TVGUARDIAN cleans up television language
Profanity and offensive language is becoming common in our culture and in our entertainment. Words that were shocking to hear over the airwaves several decades ago are now heard during primetime family television programs. For many these offensive words reduce what otherwise are enjoyable or serious programs. In 1997, Rick Bray invented TVGuardian (TVG) to counteract offensive words in movies or television programs.
TVGuardian is a patented technology that reads the closed captioning embedded in television programs and many recorded movies. When it detects one of the 150 words in their dictionary of offensive language, the television is automatically muted and a suitable substituted is presented in a printed text on the screen. So, for instance, if someone says, “Get the h— out of here!” TVG mutes that phrase and replaces it with closed captioning that reads, “Let’s get out of here!” In other cases, words are substituted. “Move your a–!” for instance, becomes “Move your tail!”
TVGuardian works on HDTV with HDMI support. TVGuardian install is quick, plugging into your television and cable/satellite box. The unit is controlled by a simple remote control and has four different audience/filter settings: Kids (strict), Family (moderate), Parent (tolerant) and Other (religious off). TVGuardian will filter out any reference to a Deity, so for religious programming, turn the religious setting off. Since its intent is to identify and remove/replace offensive language, TVGuardian doesn’t filter out scenes of sex, nudity or violence.
TVGuardian is very accurate. According to the website, it has a better than 95% accuracy rate and, in most movies and television programs, it catches 100% of offensive language. It may miss a word from time-to-time if an error exists in the hidden closed captioning and it does not identify the context of the program’s language. In one show I watched, the doctors were talking about the ‘sex’ of a baby and TVGuardian replaced it with ‘hugs.’
TVGuaridian units are available for purchase or rent at www.tvguardian.com. Or call 1-800-298-5618.
