DISH Network is offering subscribers a free sneak peek at Cinemax starting today and ending on August 14th. Cinemax, long-known for running popular movies and original series occupies channels 310 through 314 on DISH Network.

DISH Network occasionally runs free previews of their premium channels to give subscribers a chance to sample new programming. Much of the time, these free previews are schedule to coincide with weekends when more people are likely to be watching television. This current Cinemax preview is no exception.

I’ll surely be sitting down in front of my TV soon to search the program guide for movies or series on Cinemax that I want to record on my DVR and then watch at my leisure. Here’s hoping they air some programming that appeals to my tastes this weekend.

DISH Network (and probably other cable and satellite providers) have been running free preview events for quite some time. It’s a great opportunity for subscribers to check out channels that they do not currently subscribe to.

In the past, it seems like most of these free previews were for premium movie channels like HBO and Cinemax, but DISH Network appears to be expanding beyond those channels and offering customers the chance to see other types of programming.

Currently, the following free previews are being offered:

The National Geographic Channel (November 4th through November 30th)
NFL Network (October 28th through November 30th)
Cooking Channel (October 28th through November 30th)
AMC (October 28th through November 30th)
GSN – The Game Show Network (October 28th through November 30th)
Science Channel (October 28th through November 30th)
Sony Movie Channel (October 20th through November 30th)

This current offering of free previews seems to cover the gamut pretty well. From sports to cooking, movies and more, there seems to be programming in this free preview for everyone.

Free previews offer TV viewers a chance to check out channels that they have not subscribed to. A few weeks back, DISH Network offered select HBO channels free for all viewers for the weekend. Not having a whole lot of time for TV, I still took a look at the program guide to see if there were any movies worth putting on my DVR. I recorded about five movies and have watched a couple of them. The remaining movies will just live on my DVR until I get around to watching them.

This month, DISH Network has plans to offer more free previews for subscribers. The following free previews are planned for the month:

October 2nd through November 7th: The CBS College Sports Network, a channel that features. The channel is the official home of armed forces football, and includes all three service academies. The football schedule features highly ranked teams such as Utah, BYU, TCU, Houston, and Navy.

September 30th through October 26th: The Great American Country channel is recognized as a leader for country music entertainment with a variety of original country music programming, country music specials, live concerts and music videos. GAC offers up the widest selection of country music, country artists and the lifestyles they influence. Programs such as Backstory, GAC Nights and Soundstage, GAC brings you an insider’s look at the very best of all your favorite country artists.

September 30th through October 26th: DIY Network is where do-it-yourself fans get great programming to inspire and inform them about various DIY projects. The channel offers programming and various experts who dish up their latest project ideas and answer consumers’ top questions about do-it-yourself projects.

September 30th through October 26th: The 3 from EPIX is akin to a virtual video library of movies of the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s and today. Enjoy uncut & uninterrupted movies that you know you love (or should), like Marathon Man, Rocky, Desperately Seeking Susan, Crimes and Misdemeanors & Blue Velvet. Insomniacs and night owls can stay up all night with movies such as The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension when Insomnia Theater takes over.

September 30th through October 26th: Planet Green is the multiplatform media destination for people looking for something new. Launched on June 4, 2008, Planet Green is following the evolving conversation about sustainability and is the entertainment brand that champions the visionaries who move our world forward.

October 7th through October 24th: Get a Front-Row Seat to Your Favorite Team. No matter where you live, you can get the best seats in the house with NHL® Center Ice®. Follow your favorite teams and players all season long, with up to 40 out-of-market games per week.

It looks like October is a great month for DISH Network viewers who might like to get an idea what’s on some channels they may be thinking about signing up for.

The newly-added NFL RedZone channel will be offered up for a free test drive on Sunday, October 4th. DISH Network subscribers who are into football and have not had a chance to check out RedZone and see if it is something worth paying for. That, of course, is up to each individual fan, but it’s likely that DISH will pick up a few new subscribers to the channel after the free preview.

Ira Bahr, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network has said that “Over the past few weeks, our customers have told us their Sunday afternoons have changed forever.” That’s a pretty bold statement, but apparently DISH has been receiving a lot of positive feedback regarding the new channel, which packs the most exciting moments from multiple NFL games on one channel by switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a opportunity to check out every important play.

The NFL RedZone free preview starts at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time and runs until 4:14 p.m. on DISH Network channel 155. The channel is available in both high and standard definition and will cost fans who decide to sign on an additional $5.99 per month. Not a bad deal if you are a serious football fan.