- ABS-CBN edged out GMA network in the digital TV dongle competition
- GMA Network plans to come out with a mobile digital TV receiver
- ABS-CBN launched ABS-CBN TVplus Go
The network war between Philippine media giants ABS-CBN and GMA Network added a new phase as the two raced to be the first to introduce a mobile digital broadcast receiver.
GMA Network was the first to lay the plans for a digital TV dongle as confirmed by its CEO Felipe Gozon in an interview in May 2015.
”Our dongle is as small as a feature phone. We invented it and we’ll have it patented. We still don’t have a partner for this but it will definitely be cheaper than a set-up box,” said Gozon.
But as in every race, plans will only be as good if it is actually implemented and put into action immediately.
ABS-CBN has edged out GMA Network by introducing its digital TV dongle device ABS-CBN TVplus Go first.
On June 1, 2019, the Kapamilya network launched the new ABS-CBN TVplus Go, the mobile version of its top-selling TVplus Digibox.
With the launch, ABS-CBN became the first Philippine TV network to launch a mobile digital TV receiver.
Priced at 799, the ABS-CBN TVPlus Go also contains the same featured channels as their ABS-CBN TVPlus Digibox set-up.
ABS-CBN started working on its Digital Terrestrial Television or Digital TV service in 2007 since the National Telecommunication Commission is planning to adopt the Japanese DTT model which will eradicate analog TV transmission.
In 2010, NTC released its circular mandating the country’s TV networks to switch from analog to digital. In 2012, ABS-CBN first introduced its digital TV box setup which has evolved to the now famous ABS-CBN TVplus and its latest spin off the ABS-CBN TVplus Go.
