Sharp’s Digital TV: The First in the Philippines with EWBS and BML Data Broadcasting

The shift from analogue to digital in the Philippines has been a long time coming, but finally, the Digital Switch-On (DSO) is happening starting this year, with the ultimate goal of going completely digitized in the next few years and rendering analogue obsolete with the Analogue Switch-Off (ASO). The governing bodies have chosen Japan’s digital broadcast system – the ISDB-T or the Integrated Service Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial – as the country’s system for a variety of reasons. One of them is that ISDB-T offers fantastic HD image and sound quality. But the most relevant features of ISDB-T go beyond entertainment.

 Two of ISDB-T’s unique features are its EWBS and BML Data Broadcasting capabilities. EWBS stands for Emergency Warning Broadcast System. This feature allows the TV to receive real-time alerts from reliable government agencies (such as PAGASA or Phivolcs) regarding natural disasters. BML or Broadcast Markup Language allows the TV to show Data Broadcasting, which is another way for the TV to show information on demand along with any given TV shows. These are the two winning features that make ISDB-T the perfect – nay, only choice for the Philippines. Just the last two years, the country suffered under many natural disasters, taking the lives of many. It has been found that proper and preemptive information dissemination is greatly helpful in saving lives. While we cannot prevent natural disasters from occurring, we can save lives by sharing and receiving reliable information – and that is the ultimate goal of ISDB-T in the country.

While there are other ISDB-T-ready Digital TVs now available in the Philippines, only the Sharp Digital TV lineup (LE-360D3 series) is equipped to receive EWBS and BML. So anyone looking to upgrade to an ISDB-T-ready TV need not look any further, because why upgrade to a digital TV that cannot accommodate the very reasons why the Philippines chose ISDB-T over other digital broadcast systems?

Upgrading to Sharp’s Digital TV means you can now enjoy all – not just some – of the benefits of ISDB-T. For people who are not yet ready to make the complete shift, a Sharp Set-Top Box can be plugged into your non-ISDB-T TV so you can also enjoy the full benefits of ISDB-T. Sharp has always made sure that it is at the forefront of innovation, simple engineering marvels that aim to make lives better and more convenient.

It is part of Sharp’s Our Brand, Our Pride philosophy – to continue to provide products that are relevant to the nation’s current needs. For more information on Sharp products, visit  www.sharp.ph or join the brand on Facebook.com/Sharp Philippines.