Updated: May 10th 2009

Every month, we receive a large amount of emails that ask  if it’s possible to get Free Satellite TV.  Many people have heard rumors that it is possible, but few people know the facts.  So with that The Guru set out to see if it was possible, and if so, to find out exactly how. When we set out on our quest to find free Satellite TV we decided that any methods we tried would have to be 100% legal. This eliminated one of the options below because as we started researching it, it became clear that it was illegal and clearly in violation of both DirecTV and Dish Networks terms of service.

Free To Air Satellite TV

The first thing we came across on our quest to find free satellite TV was FTA satellite service. FTA stations, which stands for Free To Air are satellite television stations which are not encrypted, like conventional Dish Network and DirecTV channels.  To receive FTA signals you can use a Dish Network or DirecTV satellite dish, and you will also need a rotor.  FTA works by pointing the dish at a different satellite for each channel, this means that the satellite dish needs to be able to automatically rotate to a certain position. This is where the rotor comes in.

Unless you are a hardcore satellite television fanatic we don’t recommend FTA.  The setup can take days, and you need to have a good amount of technical knowledge.  FTA has a pretty big following on the internet, but if you’re looking to casual watch the football came on Sunday this isn’t really a viable option.

Overall Free to Air Satellite was a pretty big disappointment.  Most of the channels are actually pretty pointless, and FTA didn’t have the premium channels we were trying to get for free.   This option was clearly not the full “Free Satellite TV” that we were looking for.

Satellite Descramblers
Continuing on our quest to find Free Satellite TV we came across Satellite descramblers.  We didn’t get very far in exploring this option before it became clear to us that attempting to unencrypt Dish Network or DirecTV signals was highly illegal. It is basically stealing satellite service. So that was the end of the road for this option.

Dish Network and DirecTV Deals
We finally found a way to get free satellite tv, however it was an option we knew about to begin with.  Dish Network and DirecTV often have deals and offer 3 or even 6 months free before you start paying for the service.  Even though you have to pay for the service eventually this seems to be the best route for getting free satellite television, for a few months at least.  You can find out great deals on both of these services on our Dealer Comparisons Page.