When the satellite originally went on air in January 1995,[5] several of its transponders were used by British Sky Broadcasting for new channels such as Granada Talk TV.

These transponders broadcast on frequencies outside (below) the tuning range offered by the original Sky set-top-box receiver (with a 950-1750 MHz IF tuning range) and a standard Astra Low-noise block downconverter (LNB) (with a 10.00 GHz local oscillator) so Sky produced a frequency shifter ("ADX Plus Channel Expander"), comprising a small box connected between the LNB and the receiver (and powered by the receiver) with a single manual switch to select between Astra 1A and Astra 1D reception.

Switched to Astra 1D reception, this shifted up the IF signal from the LNB by 250 MHz to bring the new frequencies within the receiver's tuning range.

[6] Subsequent Sky receivers had an 'extended' 950-2150 MHz IF tuning range and were used with an 'Enhanced LNB' with a 9.75 GHz local oscillator to enable reception of all the transponders used on the Astra 1A-1D satellites.

Astra 1D returned 23.5° East in 2012 with two transponders active for several months (both carrying the Luxembourg terrestrial channel, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg).