy Central HD	10773	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	21107	511	511	515
Deluxe Music HD	10803	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5503	1023	1023	1027
Disney Channel HD	10803	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5500	255	255	259
DMAX HD	12574	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5402	767	767	771
Eurosport 1 HD	11111	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	12502	767	767	771
INSIGHT TV HD	11229	vertical	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5010	255	255	257
Cable one HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61302	767	767	771
MTV HD	10964	vertical	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	10103	1023	1023	1027
WORLD HD	10773	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	21108	767	767	771
n-tv HD	10832	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61204	1279	1279	1280
NITRO HD	11082	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	11951	500	500	510
ProSieben HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61301	511	511	515
ProSieben Maxx HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61304	1279	1279	1283
RTL HD	10832	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61200	255	255	259
RTL II HD	10832	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61205	1535	1535	1539
Sat.1 HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61300	255	255	259
Sat.1 Gold HD	11111	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	12500	255	255	259
sixx HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61303	1023	1023	1027
Sport1 HD	10803	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5505	1535	1535	1539
SUPER RTL HD	11082	horizontal	22000	3/4	8PSK (DVB-S2)	11930	300	300	310
Tele 5 HD	12574	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	5401	511	511	515
TLC HD	10964	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	10100	255	255	259
VOX HD	10832	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61201	511	511	515
Kabel eins Doku HD	11464	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	61305	1535	1535	1539

UHD

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	polarization	Symbol rate	FEC	modulation	Service ID	PCR PID	Video PID	Audio PID	logo
RTL UHD	11391	horizontal	22000	5/6	QPSK (DVB-S)	12410	2815	2815	2816
UHD1 by Astra / HD +	10995	horizontal	22000	5/6	8PSK (DVB-S2)	2	101	101	102

Additional packages

Eurosport 2 HD Xtra and the Eurosport Player can be booked in addition to the HD + channel package.

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	polarization	Symbol rate	FEC	modulation	Service ID	PCR PID	Video PID	Audio PID	logo
Eurosport 2 HD Xtra	11111	horizontal	22000	2/3	8PSK (DVB-S2)	12503	1023	1023	1027

reception

HD + can now be received in several ways. HD + receivers are available from specialist retailers and are already equipped with an HD + card. For new customers, the HD + transmitter package is also included, with which the 24 HD channels and, if it is a UHD TV set, 2 UHD channels can be received. In addition to the receivers, there is the option of retrofitting TV sets that have a CI slot with an HD + module. The HD + module can be purchased directly from the web shop for a one-time fee of 79 euros. A 6-month HD + transmitter package is also included here for new customers. The same conditions apply to the HD + TVkey, which is compatible with current UHD and QLED TVs from Samsung. HD + has been integrated directly into TVs from Panasonic and Samsung since spring 2019 and into Vestel branded devices since 2020 and can be used with these TVs without additional hardware. Since June 1, 2011, reception via the pay TV provider Sky Deutschland has also been possible. HD + is activated on the existing Sky smart card (NDS encryption). Since September 2011, HD + can also be received via MagentaTV Sat from Telekom Deutschland . Through an agreement with the Association for Broadcasting and Broadband Communication (FRK), HD + can also be received in some small and medium-sized cable networks.

HD + Smart TV, HD + RePlay, HD + comfort function and HbbTV OppApp

Logo of the HD + offer "Smart TV"

old logo of the HD + offer "Smart TV" (until 2013)

HD + Smart TV was an offer from HD PLUS GmbH in cooperation with various partners such as the daily newspaper Bild , the sports magazine Kicker or the program magazine TV Movie . Since November 2013, over 100 apps have been available via HD + Smart TV. In order to be able to use the respective apps on the television, the receiver needed internet access via WLAN or cable. Since 2019, HD + has offered the convenience function, which is integrated in numerous TV sets from the manufacturers Samsung, Panasonic and in Vestel branded devices and which makes it possible to watch selected programs from the beginning with a restart. Users also have access to media libraries from several private broadcasters and can use an interactive TV guide with an individual search without incurring additional costs. The convenience function replaced the HD + RePlay smart TV offer, which was launched at the end of 2012. Panasonic is the first manufacturer to support the HbbTV Operator App for HD + in selected devices from model year 2019. With the app, the user can use all the advantages of HD + and the HD + convenience function without additional hardware. The app includes all common free HD channels as well as the 24 private HD and two UHD channels included in the HD + channel package. After installation, the HbbTV OpApp can be used free of charge for six months without registration. Only then do the usual costs for an HD + extension or the HD + subscription arise.

criticism

HD Plus GmbH received the negative award "Brake of the year 2010" from the computer magazine Chip .

In May 2010, which led Bundeskartellamt a raid in the RTL Group and ProSiebenSat.1 by suspicion of unlawful agreement and formation of a cartel in the encryption of digital programs. At that time, there was also increasing criticism of HD + from the industry.

As it became known on May 15, 2011, the Federal Cartel Office carried out another raid on the RTL Group and ProSiebenSat.1 companies in February 2011. It was again about the suspicion of unauthorized agreements and the formation of a cartel in the encryption of digital programs, in this case related to the encryption of programs in SD quality. Any agreements about copy protection signals and anti-advertising blockers are also affected by the follow-up investigations.

A professionally made video that reported critical of the HD + and CI + customer site was deleted by HD-Plus GmbH on YouTube due to an unspecified copyright infringement. The exact author of the video is not known, but after the video was deleted, other YouTube users re-uploaded copies of the video as a backlash, and a counter-notice from the video creator was issued. In December 2010, RTL boss Anke Schäferkordt announced that the RTL Group's normal SD television should be restricted with the same restrictions as HD +. Thus, viewers could e.g. B. no longer skip advertising for recorded programs and films.

In Satvision , issue 1/2011, the HD range of the HD + platform (RTL, Sat.1, ProSieben, Vox, etc.) and that of the pay TV provider Sky were checked. HD + was rated that there was “still a long way to go” to real HD broadcasting.

The individual points of criticism were initially:

• Customers are tied even more closely to a pay TV provider, as it is not possible to use different encodings (twin or multi-CAM). So that a customer z. B. can alternately receive Arena and Sky or ORF , SF and SkyAT, he would have to change the CAM every time.
• The use of DVB receivers is considerably restricted by a consortium compared to the CI 1.0 standard (see above). A CI + interface was already built into many of the new TV sets and DVB-S receivers in 2010.
• Receiving HD + incurs additional costs: an HD + module including card costs 79 euros. In addition, a new CI + -capable receiver had to be purchased in 2010 if a receiver manufacturer did not offer a suitable software update for an existing receiver (and CI legacy module for 99 euros). Many new televisions are now available with a CI + interface and satellite tuner. The technical restrictions mentioned continue to apply.
• Multi-tuner solutions that enable the parallel reception of more than one program (e.g. recording and watching TV at the same time, picture-in-picture) have lost their functionality because only one program is decrypted.
• Multiroom solutions in which (a) a central receiver in the house receives the decoded TV signal or (b) a “TV server” TV recordings via e.g. B. provides a network to several receivers in the house are not possible.

In the meantime, TV recorders (e.g. Linux-based receivers and HTPC ) are available on the market with which HD + channels can be received and processed. The Dreambox is able to decrypt the channels using an HD + card and a corresponding soft cam and without the above mentioned. Use restrictions and enable unencrypted HD recordings. Other receivers can achieve a similar result with alternative CAMs.

The magazine VIDEO, on the other hand, awarded HD + 2018 as the test winner with the test result "very good".

In 2019, the HbbTV Operator App received the HbbTV Award from the HbbTV Association, a global initiative to promote open standards for the distribution of interactive TV services via radio and broadband networks for smart TVs and set-top boxes . The app was recognized in the “Best use of HbbTV Operator applications” category for its outstanding performance.

HD + was recognized by specialist magazines for the direct integration of HD + in televisions using an HbbTV operator app and the HD + convenience function. The test rating "very good" was given to HD + by audiovision (issue 6/2019), digital television (issue 8/2019), Satvision (issue 6/2019) and video (7/2019). Av-magazin.de (issue 8/2019) rated the integration of HD + as an “innovation” with “top class”, and Sat-Magazin (issue 3/2019).

Austria

The counterpart to HD + in Austria is HD Austria .

Web links

 Wikinews: Category: HD +  - in the news

• HD-Plus.de Official HD-Plus website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ INFOSAT Verlag & Werbe GmbH: Vestel integrates HD + directly into UHD TVs. July 23, 2020, accessed August 13, 2020 . 
2. ↑ heise online: HD +: First television with integrated access to the satellite TV platform. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
3. ↑ SATVISION: HD + RePlay will be discontinued. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
4. ↑ Sharper than reality . prosieben.de. Archived from the original on May 19, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
5. ↑ Digitalfernsehen.de: "N24 HD: Start on July 1st - Astra frequency is fixed"
6. ↑ Tele 5 completes the HD Dozen
7. ↑ SUPER RTL will broadcast from May 1st in HD ( Memento from December 20th, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) RTL press release, accessed on April 6th, 2012
8. ↑ Men's channel Dmax from May 1st in high resolution via the HD Plus platform , accessed on April 30, 2012
9. ↑ DWDL.de: For the time being only on HD +: Deluxe Music soon also in HD , accessed on December 13, 2012
10. ↑ Digitalfernsehen.de: Disney Channel HD starts on January 17th via HD Plus , accessed on December 20th, 2013
11. ↑ HD + press area: "HD + increases customer base by 49 percent and expands the range in 2014" , accessed on February 7, 2014
12. ↑ digitalfernsehen.de: MTV HD will switch to HD Plus in September , accessed on August 11, 2014
13. ↑ Digitalfernsehen.de: “Sat.1 Gold HD starts on Astra” , accessed on November 8, 2014
14. ↑ Infosat.de "German version" Insight TV "starts on HD + - adventure, action and extreme sports from October 4th" , accessed on October 3rd, 2016
15. ↑ Comedy Central HD from now on at HD +, Diveo and Freenet via satellite , accessed on March 5, 2019
16. ↑ Kabel Eins Doku HD shows programs in Ultra HD & HDR. January 15, 2020, accessed on August 13, 2020 (German). 
17. ↑ Tim Kaufmann: UHD1: Ultra HD channels received free of charge via Astra - PC Magazin. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
18. ↑ DWDL de GmbH: RTL starts RTL UHD - at the start with Formula 1 and DSDS. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
19. ↑ TV Movie; Edition of May 10, 2013
20. ^ Digital television , edition 11/2012, pages 88–90.
21. ↑ HD +: RTL HD and Vox HD on Astra . hdtv-pro.de. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
22. ↑ Pit Klein: Consumer advocates continue to rail against "HD +" from SES Astra & Co. - "HD +" still in the line of fire. In: satundkabel.de , August 28, 2009, accessed on May 20, 2010.
23. ↑ A new TV service has established itself: 769,000 households watch private channels in HD via HD +. Press release from HD Plus GmbH from May 2, 2011 on presseportal.de.
24. ↑ DWDL.de: HD + now has more than one million paying customers , accessed on February 5, 2013
25. ↑ Satellite platform : HD + continues to grow . horizont.net. November 4, 2013. Accessed December 1, 2013.
26. ↑ HD Plus achieved significant customer growth in 2015 . January 29, 2016. Accessed March 31, 2016.
27. ↑ SATVISION: HD + has more than two million customers for the first time. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
28. ↑ Bundeskartellamt - Homepage - B7-22 / 07. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
29. ↑ ARD Digital: Information from public broadcasters on compatibility with their own HD offers ( Memento from August 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
30. ↑ http://www.sky.de/web/cms/de/kundencenter-ciplus-empfoice.jsp
31. ↑ Pay TV: Reception from Sky - IcordForumWiki . icordforum.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
32. ↑ HD + can also be received via Sky HD satellite receiver from summer . hd-plus.de. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
33. ↑ HD + website: HD + in future also via HDTV receiver with CI interface , December 22, 2009
34. ↑ HD +: List of retrofittable receivers published . Heise.de. February 16, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
35. ↑ Nico Juran: c't - Chaos in Astra's high-definition pay TV offer HD . Heise.de. March 31, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
36. ↑ Sky Deutschland expands market-leading HD offer by eight more channels from HD + offer ...
37. ↑ FRK comes to an agreement with HD + on feeding into selected cable networks . infosat.de. December 19, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
38. ↑ SATVISION: HD + Replay started. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
39. ↑ heise online: HD +: First television with integrated access to the satellite TV platform. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
40. ↑ SATVISION: HD + RePlay will be discontinued. Retrieved on August 13, 2020 (German). 
41. ↑ chip.de: CHIP awards "Brake of the Year 2010" to HD Plus GmbH ( Memento from August 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 252 kB)
42. ↑ Focus.de: Kartellamt: Raid on RTL and ProSiebenSat.1
43. ↑ Insiders unpack: If you want to watch HD +, you have to suffer spiegel.de, on June 2, 2010
44. ↑ DWDL.de: Cartel Office continues to investigate: “Follow-up investigations” against RTL & ProSiebenSat.1
45. ↑ Astra subsidiary has critical YouTube video for HD + and CI + blocked . SatundKabel.de. September 1, 2010. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved on September 2, 2010.
46. ↑ Giving presents: RTL and Telekom in a clinch . dwdl.de
47. ↑ Sky - HD + comparison - Where is the HD quality better? ( Memento from December 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on flimmerkisten.de
48. ↑ TV sets with DVB tuner. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016 ; Retrieved November 27, 2013 . 
49. ↑ Reinhard Otter: HD + in the test - PC Magazin. Retrieved August 13, 2020 . 
50. ↑ Florian Pötzsch: HbbTV Awards: Panasonic wins with HD Plus app. November 22, 2019, accessed on August 13, 2020 (German). 
51. ↑ HD Plus. Retrieved August 13, 2020 .