The implementation of CAS with a DTH option ended a cosy ménage a trios between the broadcaster, the cable operator, and us — one that saw the broadcaster woo cable operators, operators flirt with them and us reap (or weep) the consequences of their romance. With CAS/DTH they propose and we can dispose (of them) by choosing to watch what we want.

You can watch 70-odd free to air channels and pay Rs 77 (plus taxes). Or watch whatever they “dish” out on Direct-to-Home. Or an empty screen’s fuzzy picture. Because what you get for ‘free’ is Moninder’s grizzly beard.

Other than DD News, there are all the usual suspects and many unsuspected ones: Total TV, News Asia and Australia News. For those writing theses on Aaj Tak, there’s plenty of material: Aaj Tak, Aaj Tak Tez, Aaj Tak Dilli and Headlines Today. Entertainment is available but only for the multi-lingual: DD Malayalam, ETC Punjabi, Jhankar and at least 10 ETV regional channels.

Music for your ears, too, except MTV, Channel V and Vh1 (what’s left?) And the One who is always accessible without condition, sorry, Conditional Access System. God.

CAS-free you’ll miss Prannoy Roy’s graying beard, Rajdeep Sardesai’s graying hair Semi Girebaal’s false hair, Parvati’s Manish Malhotra designed hair¿ and Bigg Boss the house where they let their hair down in public in public.

CAS: Conditional Access System means it is Conditional on you’re paying in advance, awaiting Access to Systems (un) available with your local cable operator or MSO.

Each pay channel costs Rs 5 per channel. Take 30 and it costs Rs 300 — approximately what you paid earlier without the intellectual exhaustion of choosing what to watch.

Want to divorce your cable operator? Engage Direct-to-Home - Tata Sky, Zee’s Dish TV, DD’s Direct Plus. DD’s distributing boxes like sweets but Tata and Zee don’t have enough to go around. Once they do, enjoy contact with over 100 channels many of which you have never heard of before and pay roughly CAS prices.

So the choice is to forget CAS or DTH and be the best informed person in your neighbourhood or to choose between a CAS set top box and a DTH one both of which are unavailable.

There’s IPTV, another protocol that offers...