CAS.. Ho Ho..

Posted by Prashanth | Filed under Uncategorized

Oops.. make that CAS Hai Hai.. But firstly.. sorry for the regulars.. pre-boards (plus other factors) didnt allow me to sit on(read hog) the net at all..

So as you can infer.. I got CAS unwillfully installed in my home quite recently.. due to Indian govt’s efforts to find new ways of minting money from the public..

So now that the govt. has closed down all CSPs.. (Cable TV Service Providers) you have 4 big options..

  • CAS
  • DTH (Satellite T.V)
  • IPTV..(soon to come)
  • Dont watch T.V.. study for the boards..

Since the 4th option was just to criminal on me… I took what I thought was the next cheapest option. Anyways.. CAS or Conditional Access System wants you to ‘unconditionally’ install a piece of silvery metal equipment that looks like an oversized Apple TV (no more comparisions with a product with the stature of the Apple TV) called the Set Top Box which is actually supposed to be ‘Set Down’ under the T.V.

Set Top Box (STP) providers would take just 250 bucks from you as a refundable fixed deposit.. and charge a humungous 5Rs per pay channel plus Rs108 as the charge for the free-to-air channels.. This is compulsary.. Yaar.. yaha DD-Marathi.. DD-Bengali etc kaun dekhega..??

The Set Top Box..

Is the quality and service good atleast for the extra price you pay..?? Yes.. I must say.. the quality is way better when comparing to my TV Cable.. the DVD Quality Picture and CD Quality sound is satisfied here.. and it is JUST AS GOOD AS THE DTH PROVIDERS SUCH AS TATA SKY AND DISH TV..

Certain value added features which no one really uses such as games worse than DOS games.. or even Black and White mobile games.. EPG or the Electronic Programming Guide.. which is really really handy.. atleast for me who is too lazy to check up the newspapers for the inaccurate and undetailed T.V shedules.. this thing also tells a lot more about TV programmes like give its titles and in some cases give a brief synopsis as well..

CAS Screenshot..

Other than that… they promise to give 10 satellite radio channels as well.. plus the set top box has parental control feature as well which allows even non-tech-savvy parents to set a 4-5 letter pass key to turn the STP on.. and also Movie on Demand is an upcoming feature not definet to be implemented.. plus you have some featuresnot functioning at this stage as CAS networks are at their infancy..

So it turns out that even DTH providers have this so-called-feature of a parental lock.. Coming to IPTV.. MTNL, other than converting all the 256kbps lines into 2mbps, and quartering to prices of 256kbps connections it is doing some other revolutionary work as well.. IPTV.. or Internet Protocol Television.. MTNL would be offering TV, Phone, and Broadband (really broad) on the same line at dirt cheap prices..

One advantage you have in CAS is that you throw the STP back at that guy in case you are not satisfied with this service.. but when coming to DTH providers, if you get it.. you have bought it..that too for a minimum price of 2000 bucks.. You cant return it in case you are unsatisfied.. currently, the prices are compitatively low, but what if DTH guys double or triple their prices..?? You have no choice but to pay..

For more opinions and info on CAS click here.. and here..

I am waiting here right now for IPTV.. so till then let me find out ways to break into this STP and find the 4 letter passkey..!! ;)

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Permalink | January 15th, 2007

3 Responses to “CAS.. Ho Ho..”

  1. Says:
    January 25th, 2007 at 4:18 pm

    Sorry dude for not checking in, exams coming up, plus your blog’s feed always ‘forgets’ to mark read posts properly, so I got fed up and unsubscribed. Down with FeedBurner!

    Anyway, which operator are you using? Because fûçk, my EPG doesn’t work.

  2. Says:
    January 25th, 2007 at 4:55 pm

    My operator is Hathway..
    the EPG works great.. it even gives the synopsis or the title for many programmes..
    such as in NATGEo.. there are many episodes of a series which i have seen… so it gives the title of the episode in most programmes.. so that i dont end up waiting for the wrong kind of program.. that too for an entire week..

  3. Gautam Says:
    July 1st, 2008 at 7:46 am

    Hi,my tv dont hav RCA pins(audio n video) can i connect STB?,if can ..,thn can i get all the channles in DVD nd CD qult …..can u post backside of STB pic plese

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