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Home -> Articles -> TV Parental Control
Let's face it, there are some things on TV that children are better off not watching. There are many parents that would like to censor what their kids watch on television, but are left wondering what options they have. There are many electronic devices and parental controls that can help parents control what channels and content their children watch. First, let's start with the V-Chip. The V-Chip understands television program ratings and blocks programs based upon the rating level selected. All TV sets that are 13 inches or larger are required to incorporate the V-Chip technology. Parents set rating levels so that certain TV shows need a password to be viewed. For more information on the V-Chip and program ratings visit the FCC V-Chip site. Several cable and satellite companies offer parental control options. They allow specific channels to be blocked so that they cannot be viewed. For example you can block the MTV channel so that when you are flipping through the channels you will not even get the option to watch. These companies also offer the ability to block shows based on language, violence, nudity, and rating levels. This offers more flexibility than the V-Chip. For example, you could block all TV-MA (Mature Audience Only -- may be unsuitable for children under 17) programming and block all television shows that have strong language. Please visit the following sites for more information on parental control technology.
Dish Network TV Parental Control Information Page for the Dish Network. The TV-Guardian is another electronic device to help with parental control. This device automatically detects bad language and mutes TV sound so that you do not hear the offensive words. The technology works by reading the closed caption transcripts and monitors the dialogue against a list of "bad words." It is not perfect in the fact that it sometimes mutes the sound longer than just the offensive word. It also will occasionally miss an offensive word because the transcript is not synchronized with the sound. With that said, it is still highly accurate and an excellent resource for parents wanting to watch television with their kids without offensive language. Clearplay is another exciting new technology that offers parental control options for watching DVDs. Clearplay offers the ability to selectively fast forward the movie during violence and nudity scenes. It also will mute the sound during offensive language. This technology is very precise because Clearplay has editors pre-screen each movie and create timestamps for specific scenes during the movie. Depending on what you as a parent select to filter out will determine which part of the movie gets "skipped." The cool thing about Clearplay is it does not alter the DVD, so you can go rent a rated R movie from the video store, watch a toned down PG version, and return the unaltered DVD back to the store. There are several options for TV parental control. If you find yourself frustrated with TV and movie content try some of the above options. I myself use them and find them a valuable tool in parenting. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to use some of these parental control devices. It is time well spent.
Question: I am a new customer with Dish Network and want to use parental controls on my TV. I noticed on the Dish Network website that they have a phone number to call if the password is lost. As a parent of older children, my concern is that one of them might call that number to obtain the password. Do you know how easy it is to obtain a "lost" password? Liz, Corpus Christi TX Answer: I get a lot of question about this. I believe that only the name that is on the billing statement can reset the parental password. So you children would have to get the customer service rep to believe that it is you. This would take some "smooth" talking. regardless, you will know quickly as your password would now be different.
Question: Is there a system that we can use with the Dish Network to block shows that we choose to block? For example can I program the Dish to block "Two and a Half Men" or "The Simpsons" ? Tony, Pottstown PA Answer: Good question. However, the answer is no. Dish allows you to block programs based off ratings or channels, but not specific shows. The only option you have is to determine the rating of a specific show and then block that rating or to block the channel of the specific show.
Question: Why should violence on TV only be shown after 10:00p.m.? Gino, Texas Answer: Violence is shown on TV 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Stations such as NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX are regulated by the FCC and therefore have to adhere to specific rules on violence, langauge, and nudity. However, I know of no rule that allows specific "violent" shows after a certain time.
Question: Is it possible to lock a tv so that NO television can be watched without a parent "unlocking" the tv? Elizabeth, Greenville, SC Answer: Not that I am aware of, as most televisions have a process in the instruction manual to reset the lock without a password.
Question: What Channels do you typically block for kids under the age of 10 years? Jason, Windsor Colorado Answer: I block MTV, E, Toon Network, and Nickelodeon channels. I also block all shows with language, violence, and nudity. I block Toon network and Nickelodeon mostly because of the commercials. They advertise heavily to kids and also seem to tease kids into watching MTV.
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