The ULTIMATE Charter guide to getting what you want!
Written: Apr 03 '05 (Updated Apr 03 '05)
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Pros: You can get a lot of content for a reasonable price...if you do your homework.
Cons: Pushy phone reps, complicated names, confusing pricing schemes!
The Bottom Line: While some work is required and possibly some headaches and head-scratching, you can work out a good package at a reasonable price if you get all the information. Good luck!
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| boden11's Full Review: Charter |
When Charter increased the cost of just Pipeline (broadband internet) service from $29.99 to $39.99 to $52.99 in just over 5 months I knew it was time to get a complete package. Right now Charter charges $10 in additional fees if you don't get a cable TV package with your internet access. Not so nice. Every time I've called and inquired about cable TV or even scheduled an install I've been duped!
Their Customer Service Reps are even more pushy than used car salesmen and about as smart too! In fact until last month every call to them inquiring about High Definition service has gone like this:
Me: "Hi, I'd like to ask about HD cable access services in my area."
CSR: "Oh, you should join up, we have a special right now for only $59.99 a month for everything!"
Me: "Well this would be for a long-term commitment, so I'm interested in the channels you have in HD and costs involved with adding HBO and Showtime in HD"
CSR: "Ok, let me schedule an install and you can check it out....how does this thursday sound?"
Me: "How about a pamphlet? Could you mail me a pamphlet on the channels and different packages."
CSR: "Is thursday good? We also have friday afternoon available."
Me: "No, I just want to know about what you offer!"
CSR: "Thursday or Friday?"
**CLICK**
Despite the fact that I've been a loyal Charter subscriber before they even offered cable internet access (I was a beta-tester!) they never followed up with a phone call or mailed me any information. I soon realized that if I was ever going to get cable TV with the channels I want at a reasonable price, I was going to have to research EXACTLY the package(s) I wanted. So here it is;
my GUIDE to getting exactly what you want with Charter.
Charter Communications offers a wide variety of TV and Internet services. Let me start with their Internet Service. This guide should show give you an outline of their services with costs, helpful tips and my opinion on each.
Charter Pipeline
Charter's internet service is called 'Pipeline' and is offered in different flavors depending on the speed you want (and what's available in your area). I currently have "Charter 3M Pipeline" which means I have a theoretical download bandwidth of 3 Megabits per second. To convert megabits to megabytes in order to get a meaningful number you divide by 8. So my theoretical download bandwidth is .375 Megabytes per second, or 375 kilobytes per second. Not bad. However upload bandwidth is not even 1/10th the speed, coming in at a meager 256 kilobits per second or 32 kilobytes per second. These numbers are often listed in their bits numbers with the download speed listed first and the upload speed second (downstream/upstream). So my 3M pipeline is then 3,000/256, and 375/32 when converted to kilobytes per second.
Pipeline speeds start at about 384/128 and scale up to 3,000/256. However even the lower speeds don't cost much less, so you may save only about $5-15 with the slowest package than with the fastest. What really is a determining factor is how much you use the internet and in what ways. For just plain web surfing, instant messaging and email checking the slowest speed will be more than sufficient. If you occasionally download MP3s from iTunes or transfer files for work or play, you may need a little more. If you're a complete bandwidth hog and always tap the full potential, well you already know what you want. An important note, some video games may require a considerate amount of bandwidth (both downstream AND upstream) to get playable speeds, so don't forget to factor that in.
Pipeline generally ranges from $25-40 for JUST the service. Then there is a modem rental fee of about $3-4 per month and a $10 fee if you only have Pipeline access and NO cable tv service. Usually there is no cancellation fee or minimum subscription required. If you provide your own cable modem then they won't charge you that $3-4/month fee. You can decide on your own if you want to rent or buy, I personally like to rent as a cable modem is useless without service and I can always request free upgrades to newer (and possibly better) modems as they come out.
I have had Pipeline service for about 3-4 years and have been generally quite satisfied with it. Actual throughput (as a percentage of true transfer speeds vs. stated) is in the high 80% range. The service is mostly free of interruptions and in the last 2 years I have never been without service (downtime) for more than a few hours. Customer Service is usually helpful, with wait times at around 5-10 minutes depending on call time. If you ever do have longer periods of downtime a quick call will get you a generous credit on your bill to mitigate the problem. However, with this new $10 monthly fee charged for not having tv service the value of their internet service has begun to degrade.
TV Service
Here's where it starts to get tricky as Charter has a whole bunch of different TV services. The MOST BASIC cable television service is simply that--
Basic Cable
This is exactly what it sounds like. You get about 100 analog channels piped in through the RF connector (cable connector) supplied to your TV. There is no box to mess with and you use your television remote to change all the channels. The cost of this is around $35 or so depending on your market. This package is perfect for someone with a Standard Definition TV who watches TV, but not enough to go the next step--
Basic Digital Cable
Instead of just using the cable coming out of your wall to provide cable tv service, digital cable takes the signal to a cable box which is then connected to your TV. As it is digital the picture is generally a little sharper than Basic cable and you also have to use the cable box's remote to navigate through the channels. However, Charter has its own channel guide which will let you browse through channels (leaving the current channel playing in a PIP like window) and see exactly what is on each channel and when. Also you can click the 'info' button and get a little more information on the show, such as episode name, actors, release date, rating (for a movie) and number of stars (1 out of 4, 2 out of 4, etc). Basic digital cable has about 20 channels, mostly the major networks and then some community channels and maybe a shopping channel or two. You DON'T get shows like The History Channel, Discover, FX, USA, A&E, The Learning Channel, EPSN, CNBC, CNN through basic digital. For that you will need--
Expanded Digital Cable
Expanded digital will give you access to every non subscription channel out there. In layman's terms that means you will get every single channel Charter offers except for premium content like HBO, Showtime, Starz, Encore, The Movie Channel, etc. Again it acts just like Basic Digital Cable in regards to channel navigation/menus and look and feel. This is a perfect match for someone who watches a LOT of television. There are also tiers that can be matched to either of the digital packages. Now with Expanded you do get most of the non-premium content, so you don't have to pay to get a Music tier (VH1, MTV, MTV2, Country Music Channel, etc) but you don't have to get the Expanded Digital Cable to get the Movie Tier. However, you do NEED Basic Digital to get the Movie Tier. For HD (High Definition) content you are allowed to get the Basic Digital Cable package! If you don't watch much of the expanded channels then don't bother and save yourself the $20 extra it costs to go from Basic to Expanded.
High Definition (HD) Tier
To get HD channels, you need to get the HD Tier which includes local HD shows (varies depending on your market) and also ESPNHD, DiscoveryHD, HD.Net, HD.Movies (this may vary on market), Wealth HD (may vary), and possibly a few others. These channels are segregate from the others and have their own channel range (like 770-790). However, occasionally their respected basic channels (channel 4, 5, 7, etc.) will broadcast in HD! And versa vice, HD channels don't always broadcast in HD and will often show standard definition material. This is usually only true for the local channels as Discovery, HBO HD, Showtime HD, etc. almost always show true HD material exclusively.
For HD viewing you will need an HDTV with at least component inputs. Charter does have a few boxes with DVI, but currently they seem to be waiting for the proliferation of HDMI before stepping up. However, at 1080i component cables are more than up for the job. I am using a Scientific Atlanta 3250HD box connected to a Toshiba 30HF84 HDTV with component cables.
HDTV...in a word? WOW!! If you though progressive scan DVD pumped into a HDTV was high quality, you are in for a surprise. Progressive DVD is only capable of displaying at 480p while cable HD shows are broadcasted in 1080i! For the non-techies that means about 4x the picture quality in optimal conditions. Variables include your actual connection (quality of lines in your house), Charter's capacity to dish out the bandwidth needed for the boxes, the quality of your TV and the quality of the cables you are using. I won't be getting into these here, but generally any HDTV with an HD cable box connected by at least component cables should be able to show you true HD content. Your installer will check for signal strength to determine how good your signal is at the line (ask if he doesn't).
The real value to HD Cable shows itself when you start to order some movie channels. You won't get HBO HD just because you ordered the HD Tier, you will need BOTH the HD Tier and HBO package to get HBO HD. However, for movie lovers I recommend the HBO, Cinemax package, Big Movie Tier and HD Tier with a Basic Digital Package Plan. With this you will get almost every movie channel, as well as all HD movie channels for the cheapest possible price. You won't get CNN, CNBC, A&E, FX, but if you wish to upgrade to Expanded Digital it will cost almost $25 more per month, so consider that. The two downsides to HD is first of all lack of content. Even with the most expensive cable contract, you still won't be getting much more than 14 HD channels! Also I've noticed that in my area Charter currently doesn't have the broadcasting capabilities during high bitrate HD scenes. So when there's fast action on an HD channel it will often pixellate horribly...I recommend watching their content at their local shop and then comparing to how it looks where you are. By now you're probably chomping at the bit, so here it is...
How to order service
Determine exactly what you need and want--make sure to familiarize yourself with THEIR terms for their services to keep confusion to a minimum. Also remember that you will get a small break when you order a few packages together or get a pre-built package vs. a custom one. When you contact the CSR be DIRECT! Ask them exactly how much a 'Charter Basic Digital with 3Megabit Pipeline and Music tier' is. Confirm prices as well as termination fees (if applicable) and minimum subscription time as well as possible discounted introductory rates. Don't let them bully you into more than you want. A good way to see exactly what you want is to start with some of the more basic packages and then add to it as you go. Not sure if you want Expanded? Don't get it and see if you miss it!
I have also noticed that the CSR's on the phone are a LOT pushier than the local reps. It also helps if you go in to their physical location and talk to someone there, usually they are a lot friendlier and helpful than a phone representative. Be sure to set a budget/month before taking the plunge and don't be suckered into promotional rates. That $59.99/month package could easily jump to more than twice that amount once the first 3 months are up. And as for me? Here's what I'm currently receiving:
Charter Basic Digital cable with Charter 3M pipeline (3,000/256), HD Tier, HBO, Cinemax subscription and Big Movie Tier. I get HBO HD, Showtime HD, a few local channels in HD, ESPN HD (although not in standard defintion...), HD.Net, HD.Movies, Discovery HD, Wealth HD, virtually ALL the digital movie channels (non HD as they are not offered in HD) except Starz and pay-per-view. Price? Total bottom line with tax is under $105--not a promotional rate! Also no commitment and no termination fee. Compare all that with the $53/month I was paying for *JUST* Charter pipeline and you can see how sometimes you can get a lot more for not much more $...if you know how to do it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 105
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Epinions.com ID:
boden11
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Location: California
Reviews written: 126
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About Me:
boden11 loves gambling...errr investing in the stock market and and doing his own taxes
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