Charter Cable TV Packages & Deals
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Guide to getting a good deal with Charter.
Charter Communications offers a wide variety of TV and Internet services and you can get a lot of content for a reasonable price…if you do your homework and work your way through their sometimes unhelpful phone reps, complicated product names and confusing pricing schemes.Charter Internet Service “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). “Charter 3M Pipeline” means you 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 the theoretical download bandwidth with “Charter 3M Pipeline” 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 a 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.
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. Remember a cable modem is useless without service and if you rent you can always request free upgrades to newer (and possibly better) modems as they come out.
Actual throughput of the Pipeline service (as a percentage of true transfer speeds vs. stated) is in the high 80% range. The service is mostly free of interruptions and 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.
Note there is a new $10 monthly fee charged for not having their 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.
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. Movie lovers should try 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. Try 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!Often the CSR’s on the phone are 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.
Here’s an example of a good package:Charter Basic Digital cable with Charter 3M pipeline (3,000/256), HD Tier, HBO, Cinemax subscription and Big Movie Tier. You 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 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.
Good shopping!
Charter Cable News
Filed Under Cable TV News, Charter Cable TV | 1 Comment
Charter continues to broaden its offerings which include a range of ordinary cable TV, digital cable TV, HDTV, high speed internet and traditional local and long distance phone services
Charter Cable TV
This is the traditional cable TV service. It includes over 70 channels of programming that includes popular culture, news and documentaries, music videos and movies, all the best sports, comedy, reality, and children’s shows.
You also get good quality reception of local channels, plus optional Premium TV channels like HBO and Showtime.
HDTV (High Definition TV)
High-definition television includes features such as Dolby Digital 5.1™ surround sound and vivid pictures that are up to five times sharper than standard television.
Digital Cable
Digital cable increases the quality of the picture and sound on your TV - although not to HDTV standard. It also gives you access access to thousands of movies every month on multiple channels of HBO®, Showtime Unlimited®, Cinemax®, and the STARZ! SuperPak®.
There is also an interactive programming menu which makes it easy to choose from the hundreds of channels available.
DVR (Digital Video Recorder)
The beauty of a DVR is its simplicity. You use your remote control to record your favorite shows and unlike a traditional VCR you can watch one show while recording another, or record two shows while watching a third recorded show, plus you can pause live television,
High Speed Internet
Charter High Speed works at up to 3Mbps, which is over 100 times faster than dialup and up to twice as fast as 1.5Mbps DSL. It doesn’t require a second phone line either as it uses the cable TV connection.
Telephone Service
This is a standard phone service that offers a number of flexible calling plans for local and long-distance calls.
Value Packages
Charter offers several value packages where services are bundled together. Check their website http://charter.com/products/highspeed/value.aspx for the latest offers.