BBC adds green button programme restart for smart TVs

The BBC has added live-programme restart for its channels on smart TVs, which users can access by pressing the green button on their remote.

Viewers are now able to watch BBC programmes from the beginning while they’re still being broadcast by pressing the green button, which loads the BBC iPlayer and automatically starts the show over.

The new feature is available now across BBC One and BBC One HD, BBC Two and BBC Two HD, BBC Four. The BBC said it will also roll it out to BBC Four HD in the future.

“Live restart is one of BBC iPlayer’s most valued features, and we’ve now made it even easier to access from our broadcast TV channels,” said head of BBC iPlayer, Dan Taylor-Watt.

“We’re hoping pressing the green button to restart will become a natural part of watching TV, much as pressing the red button has for millions of people each week.”

Live restart is already available on the BBC iPlayer for the web, mobile and connected TV and the BBC estimates that more than half of people watching BBC iPlayer live on TVs use live restart.

The launch of green button restart is designed to make it easier for all viewers to use this functionality, with a small graphic appearing on-screen to prompt viewers to restart a show when they switch on to a BBC channel.

This prompt is similar to the red button icon that already appears on BBC channels, which allows viewers to click to access extra content.