The Red Button

This is probably my biggest pet hate and one that I'm sure I'll blog and tweet about more in the future. The Red Button. The fulcrum of the interactive tv world. The solution to save TV advertising. The gateway to all that is magical, unique and incredible about digital TV. What a load of rubbish.

Why oh why do Sky (and the BBC) think that it will improve my viewing pleasure by placing a blob on the bottom right of my screen? If I'm watching football, there's only 1 ball that I want to watch. I don't need unwanted distractions and I really, really resent having to press the backup button to get rid of it. My housemates and girlfriend find it funny/irritating that after each ad break (and sometimes more often) I have to request that the backup button is pressed. I'll end up with RSI from pressing it myself, too.

I'm not buying that it opens up possibilities to explore new functions. I'm watching football. I don't need extra functions. When I'm at a match in the flesh, I don't sit there wishing that there was a blob hovering in the corner of my eye giving me the chance to place a bet or check the line up. Why then would I want that at home? I pay a princely sum each month to watch live football on Sky, I don't want anything obscuring the view.

If anything, the BBC are worse at this. They have a hideous yellow bar covering up to 4% of the screen.

The Red Button isn't totally useless and I don't deny that that some of the functionality is useful, it's just the constant annoying presence that gets to me. By all means promote it verbally before the game, in commentary or even post a temporary onscreen message that interactivity is possible. Just don't ruin my viewing by having it there.

The life of The Red Button gets even more annoying when watching the news. They NEVER press backup when recording clips, so, when they play some highlights The Bloody Red Button is on the highlights and I jump instantly to the remote, press backup and immediately feel a fool when the button doesn't disappear. The Red Button has tricked me, embarrassed me and taunted me.

If I can make one plea for a gift this Christmas it will be for no more Red Button. We all know we can watch interactive football, X Factor, Children in Need, News, Athletics, Music videos, Gameshows etc. We're not stupid enough to need a constant reminder.

Please, please someone hear my cry and destroy The Red Button.

p.s. I love you Backup button. Without you my pain would manifest itself ten fold.