Sky Germany stocks up HD capacity on Astra

German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland will rent a further transponder on Astra (19.2° East) from 1 June 2012.

The new capacity will be used to expand the HD line-up for DTH households in Germany and Austria, Satellite Company Astra Deutschland announced in Munich.

Sky Germany will then occupy a total of 11 transponders on the Luxembourg-based satellite system. There are currently 39 German-language HD channels on Astra. The number is expected to grow to more than 50 channels by the end of 2012.

On 1 May 2012, German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will launch a total of 10 further free-to-air HD channels on Astra. Also in May, commercial family channel Super RTL will launch an HD simulcast on Astra’s encrypted HD platform HD+.