“It’s not a very publicized item,” said Wester Draper, 34, who is one of the town council’s two members. “You tell people you live in Dish, Texas, and they’re like, ‘Where’s Dish, Texas?’ Initially trying to get the service turned on, if you call them up and tell them you live in Dish and you get free TV, they don’t believe you, the customer service agents.”

Others complained that the signs trumpeting free satellite TV need an asterisk: While basic service is free, residents have to pay for HBO and other premium channels, as well as any additional equipment they might want. Joe Ratliff, 83, said his bill is about $36 per month. Mr. Draper pays $25. Some residents have not bothered to sign up, because they were not interested or were customers of DirecTV.

Most residents do not use Dish for their mailing addresses, but instead use the town of Justin. And though they have hundreds of channels beamed into their homes — Charles Smith, the other town commissioner, prefers Encore Westerns, Channel 342 — there is not a single restaurant, convenience store or school. Even the town hall has a vaguely temporary feel; the hangar-style building was built by the same man who made the storage units for Clark’s Aircraft & R.V. Sales.

“Dish doesn’t exist, in my opinion,” said Scott Bonfoey, 51, a new resident who gets DirecTV. “My mailing address is Justin, my school district is Ponder. What’s Dish?”

Its identity may become even more uncertain. The agreement expires in 2015, and though the mayor, William Sciscoe, said he supported extending the deal, the town commissioners, Mr. Smith and Mr. Draper, were in favor of changing the name back to Clark. Mr. Hall, the Dish Network spokesman, said they have not discussed any future plans with the town.