While many contents are now encrypted or available through digital subscriptions, some channels remain accessible for free via satellite, notably through Astra (19.2° East) and Hotbird (13° East). For users with a well-oriented dish and a compatible decoder, it is still possible to receive many international channels without monthly fees.
Astra 19.2° East: generalist channels, news, and culture in the clear
The Astra 19.2° East satellite is particularly popular in Western Europe, notably in France, Germany, and Spain. It offers a fairly varied free package, with several German channels in high definition, but also French-speaking programs.
In 2025, it still broadcasts for free:
- Arte HD (German version)
- ZDF, Das Erste, 3sat, Kika (German public channels)
- TV5 Monde Europe, for news and magazines in French
- Several religious, musical, or regional channels in the clear
The content is mainly broadcast in German, but some programs offer a second audio channel in French or English. The picture quality is often excellent, thanks to HD or even Full HD transmissions.
Hotbird 13° East: a great linguistic diversity
Hotbird, located at 13° East, covers a much larger area, ranging from Central Europe to North Africa. It is often used by Italian, Polish, Arabic, or Iranian origin channels, and allows access to a very international offer, still without subscription.
In the clear, you can find notably:
- Rai News 24 and Rai 1 (certain time slots only)
- TVP Polonia and TVP Info for the Polish audience
- Several Moroccan channels (Al Aoula Inter, 2M Monde)
- Arabic-speaking channels like Al Jazeera (SD version in the clear), Noursat, or Rotana
- Farsi channels, like Press TV or iFilm
Some of these channels offer subtitled programs or news broadcasts available in multiple languages.
Available languages: a wide choice, but very variable depending on the channel
The Astra and Hotbird satellites do not only broadcast European content. In fact, they offer free access to programs in more than 15 different languages, including:
- German
- Arabic
- Italian
- Polish
- Russian
- French (for a handful of channels only)
- Persian
- Portuguese (via RTP Internacional)
The presence of subtitles or multilingual audio channels strongly depends on the channel. The most linguistically varied programs remain those broadcast by European public channels.
Channels removed or recently encrypted
Since 2022, several channels have ceased their free-to-air satellite broadcasting or have moved to subscription, such as:
- France 24 in French, now often reserved for encrypted packages
- CNN International, which has restricted its free access in Europe
- BBC World News, removed from unencrypted broadcasting on certain transponders
Other channels, like NHK World Japan or CGTN (in English), remain available but with limited schedules or formats depending on the covered areas.
Video quality: not always 4K, but accessible HD
The majority of free channels are still broadcast in SD or HD. Very few 4K contents are accessible without encryption. The rare exceptions sometimes concern demonstration channels or technical tests.
Nevertheless, the compression level remains generally good, especially on the German public channels broadcast via Astra, where the video stream often reaches 7 to 9 Mbps in HD, offering a stable and clean image on modern televisions.
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Access to channels: equipment and conditions to meet
To receive these channels, you simply need to:
- Have a dish oriented towards Astra 19.2° East or Hotbird 13° East
- Use a DVB-S2 decoder, compatible with MPEG-4 or HEVC depending on the channels
- Connect the decoder to an HD or 4K television
No subscription is necessary. However, you must regularly update the transponder list to follow frequency or encryption changes.