Netflix button
The Netflix button is a device implemented on many modern remotes. This button is used to directly connect to the popular streaming service Netflix and was initially implemented in America, 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 TV itself.[5]
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 "Netflix Make It" for their consumers to learn more about programming and create their own projects.
The Netflix button has not been received without controversy, as an article from "The Verge" says, the button comes as a constant advertisement on a device you had already payed up to thousands of dollars for. Arguing that the buttons are "putting making money ahead of actual user experience or design".[7] A common complaint is when a consumer accidentally hits the Netflix button as a non-subscriber and are taken to a useless screen. This mistake is rather easy, as the Netflix button is often the largest button on the remotes they are manufactured onto.
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.[8] The Roku has many different buttons for the consumer to choose, but most of the remotes feature a Netflix button on them.
References
- ^ Yarow, Jay. "Netflix Partnering With Major TV Makers To Add A Netflix Button To TV Remotes". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
- ^ "Netflix is about to get much easier to use". The Independent. 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
- ^ "Netflix Recommended TVs | Built for a better Netflix experience". devices.netflix.com. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
- ^ "How can I watch Netflix on my TV?". Help Center. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
- ^ "Here's how to repurpose the Netflix button on the new Shield TV remote". Android Police. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
- ^ "Personal Trainer | Make It by Netflix". makeit.netflix.io. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
- ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (2020-04-24). "The Netflix button is an advertisement masquerading as a product". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- ^ 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.