Millions of Filipinos today enjoy a clearer television viewing with better sound via the ABS-CBN TVplus, which was rolled out in response to the government’s mandate to shift from analog to digital terrestrial broadcasting.
“The sale of the TVplus boxes is in compliance with the directive of NTC to migrate our broadcast to digital,” said ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak at the House of Representatives’ panel hearing on the network’s franchise renewal on Thursday.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) released the country’s framework for the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTT) Migration Plan in the Digital TV Summit 2017, enjoining broadcasters like ABS-CBN to have expedient migration from analog to digital broadcasting by 2023.
TVplus has partnered with government agencies such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to disseminate relevant information to the public via its INFOplus feature. Just by pressing the red button on the TVplus remote, viewers get to see real-time updates on traffic, weather, or disasters flashed on the screen without the need for an internet connection.
TVplus viewers also have access to the built-in emergency warning broadcast system (EWBS) that will show warning messages and safety alerts during times of disasters. This service was used during the MMDA earthquake drill in 2015.
ABS-CBN has sold 8.9 million TVplus units as of November 2019.