Free Previews Discussion Thread - September 2022

[pattykay]

Here is the new thread for listing all of the current month's Free Previews. I will not be pretentious enough to try to enforce any No Discussion rule. Please try to keep any discussion on-topic, as people read these threads for updated information about any new Free Previews. If anyone spots a new Free Preview before I do, you are encouraged to post the name of the channel, the channel number(s) and dates (if any are announced) in this thread. Thank you for your interest, and have a wonderful day!

With the preamble out of the way, I will be dividing the list of free channels into several categories, to try to make the list as comprehensive as possible.


Free Previews officially announced on Dish's website:

Free Channel Previews | MyDISH​

285 Dog TV 8/29 - 9/5​

187 Hallmark Movies & Mysteries 8/28 - 9/30​

126 Sundance 9/1 - 9/30​

135 BBC America 9/1 - 9/30​

395 Sportsman 9/1 - 9/30​

(Note: Sportsman is not listed at the link above, but is listed on channel 103 SD.)​

​

155 NFL RedZone 9/25 only​

​

HBO 9/6 - 9/10 channels 310 - 315​

Cinemax 9/6 - 9/10 channels 307 - 309​

​

On Demand channels (require internet-connected Hopper-interface receiver)​

These channels will be listed in the guide on collapsible channel 296.​

​

Up Faith & Family 9/1 - 9/7​

Hopster 9/1 - 9/7​

The Country Network Plus 9/1 - 9/7​

Curiosity Stream 9/8 - 9/14​

Docurama 9/8 - 9/14​

Cinefest 9/8 - 9/14​

Grokker 9/15 - 9/21​

Comedy Dynamics Network 9/15 - 9/21​

Outside TV Features 9/15 - 9/21​

Here TV 9/15 - 9/21​

Hallmark Movies Now 9/22 - 9/28​

Kartoon Channel 9/22 - 9/28​

Dove Channel 9/22 - 9/28​

​

Channels that are always free on deactivated receivers:

(verified using a deactivated 512 receiver)​

To get these channels on a deactivated receiver, it may require that it still have the older-model purple G3 Smart Card. This also may only work on certain models of receiver.​

Otherwise, these channels are available on every activated receiver, regardless of programming package.​

International channels:​

• These channels require a dish aimed at the 118 satellite.
• Channel numbers listed are for ViP and legacy SD receivers. On receivers with the Hopper interface, use the channel number in (parentheses) instead.

9893 TVPI (611-11)​

General Entertainment:​

​

82 FETV​

259 INSP​

​

Religious:​

​

257 SBN​

​

Shopping:​

71 QVC​

72 VALU​

73 QVC3​

74 HSN​

81 ICTV​

83 JTV​

85 EPIC​

86 MALL​

87 SMART​

94 RENEW​

95 DEAL​

104 VALU​

123 MALL​

137 QVC​

220 MALL​

221 EXTRA​

224 EPIC​

225 SALE​

226 HSN2​

227 JTV​

228 YOUTV​

229 GEMS​

230 ICTV​

255 QVC2​

275 YOUTV​

276 SMART​

278 DEAL​

282 VALU​

287 HSN​

883 VALU​

Dish Info Channels:​

​

101 DISH 101​

102 DISH Studio​

103 PREVW​

349 DISH Studio​

500 ONPPV​

That is all! Congratulations, you have made it all the way to the end of the current list of free channels on Dish! I will do my best to keep this list as up-to-date as possible, and to post a new updated thread each month. Thanks for reading!

 

[pattykay]

On Demand channels (require internet-connected Hopper-interface receiver)These channels will be listed in the guide on collapsible channel 296.

Note - as of the time I posted this, the following free previews have not yet appeared in my guide:

Up Faith & Family 9/1 - 9/7
Hopster 9/1 - 9/7
The Country Network Plus 9/1 - 9/7

I expect that these previews may begin today around 8:00 AM Eastern time.

 

[pattykay]

I expect that these previews may begin today around 8:00 AM Eastern time.

It is now after 8:30 AM Eastern, and still no channel 296 in my guide. I even forced a guide download, with no luck. So, I have no idea exactly when these previews will begin.

 

[pattykay]

It is now after 8:30 AM Eastern, and still no channel 296 in my guide. I even forced a guide download, with no luck. So, I have no idea exactly when these previews will begin.

Update: these previews have apparently started, if you can find them through the regular On Demand menu, using Browse By Channel. I am no longer getting the "How To Subscribe" button on each event's Info screen like I was getting earlier today. The dedicated channel numbers (collapsible channel 296) are still not showing up in my guide, though, even after another forced guide update. The guide update did fix the guide info on Dish Scapes 2 (channel 198) so I know the update actually did something. No luck with making these free preview channels show up, though.

 

[pattykay]

Approximately 36 hours after the time I had expected the free previews for the week of 9/1 to start, we are finally seeing these channels in the guide:

296-86 Up Faith & Family 9/1 - 9/7
296-43 Hopster 9/1 - 9/7
296-12 The Country Network Plus 9/1 - 9/7

 

[tsunami2311]

HBO 9/6 - 9/10 channels 310 - 315

I guess i know what i watching for free prview, Gona catch up on Westworld!

 

[pattykay]

HBO and Cinemax channels are on now. I tried logging into the HBO Max website with my Dish credentials, and that part has not been turned on yet. Maybe it will work tomorrow, when the free preview officially starts. Or is HBO Max streaming not included in the free preview?

 

[bookworm370]

Oh, yeah! I just downloaded for on-demand viewing the entire last season of Westworld. Now to stop typing and watch it all before the free preview expires!

 

[TheKrell]

I just downloaded for on-demand viewing the entire last season of Westworld. Now to stop typing and watch it all before the free preview expires!

Do the downloaded on-demand shows go POOF when the free preview expires?

 

[bookworm370]

Do the downloaded on-demand shows go POOF when the free preview expires?

They don't go POOF, but they will go expired leaving you to delete them yourself.

 

[pattykay]

Do the downloaded on-demand shows go POOF when the free preview expires?

They don't go POOF, but they will go expired leaving you to delete them yourself.

In my experience, the availability date ("xx days remaining") will indicate that they should still be available, even after the preview ends. However, if you try to play them after the preview, they will not actually play.

 

[pattykay]

HBO and Cinemax channels are on now. I tried logging into the HBO Max website with my Dish credentials, and that part has not been turned on yet. Maybe it will work tomorrow, when the free preview officially starts. Or is HBO Max streaming not included in the free preview?

8:30 AM Eastern time on 9/6, and Dish authentication on the HBO Max website still does not work. What time is that supposed to get turned on? Or do I need to call Dish?

 

[chuckster_dude]

8:30 AM Eastern time on 9/6, and Dish authentication on the HBO Max website still does not work. What time is that supposed to get turned on? Or do I need to call Dish?

IIRC, HBO Max has never been included in the free HBO previews on DISH. But I guess it doesn't hurt to call to see if that has changed.

 

[Yespage]

Back in the HBO Go days, a free preview of HBO on Dish wasn't an automatic free preview of HBO Go as well. Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't. I remember streaming a season of GOT via Go on a free preview almost up to the deadline of the preview. I made it to the last episode... and hung there for a while.

 

[pattykay]

So I called Dish, and they confirmed that an HBO subscription is required in order to have access to the HBO Max streaming. Also, since I only had the Locals Only package, I would need to upgrade to the minimum qualifying package (Welcome Pack) to be able to add HBO at all. I was offered a one-time $20 credit off of Welcome Pack (basically just covering the cost of the upgrade for this month) which I accepted. I was also offered the $12 HBO package price for 12 months, which I declined. I would rather add the ad-supported plan directly from HBO Max for only $9.99 per month. At least I got something out of making the call, so I am glad to be back with Welcome Pack for awhile.

 

[TheKrell]

Also, since I only had the Locals Only package, I would need to upgrade to the minimum qualifying package (Welcome Pack) to be able to add HBO at all.

Good luck getting it back should the need arise!

 

[pattykay]

Good luck getting it back should the need arise!

I'm close to the end of this month's billing cycle anyway. As long as I get the $20 credit, I figured I could cancel my Dish service entirely, and pocket the remainder of that credit as a refund. There is a $5 penalty for making programming changes within 30 days. Even after that $5 penalty is deducted, I should still have enough of a credit left over to pay for one month of HBO Max. That is better than cancelling my Dish service (which I was already considering doing anyway) and not getting anything for my trouble.

 

[pattykay]

New free previews started today:

296-15 Curiosity Stream 9/8 - 9/14
296-19 Docurama 9/8 - 9/14
296-08 Cinefest 9/8 - 9/14

 

[worstman1]

EPIX War of the World's looks like is starts on the 12th. I thought D did a free preview of the new episodes in the past. Any indication that will happen.

I have the FLEX PACK, what are my options to get Epix if no free preview?

 

[pattykay]

EPIX War of the World's looks like is starts on the 12th. I thought D did a free preview of the new episodes in the past. Any indication that will happen.

All I could find was a block on Dish Studio (channel 349) from 12:00 AM - 3:30 AM Eastern time on 9/17. This block repeats at the same time the following day. While this does not indicate a free preview, it at least shows that Dish is aware of the show, and they are promoting it by giving away the series premiere (from 2019) for free.

I have the FLEX PACK, what are my options to get Epix if no free preview?

$7 per month for Epix by itself:

https://my.dish.com/upgrades/premiums/epix

...or $10 per month as part of Dish Movie Pack:

https://my.dish.com/upgrades/premiums/dish-movie-pack