Netflix button

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Netflix button is a button available on many modern remote controllers, used to directly connect to the popular streaming service Netflix. It was initially implemented in America in 2011.[1] In 2015, the button was added to European remotes.[2] This button sends an infrared(IR) signal to the television and opens up the Netflix app. Many popular TV companies have adopted the Netflix button, including: LG, Samsung, and Sony. Some of the TVs have made it to a list that Netflix has dubbed the "Netflix Recommended TVs". These are TVs that have a Netflix button on them which Netflix recommends to their subscribers to get the best viewing experience for their service.[3]

The Netflix button only works on those TVs that support it, this includes: "Smart TVs, game consoles, streaming media players, set-top boxes, and Blu-ray players".[4] Although hard-programmed on many devices, the Netflix button as of recent has been opening up to re-purposing. On the NVIDIA shield remote, the remote has a Netflix button that can be reprogrammed very easily using a program on the device.[5]

Netflix button on a TV remote

Netflix, in 2015, had also open-sourced a design for consumers to create their own Netflix button with additional features.[6] Labeled "The Switch", this homemade device can dim the lights, silence incoming phone calls, order take-out, and open Netflix with one button press. The Switch is part of a series of DIY projects Netflix created, knows as "" for their consumers to learn more about programming and create their own projects.

The introduction of the Netflix button was criticised; an article from "The Verge" says that the button comes as a constant advertisement on a device you had already paid up to thousands of dollars for. Arguing that the buttons are "putting making money ahead of actual user experience or design".[7] Initially, concerns had been raised about whether the button violates the principle of net neutrality, by putting its streaming competitors in disadvantage.[8] A common complaint is that someone who is not a Netflix subscriber who accidentally presses the Netflix button is taken to a useless screen.

A popular option for streaming services, Roku, has 4 separate streaming buttons on their remotes. Each of these buttons cost the streaming service one dollar per unit sold.[9] The Roku has many different buttons for the consumer to choose, but most of the remotes feature a Netflix button on them.

Other streaming services and media, such as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus, Spotify, YouTube, and Disney+, also have their own buttons.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ Yarow, Jay. "Netflix Partnering With Major TV Makers To Add A Netflix Button To TV Remotes". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  2. ^ "Netflix is about to get much easier to use". The Independent. 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  3. ^ "Netflix Recommended TVs | Built for a better Netflix experience". devices.netflix.com. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  4. ^ "How can I watch Netflix on my TV?". Help Center. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
  5. ^ "Here's how to repurpose the Netflix button on the new Shield TV remote". Android Police. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  6. ^ "Personal Trainer | Make It by Netflix". makeit.netflix.io. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  7. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (2020-04-24). "The Netflix button is an advertisement masquerading as a product". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  8. ^ Effros, Steve (5 January 2011). "The "Netflix Button" Violates "Net Neutrality"". digitalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  9. ^ Bouma, Luke (2019-12-12). "Roku Charges $1 Million For Home Page Takeovers, & Branded Remote Buttons Go For $1 Per Customer". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  10. ^ Pocket-lint (2020-09-11). "PS5 Media Remote to get Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify buttons". www.pocket-lint.com. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
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