IRS and MATV

MDTV specialises in the installation and maintenance of communal television systems for buildings of all sizes. We work primarily with two types of system: IRS and MATV. For new builds we offer both outright purchase and a range of finance options including maintenance over a period of time to suit the client. We are happy to undertake maintenance contracts on a charge-per-call basis or for a flat rate per point per week, with significant discounts available for larger contracts. For more information, call 01189 740 878 or email info@mdtv.co.uk.

IRS

IRS (Integrated Reception System) is increasingly the industry standard for communal television, providing residents with analogue television, digital terrestrial television (DTT), digital radio (DAB) and satellite television from a single aerial/dish array for the block via a single wire into each apartment.

Array

A single aerial and satellite dish array is installed, usually on the roof or south-facing wall of the building. This will consist of aerials for television and DAB radio, mounted on a single pole, and either one or two satellite dishes. Four cables from each dish, and one from each aerial, are run to the 'head end' cabinet. Systems with only one dish are referred to as 'five wire systems'; the dish is usually aligned on the Eurobird/Astra 2 satellite cluster at 28.2°E, to provide residents with Sky and Freesat signals. Systems with two dishes are referred to as 'nine wire systems'; the second dish is usually aligned on the Eutelsat 13°E satellite cluster to provide residents with signal from Hotbird, which carries channels from throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

A rooftop antenna / dish array

The head end cabinet for a small IR system serving around 30 flats

Head End

The head end cabinet is generally mounted either internally, on the wall of an attic, boiler room, lift room or similar, or externally, on a structure on a flat roof or on the wall close to the aerial array. Here the signals are amplified and combined, before being split and transmitted down coaxial cables to individual residents. Each cable carries the signal from all aerials and dishes – analogue television, DTT, DAB, Sky, Freesat and, where applicable, Hotbird. Most landlords and managing agents specify either one or two cables per apartment as standard, but any number is theoretically possible.

Switch Cabinets

In larger buildings, it may be necessary to install one or more smaller switch cabinets to distribute the signal to all residents. These are typically located in electrical or utility cupboards in taller buildings, or on the roof of lower rise structures. They receive their signal via one (for five wire systems) or two (for nine wire systems) five-core cables from the head end – in some cases through other switch cabinets.

A typical switch cabinet

Faceplate

The cables to each apartment terminate in an outlet plate or 'faceplate' – a square plastic plate roughly the same size as an electrical socket. Where each apartment has only a single cable, this will be a 'tri-plate', with three outlet sockets – one for terrestrial television, one for DAB radio and one for satellite. Where each apartment has two cables (generally done to enable residents to subscribe to Sky+ or Sky+ HD, both of which require two feeds), a “quad plate” will be used, the additional outlet being a second satellite socket.

MATV

MATV (Master Antenna Television) is a lower cost alternative to IRS, providing only (at a maximum) analogue terrestrial television, digital terrestrial television (DTT) and DAB radio, and requiring far less complex head end equipment. Many older systems will only provide residents with analogue television, either because the old aerial is unsuitable for DTT reception or because the signal loss through the old cables (which are generally thinner and of lower quality than those currently in use) is too great. Digital-ready MATV systems are significantly cheaper to build than IRS, and require less construction time and less frequent maintenance; the downside, obviously, is that they do not provide residents with a satellite signal.