- GMA NMI soon to launch ‘GMA Now’
Four years after GMA laid out their plans for a digital TV dongle, GMA recently announced that their digital transmission device “GMA Now” is now set to be released in the second half of 2019.
It was originally set to be released in June 2018 but was delayed due to some issues.
GMA Now’s release date was announced during the company’s annual stockholders meeting by GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe Gozon.
“Our digital device, which will have features that our competitors do not have, will be finally launched sometime in the second half of this year,” said Gozon.
Last January, Gozon also revealed that GMA Network had established a partnership with PLDT, stating that “Binigay na namin exclusive sa PLDT. May contract na kami, ‘yung details nalang ina-iron out, sila mayroong facility eh.”
GMA Network has laid out their plans for the device, including a feature that will enable analog TV sets to receive digital transmissions (similar to devices already out in the market) and that the dongle will be as small as a feature phone.
Gozon further stated, “With the other features, I am hoping na madaling mabenta. Mas mura eh. But sa smartphone muna.”
Despite being the first to lay out plans for the digital TV dongle, ABS-CBN was first to release their ABS-CBN TV Plus Go digital TV. The ABS-CBN TVPlus box was released in 2015 and as of July 2019, its sales has reached up to 8 Million units. The smaller ABS-CBN TV Plus Go dongle was released in June 2019.
The ABS-CBN TV Plus Go is priced at P799 while the GMA Now is set at a price of P500 pesos.
