GMA Affordabox is a Philippine ISDB-Tb digital terrestrial television provider distributed and marketed by GMA New Media, a subsidiary of GMA Network. The service distributes digital set-top boxes and USB OTG dongles with free-to-air digital TV channels, broadcast markup language, emergency warning broadcast system, functional auto-on alert, digital display, and info display services to select areas in the Philippines.
History
In June 2010, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) announced that it would adopt the ISDB-T standard for digital broadcasting and issued a circular commanding that all the Country's television networks to switch-off their analog services on December 31, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8). Due to the delay of the release of implementing rules and regulations for digital television broadcast, the target date was moved to 2023, but it was later moved to 2026 due to constraints on the migration.
In February 2013, GMA Network conducted field tests of digital broadcast using the Japanese standard ISDB-T in digital television on UHF Channel 27 (551.143 MHz), remaining unconvinced saying "European standard DVB-T2 is superior to ISDB-T." In October 2013, the NTC issued a draft memorandum to adopt the Japanese/Brazilian standard as the sole standard in the delivery of digital terrestrial television (DTT) services in the Philippines.
On May 15, 2019, GMA's digital broadcast was moved to its permanent frequency on Channel 15, due to its former frequency, Channel 27 being used by GMA News TV on June 4, 2019, as a deal between GMA and ZOE Broadcasting Network terminated, resulting to the channel's former frequency Channel 11 became silent on June 5, 2019 (which later became A2Z since October 10, 2020).
In June 2020, images of GMA's owned DTV set-top box were online and a teaser was revealed on June 17, 2020. GMA Network launched GMA Affordabox on June 26, 2020 during Tutok to Win sa Wowowin.
GMA Now On December 12, 2020, GMA Network released its mobile dongle designed for USB OTG-capable Android smartphone, dubbed as GMA Now on Lazada and Shopee online. It allows users to watch free-to-air channels on their Android smartphones and has features such as video-on-demand to stream GMA's online content, a web chat, and interactive promotions to join. It supports Picture-in-picture mode and screen recording. GMA Network launched GMA Now on February 7, 2021 during All-Out Sundays, and announced it will support for iPhone users.
List of Channels
UHF Channel 15 (479.143 MHz)1 Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming Note 7.01 480i 16:9 GMA GMA (Main DZBB-TV programming) Commercial broadcast (15 kW) 7.02 GTV GTV 7.03 HEART OF ASIA Heart of Asia 7.06 I HEART MOVIES I Heart Movies 7.07 (UNNAMED) Test feed Black screen 7.08 7.11 7.31 240p GMA 1-Seg GMA 1seg broadcast UHF Channel 21 (515.143 MHz)1 Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming Note 21.02 480i 4:3 SolarFlix SolarFlix (Main DWCP-DTV programming) Commercial broadcast (3 kW) 21.03 Solar Sports Solar Sports 21.04 DepEd TV Solar Learning/DepEd TV 21.05 Shop TV Shop TV 1 For Mega Manila only, channel and frequency varies on regional stations.
Channel and frequency
Branding Callsign UHF Channel # Frequency Area of coverage GMA Manila DZBB-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHzMetro Manila SolarFlix Manila DWCP-DTV 21 (Digital test broadcast) 515.143 MHz GMA Dagupan DZEA-TV 38 (Digital test broadcast) 617.143 MHz Dagupan and Baguio/Northern Luzon and Central Luzon GMA Mountain Province DZVG-TV 29 (Digital Test Broadcast) 563.143 MHz Mountain Province/Cordillera Administrative Region GMA Ilocos Norte D-5-AS-TV 24 (Digital test broadcast) 533.143 MHz Laoag, Ilocos Norte/Northern Luzon GMA Ilocos Sur DWBC-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Bantay and Ilocos Sur/Northern Luzon GMA Abra D-7-ZG-TV 26 (Digital test broadcast) 545.143 MHz Peñarrubia and Abra GMA Tuguegarao DWBB-TV 33 (Digital test broadcast) 587.143 MHz Tuguegarao and Cagayan GMA Isabela DWLE-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Santiago and Isabela/Cagayan Valley GMA Olongapo DWNS-TV 38 (Digital Test Broadcast) 617.143 MHz Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan/Central Luzon GMA Batangas D-12-ZB-TV 32 (Digital test broadcast) 581.143 MHz Batangas/Calabarzon GMA Occidental Mindoro D-13-ZR-TV 15 (Digital Test Broadcast) 479.143 MHz San Jose, Occidental Mindoro/Mimaropa GMA Puerto Princesa DYPU-TV 15 (Digital Test Broadcast) 479.143 MHz Puerto Princesa, Palawan/Mimaropa GMA Masbate DYKD-TV 32 (Digital test broadcast) 581.143 MHz Masbate/Bicol Region GMA Naga DWAI-TV 38 (Digital Test Broadcast) 617.143 MHz Naga/Bicol Region GMA Legazpi DWLA-TV 41 (Digital Test Broadcast) 635.143 MHz Legazpi/Bicol Region GMA Catanduanes D-13-ZC-TV 38 (Digital test broadcast) 617.143 MHz Virac/Bicol Region GMA Sorsogon DWGA-TV 22 (Digital test broadcast) 521.143 MHz Sorsogon/Bicol Region GMA Daet DWGC-TV 27 (Digital test broadcast) 551.143 MHz Daet, Camarines Norte/Bicol Region GMA Kalibo DYBB-TV 32 (Digital test broadcast) 581.143 MHz Kalibo, Aklan/Western Visayas GMA Roxas DYAM-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Roxas/Western Visayas GMA Iloilo DYXX-TV 29 (Digital test broadcast) 563.143 MHz Iloilo/Western Visayas GMA Murcia DYAQ-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Murcia/Negros Occidental GMA Bacolod DYGM-TV 44 (Digital test broadcast) 653.143 MHz Bacolod/Negros Occidental GMA Dumaguete D-5-YB-TV 22 (Digital test broadcast) 521.143 MHz Dumaguete/Negros Oriental GMA Cebu DYSS-TV 26 (Digital test broadcast) 545.143 MHz Metro Cebu/Central Visayas GMA Bohol D-11-YE-TV 38 (Digital test broadcast) 617.143 MHz Bohol/Central Visayas GMA Tacloban DYCL-TV 34 (Digital Test broadcast) 593.143 MHz Tacloban City/Eastern Visayas GMA Calbayog DYAS-TV 32 (Digital test broadcast) 581.143 MHz Calbayog/Eastern Visayas GMA Borongan DYVB-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Borongan/Eastern Visayas GMA Zamboanga DXLA-TV 41 (Digital Test broadcast) 635.143 MHz Zamboanga City/Zamboanga Peninsula GMA Dipolog D-4-XT-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Dipolog/Zamboanga del Norte GMA Pagadian DXEJ-TV 29 (Digital test broadcast) 563.143 MHz Pagadian/Zamboanga del Sur GMA Cagayan de Oro DXDZ-TV 47 (Digital test broadcast) 671.143 MHz Metro Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental/Northern Mindanao GMA Ozamiz DXGM-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental/Northern Mindanao GMA Bukidnon DXMK-TV 44 (Digital Test Broadcast) 653.143 MHz Mount Kitanglad, Bukidnon/Northern Mindanao GMA Iligan DXRV-TV 33 (Digital Test broadcast) 587.143 MHz Iligan/Lanao del Norte/Northern Mindanao GMA Davao DXMJ-TV 37 (Digital test broadcast) 611.143 MHz Metro Davao/Davao Region GMA General Santos DXBG-TV 34 (Digital Test Broadcast) 593.143 MHz General Santos, South Cotabato/Soccsksargen GMA Cotabato DXMC-TV 41 (Digital test broadcast) 635.143 MHz Cotabato, Maguindanao del Norte/Bangsamoro GMA Butuan DXBM-TV 15 (Digital test broadcast) 479.143 MHz Butuan/Caraga GMA Surigao D-10-XA-TV 24 (Digital test broadcast) 533.143 MHz Surigao/Caraga GMA Tandag DXRC-TV 28 (Digital test broadcast) 557.143 MHz Tandag/Caraga GMA Jolo DXLS-TV 28 (Digital test broadcast) 557.143 MHz Jolo/Bangsamoro
See also Digital terrestrial television in the Philippines ABS-CBN TV Plus Easy TV (defunct) Sulit TV
References