However, for older boxes from about 2006-2014, the red button was mainly used for guide functions in conjunction with three other colored buttons, much like Sky Digital the newest remote that DirecTV has started to offer alongside their new 'Genie' whole-home DVR only has the red button, while the other buttons' functions were relegated to other keys.

The United States' DirecTV satellite service utilizes the Red Button in certain interactive capacities, such as for instance, bringing up the 'ScoreGuide', a list of sports matches and scores being played at that instant, on a sports network like ESPN. Hong Kong's TVB uses the Red Button to access TVBar, an interactive service on TVB Finance & Information Channel and TVB J2. For example, when the 2006 FIFA World Cup was aired, viewers could choose to view matches from multiple camera angles, or hear an alternate commentary. The feature also enables several different feeds from an event, thereby enabling viewers to select between events or sporting matches that may be taking place simultaneously. Pop Idol used the red button as a voting device.

Sky UK previously used a video of a dog and a duck playing together and saying 'press the red button' to promote the red button to its viewers.

Red button