MATV stands for Master Antenna Television. It is the means by which many apartment houses, hotels, schools, and other multi-unit buildings distribute TV and FM signals to a number of receivers. In order to accomplish this without a loss of signal quality, these systems must be carefully planned and engineered through the effective use of MATV equipment and techniques.

An MATV system is basically a network of cables and specially designed components that process and amplify TV and FM signals and distribute them from one central location. If there were 100 TV sets in a building, it would be extremely expensive to Install and maintain l00 separate antennas. Not only would It be unsightly, but reception would suffer because many antennas would interact with each other, causing interference problems.