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What happened to red button services?

(January 2019)

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KE
kernow
JAS84 posted:
Yeah, they had games on there too, back when the Sky Interactive service was called Open.


Yes, and there was a keyboard you could buy too, I seem to remember the salesman in Dixons
tried to flog me an extended warranty for it !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Open-Keyboard-Keypad-for-Sky-Digibox/1923169789

Didn't ITV/On Digital have a keyboard for their interactive service as well?
ST
Stuart
Sky also sold a version of their remote control with a keyboard inside. I'm not sure how easy that was to use, with such tiny buttons.
http://images.digitalspy.co.uk/library/Navigator1.jpg
MA
Markymark
Sky also sold a version of their remote control with a keyboard inside. I'm not sure how easy that was to use, with such tiny buttons.
http://images.digitalspy.co.uk/library/Navigator1.jpg


I had a Nokia, then a Sony phone with real keyboards, (both were slide out) a lot smaller than that remote. I still prefer both in terms of ease of typing, to my present iphone.
AN
Andrew Founding member
A question that popped to mind as I was waiting to see what the BBC would do about tonights Number 10 statement while the footy overruns

A few years back they could of just made call to switch it to a red button feed, but I've noticed the whole red button thing has dropped off use at Sky and BBC. Is there a reason for that (like the ways people watch TV ie iPlayer)?


Probably a combination of

- it was realised that many features were gimmicky that you’d have a play with a few times, but no more

- the growth of broadband internet and tablets meant many people had a much a much better way of doing the same thing

- cuts, particularly at the BBC meaning non core activity had been pared right back
BR
Brekkie
It does surprise me though ITV and C4 haven't made progress in the connected red button area to at least make their on demand content, available via most smart TVs, available directly from their channels.

4Music does have the extra 3 channels via the red button with a fairly simple set up but it's fairly unloved and C4 didn't take the opportunity to use a similar service to offer their Paralympic streams a couple of years ago.
DJ
DJ Dave
We got one of these sent to us for free, never use it though

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-sky-tv-digital-keyboard-18984901.html
NG
noggin Founding member
It does surprise me though ITV and C4 haven't made progress in the connected red button area to at least make their on demand content, available via most smart TVs, available directly from their channels.

4Music does have the extra 3 channels via the red button with a fairly simple set up but it's fairly unloved and C4 didn't take the opportunity to use a similar service to offer their Paralympic streams a couple of years ago.


I guess ITV and C4 have decided Smart TV apps are enough. I guess there may also be regulatory issues around additional broadcast services - though less-so with HbbTV stuff that doesn't take up huge DVB data bandwidth ?
VM
VMPhil
Ordering pizza through the TV will forever feel more exciting and futuristic than ordering pizza through a phone app.
SP
Spencer
Ordering pizza through the TV will forever feel more exciting and futuristic than ordering pizza through a phone app.


I remember ordering some pizzas from Domino's through Sky Interactive once.

Whilst it did feel very futuristic, I remember the ordering process being so slow that I could have probably made the pizzas myself from the raw ingredients in the time it took to enter my order, card details and address - and this was even using my 'Sky Open...' keyboard (which, incidentally, I won after a letter of mine to the Sky customer magazine was awarded 'letter of the month' Laughing).
IS
Inspector Sands
That was in the days before lost people had 'always on' Internet connections so you might as well have just phoned them in the time it took the set top box to dial into Sky.
DV
dvboy
Ordering pizza through the TV will forever feel more exciting and futuristic than ordering pizza through a phone app.


"Alexa, order Domino's"
VM
VMPhil
dvboy posted:
Ordering pizza through the TV will forever feel more exciting and futuristic than ordering pizza through a phone app.


"Alexa, order Domino's"

That tech’s just creepy, not exciting

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