A signal of better viewing ahead

By: INQUIRER.net BrandRoom - 4 years ago

Written by Linda B. Bolido for INQUIRER.net

In just 12 years, Cignal has become the Philippines’ premier DTH (direct-to-home) satellite provider and a true Growth Champion, with over three million subscribers across the archipelago. It is also the country’s leader in Pay TV with nationwide coverage and availability.

Owned by Cignal TV, a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings, the media partner of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Group, the DTH satellite provider transmits 133 channels as of February, including local, standard definition (SD), and high definition (HD) channels to households and commercial establishments. It also offers a mix of 17 audio channels and on-demand service through pay-per-view offers and plan customization with channel add-ons.

Cignal subscribers are distinguished by the satellite dish mounted in strategic areas in their homes and establishments. That round dish mounted on roofs or walls gives DTH Satellite certain features distinct from those offered by cable service providers.

Cable vs. satellite

Luke Pensworth, managing editor and site manager of the online DailyWireless technology feature service, explains the nuances that differentiate direct or satellite TV from cable.

According to Pensworth, DTH Satellite feeds signals captured by orbiting satellites directly to the subscriber’s home or establishment. Through the dish that comes with a Cignal subscription, signals are sent straight to a television set.

Cable providers meanwhile receive programming from the companies that make it. They collect the different programs then send them out through their cable network to clients’ TV sets.

High definition quality content

With cable TV, the only sign of installation is the set-top box while Satellite TV requires the mounting of a dish on the roof or the side of a home. The satellite dish needs to be configured and pointed in the right direction. Pensworth says DTH offers sharper HD picture quality.

Cignal TV is harnessing the DTH edge in picture quality to boost further its growth, as broadcast companies gradually shift to HD programming. It is putting itself in a position to take full advantage of the upgrade in the Filipinos’ viewing experience through carefully chosen content. Cignal offers a variety of service offerings designed to appeal to clients of varied interests and financial capabilities.

In addition to its already vast channel lineup, Cignal will be adding five new channels that will be available to prepaid and postpaid subscribers in April. Cignal Play, Cignal’s streaming service, offers free channels and video-on-demand to all its registered users and free access even to non-Cignal subscribers. Premium users however get to enjoy more channels and unlock more than 800 hours of movies and series.

Wide variety of content

Whatever kind of programming the subscriber wants—sports, educational and entertainment for children, family programs, news, etc.—Cignal has the right content and more channels to choose from.

Channels include live sports action on NBA TV Philippines, which gives sports fans virtual courtside seats to live games and in high definition. NBA games are available on Channel 96 SD and 262 HD.

Subscribers get to enjoy Tap Sports (Ch. 94), FOX Sports (Ch. 263 HD), and postpaid exclusive channels, such as Premier Tennis (Ch. 270 HD) and Premier Football (Ch. 271 HD).

Nick Junior lets preschool kids learn basic skills with Blue, a preschool-aged puppy, in Blue’s Clues & You. The show airs on weekdays at 10:45 a.m. on Nick Junior (Ch. 77). Also offering educational shows for kids are Disney Channel (Ch. 71), National Geographic (Ch. 141 SD and 240 HD), Aniplus (Ch. 75), and Knowledge Channel (Ch. 149).

The Chicago TV franchise—Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire—can be enjoyed on Tap Edge, which is exclusive to Cignal Postpaid subscribers. Other general entertainment channels that offer programs for the whole family include Jeepney TV (Ch. 44), Metro Channel (Ch. 69), Blue Ant Extreme (Ch. 122), Paramount Network (Ch. 52), K Plus (Ch. 171), and Telenovela (Ch. 126).

Cignal subscribers can get news updates through The Big Story, headlined by its newest anchor Gretchen Ho. With co-anchor Roby Alampay, she delivers the latest stories at 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, on One News available on Cignal Ch. 8 SD and Ch. 250 HD. The show may also be accessed for free on Cignal Play.

More national news and public service programs are carried by One PH (Ch. 1). Cignal also brings global news via BBC World News (Ch. 136) and CNN (Ch. 251 HD).

Customize to your liking

With Cignal Postpaid, subscribers enjoy up to 133 channels with a great lineup of movies, sports, and kids’ entertainment. Postpaid subscribers also have the capability of customizing their viewing experience to fit their preferences with channel add-ons for more channels to enjoy on TV, adding more movie channels for family time, more sports channels to cheer for your favorite teams and athletes, and more.

Subscribers can also avail of content add-ons which will allow them to watch more of their favorite programs on-demand. They can catch exclusive movies and HBO Originals on HBO GO for only P99 for 30 days, or at no additional cost for those with Plans 1650 and 1990. They can also be up-to-date on their favorite reality and entertainment shows with hayu for only P150 for 30 days.

To bring Cignal’s service to more homes, existing postpaid subscribers of other pay TV providers are offered Cignal’s MOST AWESOME Postpaid Plan ever. By subscribing to Postpaid Plans 520 and up, subscribers enjoy free three-month subscription, free installation (worth P1,500), waived activation fee, and more.

Switchers only need to show their latest bills for a non-Cignal Pay TV Postpaid subscription to enjoy the special deal.

New subscribers still get a great deal with One Month Free Subscription.

Awesome and affordable

TV time with the family can now be more fun with Cignal. Prepaid boasts of a wide selection of movies, sports, kids, and Asian pop channels. Cignal prepaid subscribers can access up to 119 channels and choose loads that suit their budget and viewing habits. Loads from P100 to P1000, which are valid for 30 days, are available. Also on offer are Lite Loads of P30, P50, and P75, which are good for two days.

Prepaid subscribers can reload anytime, anywhere. They can visit their nearest Smart Load retailer, or buy load from any of Cignal’s online stores like Lazada, and Shopee. Subscribers using Smart/TnT prepaid SIM can use the pasaload function on their mobile phones to load their Cignal prepaid accounts.

New additions to Cignal’s existing channel lineup include the latest and hottest anime series on Aniplus, and exclusive and first-run K-drama series and variety shows on K-Plus for fans of Korean productions. Both are available on prepaid loads P450 and up. Families can bond over a movie marathon and catch Paramount Network’s blockbusters, cult classics and more with Load P1000.

Interested customers can purchase the Prepaid Ultimate HD kit which is value-for-money at the affordable new price of P1,990, down from the previous P2,790. Those with an existing satellite dish in their homes can get the Prepaid Ultimate HD Box for only P1,490 each.

New subscribers will also enjoy a Buy 1 Take 1 Month Free load offer.

Content on-the-go

Cignal Play lets clients watch on-the-go anytime, anywhere on any device. They can catch shows they do not want to miss on their digital devices where and when they want to. Those who will sign up on www.cignalplay.com will also get to enjoy 12 live TV channels for free.

This 2021, prepaid subscribers can link their Cignal account to Cignal Play and upgrade to Premium for only P75 to mirror their channel lineup on their favorite device.

To subscribe, visit the nearest Cignal dealer. For inquiries on how to subscribe or switch to Cignal’s Most Awesome Postpaid Plan Ever, call Cignal at 8888-5555 or visit the official website www.cignal.tv and Facebook page www.facebook.com/cignaltv.

ADVT.