smart card

What's the smart card and what is it used for?

I believe it is the card with the encryption chip on it to allow your receiver to decipher the Dish signal for programming. Your receiver may not already have 1, but Dish will send them out from time to time to help prevent piracy. This would be the 1st smart card I received in the 3 years as a Dish customer. I have not received mine yet but my mom has. It will not change anything as far as features or programming goes. I believe you have 2 weeks to install them once you receive them by mail via the simple onscreen step by step instructions.

I believe it is the card with the encryption chip on it to allow your receiver to decipher the Dish signal for programming. Your receiver may not already have 1, but Dish will send them out from time to time to help prevent piracy. This would be the 1st smart card I received in the 3 years as a Dish customer. I have not received mine yet but my mom has. It will not change anything as far as features or programming goes. I believe you have 2 weeks to install them once you receive them by mail via the simple onscreen step by step instructions.


thanks for the info. Mu hubby was just talking tot hem and they said we will be getting one.

I started getting message saying my smart needed be upgraded so I just called Dish and they sending out 2 cards for my recievers

I didn't think they used cards anymore

Some of the very newest receivers will not need a card. Say if they came from the factory less than 3 months ago. Those of us who have had ViP MPEG-4 receivers that are older than that and never had the card (well actually they do but they are built in and you cannot see them) will now get a card.

The reason? Dish has had alot of trouble with hacked receivers and people stealing the signals. These cards will help prevent that from happening in the future.

Everyone should have their cards by some time in November.

oh I see, now I know what it's used for.

Hmm must be time for them to update. I just received 2 cards the other day in the mail. It only takes a few minutes to update the receiver with the smart card.