WHEN Bruce Springsteen wrote the song ?57 Channels (And Nothing On),? he was speaking for millions of people who believe cable TV is offering too many programs that they don?t even watch.

The good news is that here in the Philippines, Skycable has come out with Digibox, a new device that allows subscribers to choose and pay only for the channels they actually use.

In a press conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center, Skycable executives talked about this virtual ?buffet? of channels that also includes a child-lock feature to restrict access to mature content.

It comes free to existing Skycable Silver and Gold subscribers, and uses a digital signal, as opposed to the more conventional analog signal. It?s an advantage for those who own high-definition LCD TVs and who, until now, had to contend with poor, pixelized, analog picture quality.

Not bad

Plans start at P280, which includes around 54 channels, including CNN, Bloomberg, BBC World, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Starworld, AXN, Cartoon Network, Cinema One, and the religious channels, among others.

For an additional P20, the subscriber gets ANC, FoxNews, Discovery Health, Discovery Travel and Living, and the like. Channels in the P50 range include Animal Planet, National Geographic, and MGM.

That?s not bad, since there are a lot of channels to start with, not to mention the six new free ones that come with the Digibox.

This includes the History Channel (channel 153), which covers diverse historical genres, from military, to contemporary history, technology, archaeology, science and pop culture, among others; the Biography Channel (channel 154), which features profiles of historical figures, world leaders, tycoons, athletes, artists, and the like; the FX channel (156), which broadcasts character-driven series for Asian viewers; Basketball TV or BTV (149), a 24/7 channel dedicated to everything basketball that also covers the NBA, PBA, PBL, Euroleague, US NCAA, Fiba, and collegiate leagues. Rounding up the list of new channels is Euronews (155), the most-watched international news channel in Europe.

But here?s the catch

But as with any ?buffet? offer, things could get more expensive.

To access HBO, you have to pay an additional P350. Although bundled with HBO Signature, HBO Family, and HBO Hits, the price can be considered steep?especially since the basic charge is just P280.

And with all the other channels that one will have to pay for separately, it?s quite inevitable to end up paying more than a regular cable connection.

Which brings us to ask: Is the Digibox just a high-tech way for the cable company to convince us to pay more for cable?

Well, that?s why it?s called an upgrade.