[bobkat]

Here in Canada the issue of "public viewing" is complex from a legal standpoint. I have installed many Bell ExpressVu systems in restaurants and bars and although I don't activate the receivers I have a feeling that the owners simply "add another receiver" to their residential accounts. This is wrong of course since Bell ExpressVu has a commercial package; much higher priced as other folks pointed out above. The reasons for the higher price are copyright issues; stations like CNN and others feel that more people are going to be viewing their programming in a commercial establishment than a residential one; you can't deny this.

The term "public viewing" is in itself legally challenging. How does one define "public". I had a situation arise once when I installed Bell ExpressVu systems in five real estate offices owned by the same broker. ExpressVu wanted to charge the broker five separate commercial package fees. The broker objected for two reasons: all offices are owned by the same company, and second, a real estate office is not really "public" since it is mainly real estate agents (employees) that use the offices. I can see his point. One can't say the same thing about a bar or restaurant where anyone can walk in off the street.

My advice to mhoward would be to go with Dishnetwork or Directv and get a commercial subscription; just to have one less thing to worry about.

kat

PS: I have moved this thread to "Breakroom".