ABS-CBN Corporation has announced that it would be investing in digital terrestrial television (DTV) and cable TV to bring clear TV viewing to millions of Filipino households that continue to make do with poor picture and audio quality.

According to ABS-CBN DTV marketing head Miguel Mercado, ABS-CBN has been investing heavily on infrastructure and test broadcast activities in the past six years to ensure a smooth transition to DTT, which offers viewers digital clear picture and sound for all existing channels, and also more content as each network can broadcast in more than one channel. DTT was originally discussed to totally replace the existing analogue broadcast transmission system in the Philippines that is plagued by issues on poor reception nationwide by 2015. However, Mercado said only 20 percent of Filipino households have cable and they are the only ones who enjoy clear picture and audio quality as opposed to the experience of the majority of Filipinos.  He said this is ABS-CBN’s biggest motivation in preparing for DTT.

“All the network’s efforts of producing world class programmes are for naught if the content cannot be viewed and appreciated in its true value, if it even reaches the people at all. But the main reason we continue to innovate is to give the people a choice, an access to a wealth of information and entertainment that analog transmission simply cannot address very well,” he said.