How to use the BBC Red Button
So long Ceefax, the text service offered by the BBC is now known as the BBC Red Button.
Red Button is an interactive TV service that provides access to a digital TV text service. As well as a news, weather and sport service, Red Button is used for extra sports services (used on Wimbledon), access to latest news reports, and additional TV clips and content.
The BBC Red Button service, formerly known as BBCi, is available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin, Freesat, BT Vision, TopUp TV and TalkTalk TV.
Using the service is straightforward – tune to BBC1 and press the red button on your digital TV service’s remote control. You should see the BBC Interactive menu appear over your TV picture.
BBC's Red Button Interactive Menu
Having a problem with the Red Button?
If you’re not able to access Interactive services using the red button, here are a few suggestions:
- Make sure your remote control is working, and other buttons are working.
- Make sure you’re using the right remote control. For example, if you’re watching Freeview via a set-top box connected to your TV, it’s the Red Button on the Freeview remote, not on the TV remote
- Not all digital TV channels support Red Button. Try BBC One, as this is the most consistent provider
- Try switching off the digital TV receiver, to reset it
- Perform a channel rescan. In 2011, in some parts of the UK, the Red Button moved to a different location. It might be worth re-scannin, just in case your receiver is affected by a channel move
- See if Red Button is working on another TV, or on a neighbour’s TV. If more than one TV are affected, it could be a problem at the transmitter site
- While most digital TV sets and set-top boxes support Red Button, some older receivers don’t have the required MHEG decoder needed for interactive services. Check your manual to see if Red Button Interactivity is supported.
Having a problem, or got a suggestion? Please add it in the comments section below.
just got tivo from virgin media and the red button only gives you bbc i player unlike when on sky gave me digital text. why is this?
Great service but does the press Red sign have to be on screen so often and for such long periods. Produces screen burn on Plasma screens
Had to retune twice to obtain BBC 1 & 2 channels so was without them for most of switchover day, now I can’t get the red button service which I use constantly. Feeling bereft! Any suggestions.?
I own a Sharp LC-24DV510K set
Whe I press the red button, all I get is a message asking me to install a drive.
Any suggestions?
I retuned here in East London on 4 April 2012. All channels ok, but no BBC text or red button service. Philips 42 PFL model, bought 2007. Upstairs, Sony Bravia 32 all working fine !
I can see the Sport Multiscreen options but if I try to select any of the numbered options (from my Panasonic Viera TV) I either get returned to the TV view or a sport page (appears random) as a text page. So tempting, but just feels like a mirage! Is Panasonic a problem or is there another reason why I can’t select the numbered options?
me too a philips Tv and no red button service will try daves advice from mat 2011 but not holding out for much hope
Following the London switchover, my Phillips tv had no BCC1 OR BBC2 unless manually installed each time turned the tv on.
Since then, we have no channels, just a blue screen, and the menu button doesnt do anything or bring up any screens.
Any ideas?
You need to perform a channel rescan, to get the correct lineup of Freeview channels.
But the Menu button does not even bring up the scan/installation etc pages.
Just a blue screen, and unable to change.
The Digital Switchover would not cause your menu button to break. Some things to check:
1. Is the remote control working correctly. New batteries? Faulty menu button?
2. Try resetting the TV back to factory settings. Check the manual to see how to do a reset
3. Try contacting the Philips Customer Service Helpdesk for advice on how to get the menu button to work
4. If you think the TV is faulty, consider returning it to the place of purchase for a repair or refund.
My neighbour who is in his 80’s used CEEFAX because he could make the text bigger, is it possible to change the text through the red button?
Also Philips tv, also no red button services since switchover. Obviously they still haven’t fixed the problem that they were hoping to have sorted by the end of last year!!
My Philips digital tv has also lost the teletext facility since the changeover! Previously it was working fine.
32PF55200/10 My post code is CW28LN Anyone got any ideas?
Phillips range 32PFL5522D, or any xxPFL5522D, will not have any Interactive “Red Button” function or “digital text” unless it has the latest software is installed. Phillips knows about this. Call them on 0800 331 6015 and tell them your model and serial no and they are obliged to send someone around with a data card to upgrade your TV software. The TVs were sold as digitally compatible and under the sale of goods act they have to be fit for purpose. It remains a mystery why a suitable over-air download is not being transmitted (http://www.dtg.org.uk/industry/download_schedule.php). Digital TV don’t you just love this ludicrous and costly waste of all our time?
My Philips digital tv has also lost the teletext facility since the changeover! Previously it was working fine.
32PF55200/10 My post code is CW28LN Anyone got any ideas?
I also had the same problem with my Philips LCD PLF55200/05. No interactive service. I found that the firmwear requires up-dating. I updated the firmwear supplied by sparedparts.com. Works a treat now.
http://sparedparts.com/parts/details/philips-lcd-tv-bbc-red-button-no-longer-works
We have a silvercreast set top box and just started using it to get bbc2 as this service is no longer available on terestrial tv in this area. East Kent. We need text but there is no text. Can anyone help?
Maybe it’s just me but I don’t like the red button showing at the top right of the picture, it’s really annoying! With Sky I could press the Back button to get rid of it. Do I have any options with FreeView?
I’m sick and tired of the dumb BBC red button BS. And it really is dumb, in that there is no intelligence behind it.
Why, when I’m watching tennis, do they tell me motoGP is on the red button? They don’t tell me what’s on other BBC channels. If I wanted to watch another sport I’m sure I would find it.
Why, at 9pm, are they telling me about some CBBC blog?
Why do they tell me to press the red button when the news comes on? All that happens is you display teletext, which is available 24-hours a day.
I wish they’d go to hell with these useless reminders. I’m fed up pressing the Green button to remove the red button logo, which, incidentally, answers your question, Peter.
Just had digital switchover. Bought New TV (Daewoo) and Aerial both 2 years old. Facilities were received and available BEFORE switchover. However NO Red Button facility since. (Text button works on ITV1 and C4 now). Tried to find out why, both BBC and UK Digital couldnt/wouldnt help, just passed me back and forth between each other X 3 ! Is this the way you treat your customers ? BOTH THESE COMPANIES ARE A DISGRACE AND ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE, AND UNLESS SOME-ONE READS AND ACTS ON THIS NOTICE I WILL START A CAMPAIGN WHICH WILL DISCREDIT THEM BOTH ! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED – IGNORE THIS WARNING AT YOUR PERIL ! It is the biggest con trick that has been played on the British population at large and YOU should be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act for failure to provide services which you promised to provide in your advertisments etc. !
Please Note :- I’m sorry to have bothered you re my complaint, sadly I feel I’m just wasting my time so please disregard the above/previous e-mail I have written. Finally, I’d like you to be assured I WILL NOT be pursuing this in anyway, and I apologise if I’ve caused any unnecessary concern or distress over the use of the words “Start a campaign which will discredit them both”, by this I should have written “Bad Publicity”.. but I will not do this now either. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
I have lost my red button service since the difital switchover. I’m on freesat and have a Bush (not a phillips) HD ready TV (HDMI). I have turned the box on and off and completely resintalled all the channels twice! please help as I have missed this service during Wimbledon and the olympics and its a massive pain to have to fire up the laptop to get a quick weather forecast.
Another Philips TV lost BBC Red Button – 42 PFL5522, Tried CustomersServices but just told to reset – which obviously hasn’t worked. Don’t know how I’m going to get software update. Will never buy another Philips product after being treated like this!!!!
I can access RB1 from BBC1 or 2 using the red button on my remote. But then, from the blue button menu, if I choose something on RB2 or 3 it starts to change channel but I then end up with a black screen. This is frustrating when trying to switch between different Wimbledon matches. I have to go the TV guide and select the channel from there. Also the picture quality on 3 and 3 is rather jerky so not easy to watch. Any ideas what is wrong?
red button during Wimbledon has been hopeless and soooooo slow! you search for the match you want to see and it takes you to a completely unrelated match. It’s very frustrating and is frankly doing my head in!!!!!
LGOLED55C9PLA
Just got this TV, amazing as it is, I don’t see the red text logo top right of the screen, used to be there on my previous TV also using freesat…..no o at LG has been any help……any ideas please ?
Ukcalibrauk@yahoo.com