#Remote buttons license#
While companies like LG and Samsung have long designed TV remote controls to their own liking, TV makers that license smart TV operating systems have much less freedom.
#Remote buttons free#
Including a button for its own collection of free streaming channels, Vizio's 2021 remote features a whopping seven branded shortcut buttons.ĭisputed territory: Smart TV platform remotes Not every company is that constrained, though. Remotes from both LG and Samsung feature dedicated buttons for their respective ad-supported streaming services, with Samsung notably only giving branded buttons to two other streaming services (Netflix and Prime Video).
Netflix, for instance, has for years forced device makers to include a branded button in order to get access to its app, according to industry insiders.Īnd while TV makers were long happy to just take the extra revenue, they're increasingly looking to compete with their own streaming services. However, as streaming services grow, these buttons have also become part of numerous turf wars. The Chinese smart TV maker ships some of its 2021 TVs with a remote that has six branded buttons for streaming services, including not only Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, but also free streaming service Tubi as well as relative newcomers Disney+ and Peacock.īranded buttons like these have long been paid product placements, with streaming services paying around $1 per remote to put their brand closer to a consumer's fingertips. Fast forward a decade, and those shortcut buttons are ubiquitous - and multiplying. It's been 10 years since Netflix first partnered with makers of streaming devices and smart TVs to add a dedicated Netflix button to their remote controls. There are more branded buttons on this year's TVs than ever, giving us a taste of the conflicts behind the scenes.
The new crop of 2021 TV remotes also perfectly encapsulates the conflicts and power struggles in the TV industry, from streaming services vying for attention to voice assistant platforms' fierce competition. LG's remotes come with built-in NFC to transfer videos from mobile devices to the TV, and Samsung's remotes incorporate solar cells that are meant to reduce battery waste. Don't touch that dial: As TV manufacturers are unveiling their 2021 models at this year's virtual CES, they're also giving us a first look at the remote controls that will be shipping with those big, shiny and smart TV sets.
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