In 2012 the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ began reinventing the red button service by bringing the best of TV and online together with its Connected Red Button service.
The service was initially launched in Dec 2012 on the Virgin Tivo platform and as a Beta trial to small number of internet connected TVs in December 2013, allowing access to the Connected Red Button Service from the original Red Button Menu.
You can read more about the launch in and more detail on : .
For information on how the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ builds TV applications, .
This April sees the next step in Red Button evolution – the Connected Red Button gets a new name, Red Button+, and this will become the primary experience when you press Red on a wide range of internet connected TVs.
Why now? The last few years has seen incredible growth in the number of internet connected TVs sold in the UK, and viewers using the internet connection to receive a wide range of content on offer - from movies on demand to content applications. Since the original launch, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ have been busy testing and enabling the Red Button+ service to be available on more devices, including Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and services from EE and YouView – as well as maintaining the Tivo service.
We have also added more content to Sport, Weather and News sections - and enabled live video streams for big events such as Glastonbury or Wimbledon.
So with the familiar press of the red button, Red Button+ let's you:
- Access Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer to catch up on your favourite shows and discover more from all Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ channels
- Enjoy wider coverage including live streaming of sporting events from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport plus latest the latest headlines, highlights and results
- Catch up on the latest news stories without leaving the channel you are watching, including video highlights
- Check the local weather for your area and more
We were also conscious that viewers may still want access to the original Red Button content from Red Button+, so we have enabled access to the original Red Button service, just navigate to the settings area and change your preference.
With more great content in the pipeline, Red Button+ will be available to a wide range of supported TVs throughout April. You can check if your TV is one of them by visiting the , where you can also find more information and FAQs.
David Loder is Senior Product Manager, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Red Button