More households shifting to digital terrestrial TV

MANILA, Philippines — More households across the country have made the switch and are now watching via digital terrestrial television, broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp. said, citing results of a recent survey conducted by Kantar Media.

Based on Kantar data on digital terrestrial television penetration in November, ABS-CBN said the number of non-cabled homes in Metro Manila using an ABS-CBN TVplus box increased to 81 percent from 72 percent in August last year.

The number of non-cabled homes in Mega Manila with TVplus likewise rose to 75 percent from 65 percent.

In the suburbs, the number saw an expansion to 69 percent from 57 percent.

“With the rapid rise of TVplus in homes nationwide, digital TV is fast becoming the standard in television viewing in the Philippines,” ABS-CBN head of Access Charles Lim said.

ABS-CBN has managed to sell 8.9 million TVplus units as of November, bringing digital television to more households across the country.

With the launch of TVplus in 2015, ABS-CBN has been at the forefront in complying with the government’s mandate to shut down analog broadcast and shift to digital.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology, through its Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting migration plan, aims to have 95 percent of the country’s households switch to digital television by 2023.

By 2023, the analog system would be switched off completely and would be replaced by digital television transmission.

Digital television is capable of better picture and sound, giving users an enhanced viewing experience.

ABS-CBN TVplus currently has 16 coverage areas including Metro Manila, Bulacan, Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Rizal, Laguna, Pampanga, Tarlac, Benguet, Cavite, Metro Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao.

Last June, the company introduced the mobile version of TVplus called ABS-CBN TVplus Go, which turns Android smartphones into pocket television devices.