Free Preview Begins: February, 2011
Free Preview Ends: February, 2012
Wow, this is the ultimate free preview!
Dish Network is having a free preview of the Starz channels and the Encore channel for free for a whole year. This begins in February 2011 and will end February 2012.
See the channel guide below to see which channels you’ll get for free.
If you happen to already subscribe to Starz then you’ll get all the Encore channel for free or the Platinum package for free.
Thank you Thomas and Kevin for sending this free preview in!
Channel Lineup:
340 – Encore HD East
350 – Starz East
351 – Starz West
352 – Starz Edge
353 – Starz Cinema
354 – Starz Comedy
355 – Starz InBlack
356 – Starz Kids & Family
Wow, it’s a shame Verizon doesn’t do this for us. Even if it’s just the aforementioned channels.
Hey I was looking for the channels but it doesnt work. This is not true. I cant believe you guys lied about this.
Is this for real? My service is on “pause” until May, so I won’t know until then, but I will be so happy if it is true. Thank you for the alert.
I personally have Dish Network and I already subscribe to Starz. When I go to channel 339 (I don’t know if this will be the same for everyone – maybe someone can confirm this?) it says that I’ll be getting 6 Encore channels and Movieplex for free.
What’s everyone else seeing?
I am a dish network subscriber and I do not think that this for real, because I check the Starz and Encore channels and they are all locked up.
I have dish network and this IS for real. Still trying to figure out what the catch is. But so far,enjoying the freebies!
This is true. It’s free for one year because it’s Dish’s 30th anniversary and they are giving those channels for free. There’s no catch.
It certainly is true. If you already subscribe to Starz you will get Enocore, if you already get both Starz and Encore you will get Platinum, and if you already get all 3, you will get 3 PPV coupons. You should get one of channel 339, 349, or 359 telling you which of the Free packages you are getting. Also, the $40 exteral HDD fee on the VIP series has gone away.
Still NO Starz or encore, any suggestions?
Its about time, when others get hbo, cinemax and Showtime it seems that satelitte cutomers aref orgotten. Thank You
FOR REAL! I’ve been a dedicated Dish Network Customer for YEARS! No Catch. Dish is celebrating so they’re doing something nice! :) I think it’s wonderful! Easy to be skeptical in this day & time but appears to be the real deal! :) So, don’t question it, just ENJOY IT! :)
A year-long free preview? I think this is a pretty unprecedented event, isn’t it? I seriously doubt if any pay TV provider (cable, satellite or telco) has ever done this before.
Big Dog, If you’re not receiving this free preview then I would suggest calling DishNet to find out why.
This is AWESOME!!! I was starting to get alittle angry w/ seeing all the other providers Free Previews of HBO and Cinemex etc. and then you pull out this gem…Thanks.
Also, the cost has gone up $5.28. Check out this month’s bill! Very nice to receive STARZ, we have already watched a few movies. Dish also has their packages outlined differently. We are on the 200 plus tier. I do wonder if it affects any lower tier.
It is true. I just noticed today by accident while trolling the channels that I’m getting Starz. I don’t know why Dish network couldn’t bother telling people, though.
Do you have to have a certain dish package to receive this offer?
I am not able to get the Starz channels and I subscribe to the Encore ones, so I get them. It must depend on the package you have in the first place or something because I tried to get the Starz and No Luck.
This is great.
I actually subscribed to Starz for several years until last February. I canceled because I didn’t feel the number of new movies per month justified the cost. (I also canceled HBO and Showtime for the same reason.) Out of curiosity I kept an eye on the listings for Starz and wrote down movies that aired that I wanted to see. In the past year there have been 21 movies I wanted to see. 4 of these movies have aired on Encore, which is part of my regular programming package. I watched 15 of these movies last week on the Starz free preview (the 4 Encore movies aired again on Starz also). Of the 2 remaining movies, 1 airs late tonight and the other is on this Thursday.
That probably doesn’t mean much to anyone but me, but to me it justifies canceling the channels a year ago. Within 2 weeks I’ve seen a years worth of movies and saved the cost of 12 months of service.
So I will enjoy a free year, but it won’t convince me to pay for it when it’s over.
As a side note, I also kept up with the movies on HBO & Showtime since canceling. All but a couple recent movies on HBO have aired (or will air in the next few weeks) on Cinemax (the only premium channels I kept). Also all Showtime movies eventually air on The Movie Channel (part of my programming package). So I certainly haven’t missed paying for all 4 movie channel packages. I may have to wait a bit longer to see them, but I haven’t missed any movies either.
This free preview is a way to try and get over for raising our prices for $5. I thought if I were under a contract that the price should stay the same… Anyone else think the same or am I all alone?
I’ve been a happy TOP customer since 1998. I love TV5 Monde (merci) and my other programming. I am “glued” to Dish Network!! Couldn’t do without. I have convinced many people and friends to sign up with Dish Network. I am already enjoying a few FREE movies.
THANK YOU Dish Network for the 1-year offer of FREE movies.
Helene of Glendale, AZ
I have att dish that this is true we
have 7 staz channels for a year thank you att dish it real nice it a bout time that we get things like this doesn’t happen
too much. Happy 30 years to dishnetwork.
celebration.
This is for real if you have certain packages with them. We have the very basic channels for around $10.99 and we can’t get it. I called them and they told me I would have to upgrade. We got this low pkg when we wanted to discontinue. My sister does get the free channels since she has a better package than me.
This is cool… I did not know about it.
I just went to these channels and they are all available right now. No action required.
Channel 349 says “We’re celebrating 30 years in business…” and they want to say thanks by giving these channels till Feb 2012.
Cool!
If you have Dish bundled with AT&T, you will have to call, and ask. If they will not give it to you, call Dish Network, directly, and ask about it. If you still get nowhere, or are just offered 3 months free Starz, hang up, and call back, until you talk to someone that will give it to you.
Good luck!
Ok I got the “free” starz package for a whole year from dish. I was overjoyed cause I actually thought that after all these years of being a loyal customer I’d get something for it. That was until I got my bill that mysteriously went up $5, when I called and asked I was told that I was getting the “free” starz because of the rate hike and not being charged for the Starz service. So I said, ok drop the starz I don’t want it…hmm weird but she said that she would be happy to and that now my bill would go down by $5. Man that is odd. I am dropping dish like a bad case of herpes when my contract is up. DirecTv here we come.
I called Dish Network because I had just had services turned back on. I have paid for these specific channels for 2 years. I was told it is a promotional thing and I have to sign up for paperless billing (which I already have) and automatic bill paying.(which I don’t have) therefore I cannot get this preview. I have had Dish Network for 8 years, they do have better deals but, nothing with them is ever truly free, there is always a catch. You would think they would have told me “hey you have been a long time customer who paid for these channels for 2 years we will let you have it” but, no. If you have it enjoy it.
This is true…have had dish for over a year and i have allll of these channels…there is even a channel that explains that this is for an anniversary of dishs’ so yes it is free for 1 year…
and what channel would that be, chris? this sounds bogus. i don’t get any free channels, except the crap ones that are offered, and I already have. What a rip…
This is not free… Dish Network increased everyones bill by the $5 it cost for the Encore package. And the rep I spoke with even said this was why there was an increase, and would be happy to credit my account the $5 if I did not want the “FREE” channnels. Seems a little dishonest to me…
This is for real. I just noticed it last night otherwise I never would have known. Very cool. They should have told us ’cause I was getting ready to drop this service after more than 10 years.
OK fine free veiws of movies nobody would pay much to watch anyway, just stop covering up the subtitles with Dish advertizing. Key dialog is being missed.
We have been getting the Starz channels free; when I called to find out why my Mom doesn’t, at first they told me she had to be signed up for autopay – which I quickly told them was not true because we are not, and we get the starz channels – then he put me on hold for a few minutes, came back to tell me she has to have at least the 120 channel package……..I told him I was gonna check it out and call back. I can find NOWHERE that is says a certain channel package is required, only that it is offered to ALL Dish customers as it is DISH celebrating 30 years!! So I am calling back and asking for an Advanced Technician…one that speaks English!
It looks like Dish Network may be in some legal trouble for their one-year freeview of Starz and Encore. Disney is suing Dish Network for it, as explained in this excerpt from Reuters:
“Walt Disney Co[mpany] filed a copyright suit against satellite television operator Dish Network Corp for distributing popular movies including Disney’s ”Toy Story 3” and ”Alice in Wonderland” on a free tier for Dish subscribers.[..] The giant media company and theme park operator says it only granted Starz permission to air the movies with the understanding that Starz would be on a premium tier with distributors. Disney claims in the suit that in February Dish began providing millions of subscribers free access to Starz through to January 2012 in violation of its agreements with both Disney and Starz.
It said it wrote to Dish in March to cease and desist its Starz giveaway but Dish refused to do so.[..] Disney said Dish’s actions devalue its movies and undermine its ‘windowing’ strategy. Hollywood studios and TV show makers use windowing to try to maximize the value of their content by offering it to consumers through differently timed ‘windows’ such as theater, DVD rentals and premium pay-TV.”
I got both for free… but it wasnt in Feb… more like beginning of April.