Industry Initiatives

The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) announced its top 10 members will provide upon request channel blocking technology to any cable customer. This is in response to the “a la carte” issue, if customers can be content with channel blocking, then possibly the a la carte requirement will be lessened.

Initiatives Include

• NCTA www.ControlYourTV.org website
• Cox Take Charge! Campaign
• FCC Parent’s Place
• Comcast Toll Free Parental Control Number
  1-866-781-1888

News Articles

• Broadband Gear Report
• TVCB Parental Controlled Press Release
• TVCB Press Release

 

Different Blocking Methods

Homes With Set-tops

Homes with set-tops, especially digital set-tops, have the ability to block channels and possibly programs.

Complications

• Most homes have 2-3 televisions, set-tops are required for each television and can be costly
• There are approximately 42 million households without set-tops of any kind

Homes Without Set-tops

V-Chip Technology can let parents block TV programming based upon particular ratings.

Complications

• The V-chip exists only in TVs since January 2000
• There is a significant education process (~80% of parents who have TVs with the V-chip are unaware of it). PINs are often forgotten.

Traps (Filters)

May be used to remove a particular channel, or multiple channels

Complications

• Physically installed, any changes to customer's request requires a repeat visits from the installer.
• S tandard inexpensive single channel traps are in lower frequency ranges
• As the frequency increases, either the price of the trap increases or the performance decreases along with the quality of adjacent channels
• Trapping channels in higher frequencies can affect both the audio of the lower adjacent, as well as the video of the upper adjacent channel
• If multiple channels are to be filtered, the signal quality can be greatly diminished