Don't forget all of the regularly-scheduled free previews throughout the year. I don't remember the last time I actually paid for HBO or Cinemax, but I certainly never had to do without access to their programming for very long, until they were removed from Dish.Some people may solely choose DirecTV over Dish because they have HBO and Cinemax, or at least have DirecTV to get HBO and Cinemax in the free three-month preview when they first sign up with the service. So yes, there is a point.