[ExUltimateTV]

I know parental controls aren't the highest priority for many people here, but for those of us with families, this issue is very important.

The locking mechanism is inappropriate. My only options are to unlock everything for 4 hours or forever. I can't unlock one particular program for my son (say, that has strong language), while protecting him from changing the channel to inappropriate programs (say, hard core sex).

UltimateTV structured the options better: you unlocked just one show or all shows, and then you unlocked "until power off," or forever. The 4 hour time window is aribitrary and is either too short or too long.

While I'm at it, there's an ease of use issue here. Why are the titles blocked? I have to unlock the unit just to browse? That's silly. Let us see the titles, but only when trying to view the show do we have to unlock them.

 

[Meklos]

I've seen some pretty inappropriate titles on channels in the 590s. They're probably playing it safe.

 

[Doug Brott]

I know parental controls aren't the highest priority for many people here, but for those of us with families, this issue is very important.

The locking mechanism is inappropriate. My only options are to unlock everything for 4 hours or forever. I can't unlock one particular program for my son (say, that has strong language), while protecting him from changing the channel to inappropriate programs (say, hard core sex).

UltimateTV structured the options better: you unlocked just one show or all shows, and then you unlocked "until power off," or forever. The 4 hour time window is aribitrary and is either too short or too long.

This sounds like a good Wish List item.

While I'm at it, there's an ease of use issue here. Why are the titles blocked? I have to unlock the unit just to browse? That's silly. Let us see the titles, but only when trying to view the show do we have to unlock them.

There have been a few comments here noting that not all titles are blocked as expected. This is something that I believe has been addressed in the release that started today, but I have not seen confirmation yet. Now, regarding the name blocking. I believe that if the show is blocked that blocking the title is also appropriate. "Playing it safe" is a good statement and one that DirecTV should follow in this case.

 

[uteotw]

I think you can just unlock one show. You click on it, if it's locked you "unlock now," and then all others remain locked. This has been my experience, anyway. But if you change channels momentarily and go back, you'll find it locked again.

I liked Tivo's setup better in this regard, and I wish it was more convenient to unlock. That said, it's hardly my biggest concern...

 

[mtnagel]

I think you can just unlock one show. You click on it, if it's locked you "unlock now," and then all others remain locked. This has been my experience, anyway. But if you change channels momentarily and go back, you'll find it locked again.

Yes, if a show is meant to be locked based on your settings, if you press play on it when it's highlighted, then you will get a message to just unlock that show. If you go and do something else, you have to unlock it again.

I liked Tivo's setup better in this regard, and I wish it was more convenient to unlock. That said, it's hardly my biggest concern...

Well, you can do it like TiVo because it has the unlock for 4 hour thing, just like Tivo. Although I guess it is different because Tivo's would extend the four hours every time you used the remote. With the HR20, if you do the unlock for 4 hours, it is only for 4 hours. I'm pretty sure I've seen it ask if you want to extend that, but maybe I'm going crazy. I normally just do it on a show by show basis.

 

[mtnagel]

While I'm at it, there's an ease of use issue here. Why are the titles blocked? I have to unlock the unit just to browse? That's silly. Let us see the titles, but only when trying to view the show do we have to unlock them.

There have been a few comments here noting that not all titles are blocked as expected. This is something that I believe has been addressed in the release that started today, but I have not seen confirmation yet. Now, regarding the name blocking. I believe that if the show is blocked that blocking the title is also appropriate. "Playing it safe" is a good statement and one that DirecTV should follow in this case.

That was probably me. And I think it's great that it blocks the titles, because some of the titles are pretty inappropriate and this way, they don't even know what they're missing . But, in my experience, it only blocks TV-MA titles even though I have some TV-14 content blocked (S and D I believe), so maybe because I'm not blocking all TV-14 stuff. Although, I have R blocked and it doesn't block the titles on those.

Plus, it still gives you the channels and times, so I can usually figure it out without unblocking the title. But then I don't record that much porn, maybe you do

Oh, and while I'm typing about parental controls, there was a bug, that maybe is fixed, that if you have a group of shows that should be blocked, if you highlight the group, on the top, it will show the title without unlocking it. I reported it, so hopefully that was fixed.

 

[Milominderbinder2]

I know parental controls aren't the highest priority for many people here, but for those of us with families, this issue is very important.

The locking mechanism is inappropriate. My only options are to unlock everything for 4 hours or forever. I can't unlock one particular program for my son (say, that has strong language), while protecting him from changing the channel to inappropriate programs (say, hard core sex).

BAMM! It's in there! Just go to that show that you want to unlock for your son. It will ask for your code. Give it. Now just that one show will be unlocked. I use this when I am fine with them watching one movie on TNT but do not want them to be able to see the next.

UltimateTV structured the options better: you unlocked just one show or all shows, and then you unlocked "until power off," or forever. The 4 hour time window is aribitrary and is either too short or too long.

I would prefer it to be until power off like my TiVo. That way no matter how long I keep watching after the kids are in bed, it stays unlocked. I would like to see this change for better ease of use:
Change Parental Control Unlock 4 Hrs to Unlock until power off.

While I'm at it, there's an ease of use issue here. Why are the titles blocked? I have to unlock the unit just to browse? That's silly. Let us see the titles, but only when trying to view the show do we have to unlock them.

Parental control in 00xFA is really broken. I hope your 00x104 is better. My son did a Search and it returned titles in the 590's with words I do not want to have to explain yet. Even though parental control were on, it did not block those titles in the Search.

There are even mainstream movies Like 40 Year Old Virgin that I do not want to have to explain. Look at the titles on TNT, O, Comedy, and Real let alone many HBO. I am just saying the titles, not even the descriptions.

Did 00x104 help with the other Parental Control problems?
Titles and descriptions were blocked in the Guide but not in My Playlist or after a search.

I hope that they got that fixed...

- Craig

 

[ExUltimateTV]

BAMM! It's in there! Just go to that show that you want to unlock for your son.

Um, I suspect you haven't tried it, because that won't work. Really.

If the HR20 is locked, then you don't know what the show is BECAUSE THE TITLE IS BLOCKED. So, youI have to unlock the whole unit, find the show and remember where/when it is, then lock the unit, then re-select the show and unlock it.

That's not user friendly.

Blocking titles isn't safer, it's just broken. If you're trying to hide the word "Virgin" from you child, then I guess you're not going to church to hear all about "The Virgin Mary," for instance.

 

[Meklos]

If you're trying to hide the word "Virgin" from you child, then I guess you're not going to church to hear all about "The Virgin Mary," for instance.

And while that may seem overboard or extreme for you, there are people out there who feel their children are not ready for the topic, and are not Catholic.

For example, this title probably wouldn't be a good one to have listed, although I'm sure every child has heard every word individually in the title.

 

[911medic]

And while that may seem overboard or extreme for you, there are people out there who feel their children are not ready for the topic, and are not Catholic.

For example, this title probably wouldn't be a good one to have listed, although I'm sure every child has heard every word individually in the title.

Absolutely. I'm all for blocking titles with inappropriate words in them. But right now (0xFA), it doesn't work right, and blocks some benign titles ("Office Space," for example), while leaving more "adult" titles unblocked, despite having all TV shows over TVPG and all movies over PG blocked.

I think "Office Space" may have been rated TVMA, so that may be why its title is blocked, but there are numerous rated R/very sexually titled shows whose titles remain unblocked. I'd prefer to NOT have to explain to my 7 and 10 year old what shows like "Best Sex Ever," etc., are about.

Here's hoping the "Improvements to Parental Controls" fixes this in the latest release.

 

[ExUltimateTV]

Anyone who's actually tried unlocking individual shows will quickly find out that it just isn't practical. Since the title is blocked, you don't know which show to unlock, so you end up having to unlock everything.

I'm sorry, but if you're worried about your kid being able to read "virgin" or "butt" or even "sex," then you're in denial. Kids can't read words they don't already know. Blocking titles ends up making it that much harder to prevent our children from being exposed to things they're really not ready for. Like prohibition, it's counter-productive.

 

[ptighe]

Maybe D* could offer this as an option? When selecting to block all TV-MA or R shows, there's a separate box that will also block the title from the guide. That way each party can use it as they wish, I can't imagine it'd be that difficult to code.

 

[Meklos]

Anyone who's actually tried unlocking individual shows will quickly find out that it just isn't practical. Since the title is blocked, you don't know which show to unlock, so you end up having to unlock everything.

I'm sorry, but if you're worried about your kid being able to read "virgin" or "butt" or even "sex," then you're in denial. Kids can't read words they don't already know. Blocking titles ends up making it that much harder to prevent our children from being exposed to things they're really not ready for. Like prohibition, it's counter-productive.

Wait a minute, on one hand you're arguing for an easier way to manage Parental Control (a mechanism to restrict something) but at the same time saying that restricting something is counter-productive, like prohibition?

D* has made the decision that if the show meets the criteria for it to be restricted, for the episode not to be viewable at that privilege level, that the episode title will also be not viewable.

I'm sorry if that infringes on your time, makes it take too long for you to do your parental duties, but that's the decision they have made. And for one, I agree with taking the safe route. Those words by themselves aren't a problem... using them in certain phrases that require explanations are the problem. You know that just as well as I do.

Blocking titles means that it takes longer to do it. If you choose to give up and just unlock it out of laziness, that isn't D*'s problem. That's your problem.

 

[mtnagel]

As I said before, it still gives you the time and day it recorded it and the channel, so I can always figure something out if the title is blocked. Maybe you're recording too much porn

 

[ExUltimateTV]

Jeez, sorry to have touched a nerve folks - there's no need to zing me here (although I can't figure out which is worse, being accused of being a Christian or being accused of recording too much porn). Or, maybe it's just that some of you assume one goes with the other.

Time and day isn't enough information: Quick: what's blocked on an HBO channel at 8PM PST for one hour on a Friday? Could be anything from a "Real Sex" show for East Coast people to an episode of "Deadwood" to a documentary on the first Gulf War.

As for me being lazy - guilty as charged. I'm sorry if you don't feel that D* should make their customer's lives easy. I guess you'll be getting rid of your HR20, since time-shifting exists only to make your life easier, eh?

As for the title-blocking option, that's the best suggestion I've heard. I hope D* is listening. Oh, and while they're at it, please add a "unlock until power off" option, too.

 

[911medic]

I'm sorry, but if you're worried about your kid being able to read "virgin" or "butt" or even "sex," then you're in denial. Kids can't read words they don't already know. Blocking titles ends up making it that much harder to prevent our children from being exposed to things they're really not ready for.

That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time. "Kids can't read words they don't already know." Thanks for the laugh!

:nono2: