As of: March 26, 2024, 6:01 p.m
By: Thorsten Nowag
Comments
Press
Split
Cable connection in the wall © IMAGO/Piero Nigro
Have you previously paid for your cable connection through the additional costs?
No more from July 2024.
What you should consider now.
From July 2024, the costs for cable television may no longer be billed as additional costs.
The reason: The “incidental cost privilege” will be abolished.
To date, homeowners and property managers have concluded collective agreements with cable network operators.
The costs were then distributed among all tenants and billed as additional costs.
From July onwards you will have free choice of television reception and will no longer have to bear these costs.
You then have these options:
1. You keep your cable connection
If you are happy with your current cable provider, you can keep your cable network and simply sign a single-user contract.
Billing will then no longer be handled by your landlord.
The individual contract will probably be a little more expensive, but according to the consumer advice center it will only be around 2 to 3 euros per month.
Initial experience shows that the costs for individual cable connections level off at 8 to 10 euros per month after collective agreements have been terminated.
2. You only keep part of the connection
You can also just keep internet and telephone connections.
Depending on the type and age of the apartment, your provider will install a corresponding filter box on your cable connection or regulate the whole thing via the distributor in the basement.
Here, too, you sign a single-user contract with your cable network operator that only includes telephone and Internet via cable connection.
3. You choose an alternative connection
If you no longer want a cable connection, it will be blocked by the distributor in the basement or you will get a blocking box on the connection in your apartment.
Then you can find an alternative Internet connection (e.g. fiber optic, VDSL) yourself.
When watching TV you have the following options:
DVB-T2 HD
: Television via a small indoor antenna with which you can receive around 40 channels in high-resolution quality, especially in large cities.
You can watch public television channels free of charge.
For private channels you pay around 8 euros per month.
IPTV (streaming)
: For Internet TV, i.e. TV reception directly over the Internet, you need a stable Internet connection of 16 Mbit/s and a Smart TV or HDMI stick (e.g. Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick) .
You can then use the Smart TV apps or the HDMI stick to select the live streams of the TV channels and access their media libraries.
Costs: You pay for your internet connection every month, possibly a one-off fee for the HDMI stick, but nothing for television.
My news
Sweater, park bench, daffodils: The hidden messages in Princess Kate's video reading
Seriously injured ski jumping ace with devastating bedside diagnosis
Bankruptcy of German industry giant: next traditional company goes bankrupt
Putin wants an “empire” – also with the help of Soviet material: “Losses are an acceptable price” read
“That’s disrespectful”: Civil servants earn as little as citizens’ benefit recipients – and the traffic lights are watching
1 hour ago
Bridge collapse in Baltimore: Authority names number of victims - Governor celebrates crew as “heroes” read
IPTV from the VDSL provider:
You can also get TV reception from your VDSL provider in combination with an Internet connection.
The Internet provider then not only provides you with a modem or router for the Internet connection, but also a receiver that you connect to your television.
The program selection corresponds to that of a classic cable TV connection.
Cost: approx. 5 euros per month.
Satellite television
: Because the TV signal comes via the satellite dish, this alternative is only suitable to a limited extent.
You can only attach a satellite dish to the house facade with permission.
Assembly and setup also cost between 550 and 1,100 euros.
Beware of door-to-door sales
Just don't let so-called media consultants take you by surprise.
They are currently on the move on behalf of the cable network operators and are spreading panic.
Nobody will lose their television connection overnight.
There is more than enough time to find out more about your options - ideally in the financial tips guide for TV reception.
Have you already signed something?
Then, if necessary, use your 14-day right of withdrawal.
Stay up to date on money topics with the Finanztip newsletter
This article is available to IPPEN.MEDIA as part of a cooperation with the non-profit money guide Finanztip - the original for this article "Cable television will soon be more expensive: These are your alternatives" comes from the weekly Finanztip newsletter from March 15, 2024.
More than a million readers: Subscribe to the free Finanztip newsletter and receive the best tips from the “Business Editor of the Year 2021” every Friday – tax tricks, deals, templates and product recommendations that you can rely on.