My condo unit in the Beach area has an older 'Allview' antenna system.

Having cancelled my cable svc, I had just got an Insignia DTV box.

The antenna system has a couple of UHF yagi's and a parabolic so should be fine for DTV

Should my Insignia DTV box be able to work alright with the 'Allview'

I'm trying to convince the property manager to keep it going as I think they want to get rid of it

Ran into the super a couple days ago and tried to explain things to him. He didn't seem receptive and honestly confused by the whole thing. We get a new super here like once a year so I'll try again the next time around.

I just wondered if anyone knows if it is legal to distribute OTA channels inside an apartment building.?

I came across a situation recently, where this has been installed on the Service Providers System, with an OTA Channel being inserted via a Modulator to distribute this one channel around the building.

The Channel in question is NOT available on the Service Providers system, hence the reason it is being distributed.

Just curious if anyone knows or can point me to an info.

Some questions that might be relevant:

1. Does this signal overlay a channel that is normally provided by the Service Provider, or is it an unused channel?

2. Is the OTA channel non-Canadian?

3. Is the origination OTA signal analog or digital?

The CRTC website would likely be the place to find the appropriate regulations: www.crtc.gc.ca

Thanks for the rapid reply.

No the channel is not one supplied by the Service Provider and it is on an unused Analog Channel.

It is a Canadian OTA Channel.

I will try to dig around on the CRTC site but it looks daunting.

If it is the apartment building owner doing this, then this might apply:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2002/pb2002-35.htm

There could be the issue that, if you offer one local signal, you have to offer them all (or affiliates). Also, the channel has to be one that the local cable system is allowed to distribute (whether or not that actually are distributing it).

If the Service Provider (I assume we are talking about a cable or satellite company?) is the one that is doing this, then it would likely come under the terms of their license.

This thread may have some useful information: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57242

EDIT: I am not a lawyer, either, but I have seen most of the first few seasons of "Law and Order".

The channel is being distributed for free. I think that matters. The building owner is not charging for it.

If you stay at a motel/hotel near Niagara Falls, you have an excellent chance of having an MATV OTA system in your room.

I doubt there are any real legal concerns.

There are already threads on this topic in this forum. They haven't been posted on in a while so you have to go back a few pages. Search for MATV Master Antenna TV systems. I think "MATV" is in the thread title.

The channel is being distributed for free. I think that matters. The building owner is not charging for it.

IANAL but that is my thought too. If you started charging then you essentially become a cable company. The fact that the OTA channel is not available via the current service provider also suggests that no one is trying to cheat anyone. May not be the letter of the law but less reason for anyone wanting to sue the building owner.

Let us know what you find out.

There are specific rules that apply to Master Antenna TV systems, and as scampbell previously pointed out, such MATVs must carry all local channels, and may carry any other channels that a local cable company is allowed to carry (whether they carry them or not.)
I haven't looked at the policy recently ( you can find it on the CRTC website), but I'm not sure how it addresses a hybrid system of a Canadian OTA channel being inserted into a BDU feed. I would think that as long as the channel is allowed to be carried (in the GTA, that would probably include any Kitchener, Barrie, Oshawa, or Peterborough stations), then the spirit of the regulation is being met and I don't think there would be any issue.

But of course, I, also, Am Not A Lawyer.

Used to manage properties 20+ years ago and there were antenna systems in apartment buildings. A tenant could have chosen to take free service from the roof antenna system(which was legal of course) using the buildings built in coax. However I can't really make a judgment call if the service providers equipment is being used in this case. I too am not a lawyer.