PRESS RED DOG on BBC2

Rillington · 03-01-2006, 14:13

Is it me or have the BBC added a device which means that every 5 to 10 minutes the PRESS RED DOG appears on BBC2? I noticed this when watching the George Best programme last night and it was incredicly annoying. In the past it has just appeared when you change to a BBC channel but last night it was flashing on and off every 10 minutes

Can anyone tell me if this occurrance is permanent or was it just a one-off last night and does it happen across all BBC channels? Also, if it is permanent then can it be switched off?

**Chris** · 03-01-2006, 14:25

You cannot prevent the red button icon from appearing on the NTL service, or set it to vanish automatically. You can only get rid of it by using the (IIRC) 'Back Up' button on your remote (can't remember if it's called that any more!).

Sky's system allows you to force it to vanish after 30 seconds - conveniently the same length as most adverts, which is undoubtedly a deliberate move by Sky because a lot of ads carried on the Sky platform have red-button content these days.

jtwn · 03-01-2006, 15:20

o_O

The 'Press Red Button' on ntl vanishes after a couple of seconds after a channel switch to the BBC channels.

fireman328 · 03-01-2006, 16:18

Is this dog a setter ?

SLM · 03-01-2006, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireman328

Is this dog a setter ?

Nugget · 03-01-2006, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

Is it me or have the BBC added a device which means that every 5 to 10 minutes the PRESS RED DOG appears on BBC2? I noticed this when watching the George Best programme last night and it was incredicly annoying. In the past it has just appeared when you change to a BBC channel but last night it was flashing on and off every 10 minutes

Can anyone tell me if this occurrance is permanent or was it just a one-off last night and does it happen across all BBC channels? Also, if it is permanent then can it be switched off?

Can't you just tell it to get in it's bed?

Rillington · 08-01-2006, 04:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

You cannot prevent the red button icon from appearing on the NTL service, or set it to vanish automatically. You can only get rid of it by using the (IIRC) 'Back Up' button on your remote (can't remember if it's called that any more!).

Sky's system allows you to force it to vanish after 30 seconds - conveniently the same length as most adverts, which is undoubtedly a deliberate move by Sky because a lot of ads carried on the Sky platform have red-button content these days.

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, it is the "back Up" button which removes it, which I use everytime it appears, which it does when I change to a BBc channel. It doesn't come back on BBC1 but seems to on BBC2. Don't know about BBC3, BBC4, News 24 or BBC Parliament.

I am sure I read that Freeview boxes now have a setting which disables it permanently becuase so many people find it extremely annoying and an intrusion, far more than the channel DOG which have never bothered me.

Rillington · 26-01-2006, 12:42

Have also just read that this problem only started AFTER the ntl software upgrade which sets alarm bells ringing.

SLM · 26-01-2006, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

Have also just read that this problem only started AFTER the ntl software upgrade which sets alarm bells ringing.

The press red button has no faults on but with the software upgrade the control of it went from the tv button to the back button. The only fault there is, is that people that have nothing else to moan about are moaning about a very little red dot. I do appreciate it can be annoying to some but hey get over it people are dying of starvation in this world.

Bob · 26-01-2006, 19:57

For me it only appears when you turn to the channel and whenever a new programme is starting. Its an sutomatic timer so if the programme is running late, it will appear at the time its supposed to start

Rillington · 28-01-2006, 12:10

If that's the case Bob then that would not cause me any distress and would not ruin the ability to watch programmes. What I object to is it appearing every 10 minutes as it has been doing recently, and did when watching Final Score on BBC1 last Saturday.

My worry is that it will flash on and off every few minutes during the forthcoming Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

KenK · 28-01-2006, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

Have also just read that this problem only started AFTER the ntl software upgrade...

...or, the feature only started working properly since the upgrade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

If that's the case Bob then that would not cause me any distress and would not ruin the ability to watch programmes. What I object to is it appearing every 10 minutes as it has been doing recently, and did when watching Final Score on BBC1 last Saturday.

My worry is that it will flash on and off every few minutes during the forthcoming Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

I agree the BBC graphic is more intrusive than it needs to be - a simple red dot without the "press red" text would be enough. But, if I'm sufficiently engrossed in the on-screen action, I don't notice it.

Rillington · 01-02-2006, 00:13

Channel 4 used to do exactly that.

This issue is mentioend in the forthcoming edition of Radio Times and ntl is stated as "working on a more effective solution" which given that the question was about hos to get rid of it permently. That ahs to sound promising.

That said, why can't it just be the acse that the DOG appears only at the very start of a programme where there is PRESS RED applications or at the first instant when you tune to a BBC channel, ie as before rather than every 10 minutes which appears to be on all BBC channels now rather than just on BBC2 as I originally stated.

~Dan~ · 01-02-2006, 01:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

This issue is mentioend in the forthcoming edition of Radio Times and ntl is stated as "working on a more effective solution" which given that the question was about hos to get rid of it permently. That ahs to sound promising.

Ah, I'm glad they're at least considering doing something about it, it is annoying. I know I have the option to press red if I choose, I don't need reminding every 10 to 15 minutes.

It did indeed happen after the programme guide was updated. I started a topic here in the hope someone knew how to get rid of it permanently, but no luck.

Matth · 02-02-2006, 22:34

The way it behaved in the previous version made sense...

For a short time after selecting a channel with "press red" content, and for a short time at the start of a program with particular "press red" content.

On BBC1 and 2, it now keeps going on and off for no good reason at all.