Master Antenna TV (MATV) Systems
Posted on 29th April at 11:07 AM
A modern MATV system can carry analogue and digital television signals through an aerial, both free-to-view and subscription, FM radio and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) but it cannot carry satellite signals. Some MATV systems in use today are over 30-years old and the many are unsuitable for carrying digital television signals. These will need to be surveyed and may require modification or replacement.
In a typical MATV system:
- The aerial is a conventional UHF TV aerial, receiving both analogue and digital TV signals.
- Signals received by the aerial are then processed. In systems that have not been modified to carry digital, it is usually this processing that restricts or prevents the digital signals from being handled correctly, as the processors are only designed to handle analogue TV signals.
- A distribution network then delivers all television signals to a socket outlet in each household. There can be more than one outlet per household, but only one TV set can be connected to each outlet.
- How the distribution network is configured will depend on the number of dwellings and floors in the building.
When upgrading MATV systems to receive digital TV signals, it may be possible simply to adapt the existing distribution network. However, this should only be done after careful assessment of the condition of the cabling and other system components. Older networks may provide insufficient screening (in effect the wiring in the system acts as an additional and disruptive aerial) or excessive signal loss, and the useful remaining lifetime of the distribution network may be short.
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