Explore the deals: Free HD for Life

One of the best parts of signing up for satellite TV is the satisfaction that comes with getting THE best deal possible. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, though. As with most residential purchases (phone, internet, etc) it’s up to you to do the research and make sure money isn’t left on the table. Your strongest negotiation point (where you’ll get the most freebies and discounts) comes right before your order, so take full advantage of it. Once you’re a customer, it’s much more difficult to qualify for free stuff.

In this edition of “Explore the Deals”, we’ll discuss the “Free HD for Life” offer that’s periodically offered by DIRECTV and DISH. On the surface, it appears to be a pretty straight-forward promo but there’s always more involved. Here’s that latest…

DIRECTV IS NOT currently offering Free HD for life

Throughout any given year, DIRECTV shuffles free high def for life to keep it in-line with their active offers. During this NFL (pre)season, they’ve pulled it since nearly every package gives new customers the NFL Sunday Ticket package for free (regularly priced at $350+). Along with free local channels, installation, movies and more, profit-wise, I guess they had to pull reins in. So, if you want your HD channels, you’ll have to pony up the extra $10/month.

When will it come back? Possibly in late November, when they start to pull back on the Sunday Ticket promotion.

DISH Network IS currently offering it

One of the advantages of not having to market a mega NFL package is that DISH can focus on their core offers year-round. According to our offer history notes (yes, we keep track of stuff like that :)), DISH Network has continuously offered free HD for life for 2 years running. It’s nice to know they value HD just as much as well do.

Note: the only caveat with this DISH deal is you usually need to sign up for Auto-pay with paperless billing (same goes for DIRECTV).

Bottom line

I don’t know a single person that prefers SD over HD. Super high-quality 1080p HD matches what you get in theaters and top-notch DVDs like Blu-Ray. For most, it’s a must-have as it massively boosts the experience of watching just about any program.

To recap, the free HD for life offer isn’t a permanent fixture with DIRECTV so grab it whenever you can. It’ll be offered by DISH for the foreseeable future, so don’t hinge your decision on just that single offer. If you’re still unsure, click here for a side-by-side comparison of ALL the current deals. Long live HD!

About the author

George Levint

George is the senior editor at DigitalFind and an expert in how technology at home impacts our lives. From funky analog radios to AI devices that try to out-think you, he's usually unfairly critical until proven otherwise. He also enjoys spending the occasional weekend off-grid to keep Skynet guessing.