Charter Communications Charter Cable Digiital Upgrade Not Needed, Internet

Charter communications has been calling customers informing them that as of this month (Nov 2012) they will be requiring all customers to upgrade to a digital receiver in order to receive their television signal.

This digital receiver box is to be provided to the customer for free for up to 12 months, which after that time the customer will be charged a "rental fee" ($5 a month) for each box that the customer has.

What Charter fails to disclose is that for customers who only subscribe to "Basic Cable" for example: Only receiving network television (NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, PBS etc..) and own a digital HD television The the digital box (that Charter provides) is completely unneeded to continue receiving a television signal.

Also, in most cases with HD tv's by hooking up basic cable directly via coax cable from the wall to the television the television will still receive Network (NBC, ABC) HD channels for free. By customers converting to the "Free" digital receiver these HD options will no longer be available and only obtainable via upgrading to a "HD Receiver" at $5-$7 a month extra.

What they don't tell customers is that they can just forgo the digital receiver and continue receiving network HD for free if they own a digital HD television.