PLDT recently announced that they have partnered with Roku Incorporated, a company that manufactures smart set-top boxes, to come up with the new TVolution device. Roku’s digital media players have been around since the early days of the platform’s development, making them one of the pioneers in the industry.
The current TVolution device is capsulated inside an Intel Compute Stick, almost flash-drive-sized, fully-functioning personal computer that connects to an output source using HDMI. While its usability is actually good, I think that an actual media player is more suitable for the TVolution’s purpose. The Compute Stick, due to its full-fledged PC nature, can be a bit finicky to use at times, causing an annoyance to its users. This makes the use of a proprietary media player more fitting.
A PLDT Roku set-top box lets you stream from different internet channels like iFlix, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube. There are also a lot of channels available for all ages; Disney Channel, Nick Jr., CBS News, Fox News and many more. And as a PLDT special, they are also including a Cignal TV subscription, which has 105 SD and HD Channels.
Other than watching videos and TV shows, Roku can also be used in streaming music. Popular platforms like Spotify, Pandora, iHeart Radio and a whole lot more are also available in the Roku Store.
The use of Roku devices to amplify the televisions in every household is only a part of PLDT’s plan in making all of their subscribers live in a “smart home” by the end of 2018.
The new Roku devices will be available to all PLDT HOME Fibr, DSL and Ultera subscribers starting this May for an additional monthly fee of Php299 per month.
Source: PLDT