Parental Ratings

[CodeMonkey]

I have begun thinking of a good way to add parental ratings to MP. I see in the DVB EPG code where we can get the Parental Rating Descriptor (tag 0x55 in the EIT) but currently that information is not stored. But based on the DVB spec you can have numerous different ratings per program, one per country code. And for each country code there is a minimum age suggested for the program (range of 3 - 18 years old). I then looked at what XMLTV puts in their file and I see various 'rating system' entries including VCHIP and MPAA which seems to use similar 'PG' style ratings, and one called 'advisory' which uses descriptors such as 'Adult Situations' and 'Mild Violence' for example (these are probably in different languages based on locale?).

So my thoughts on this are:

1) Keep one rating per program. I like the age concept that DVB uses so I would keep that. In the EPG or parental ratings configuration set your country code of choice so the EPG parser would know which one to use. And map the VCHIP rating system categories in XMLTV to an age number (G = 3 and PG-13 = 13 for example) since VCHIP I'm guessing appears in the XMLTV files everywhere?

2) Put the onus on the client to enforce the parental ratings if they choose to. The client would store the pin code and check (by means of a call to the TV Server or maybe just checking the data for the program from the EPG - this new ratings data would need to be added to the EPG data) if this program is allowed. Allow PIN code override or however the client wishes to handle it (if at all).

Does this make sense? I guess I'm looking for input on any glaring high level design mistakes before I start trying to hack this into the server code.

Any comments, flames, suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

[gemx]

Also had a look at this.
Can be a bit complicated to map the different rating systems to one system but might be possible. Also found the special parental rating descriptor for DISH/BEV which uses MPAA rating system.
Will try to have a closer look next week

[CodeMonkey]

So DISH/BEV do not use the standard DVB parental rating descriptor? Why am I not surprised. I was going to put some code in to dump out that descriptor but maybe now I won't have to How does DISH/BEV do it?

[gemx]

They transmit the parental rating (MPAA style) and the star rating in one descriptor which is as always with DISH/BEV - a new descriptor tag which is only used by DISH/BEV

[CodeMonkey]

You get anywhere with this yet gemx?

[gemx]

Nearly completed a test version but i am very busy at the moment.
Was hardly a day at home the last days -> business trips
but having this on my todo list

[CodeMonkey]

I know how that is. In fact, I'm on a business trip now in your country! I am in Erlangen

[CodeMonkey]

I was wandering around the Dish website yesterday and found their implementation of Parental Controls as well as the meanings of the ratings. Is this similar to your implementation? Also, any idea when you might be able to check in these changes?

Restrict viewing of programs based on password protected locks:

1. Rating:
• Based on Motion Picture Association of America ratings
• Option to select additional protection based on expanded ratings such as violence, language,
nudity and sexual content

2. Specific Channels:
• Prevent anyone from viewing selected channels unless they enter the correct password
• Lock any channel, including movie channels, Pay-Per-View and local channels

Below are explanations for rating designations:

G - General Audience. All ages admitted. This signifies that the film rated contains nothing most parents
will consider offensive for even their youngest children to see or hear. Nudity, sex scenes and scenes
of drug use are absent; violence is minimal; snippets of dialogue may go beyond polite conversation but
do not go beyond common everyday expressions. All additional ratings are locked out: V, L, N and SC.

PG - Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. This signifies that the film
rated may contain some material parents might not like to expose to their young children - material that
will clearly need to be examined or inquired about before children are allowed to view the film. Explicit
sex scenes and scenes of drug use are absent; nudity, if present, is seen only briefly, horror and violence
do not exceed moderate levels. V and L are allowed but N and SC are still locked out.

PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. This signifies that
the film rated may be inappropriate for pre-teens. Parents should be especially careful about letting
their younger children view the film. Rough or persistent violence is absent; sexually-oriented nudity
is generally absent; some scenes of drug use may be seen; use of harsher sexually derived words may be
heard. V, L and N are open, but SC is still locked out.

R – Restricted. Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian. In the opinion of the Rating Board,
this film definitely contains some adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this
film before they allow their children to accompany them.An R-rated film may include hard language, violence,
nudity within sensual scenes, drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above, so that
parents are counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very seriously. Parents must find out more
about an R-rated movie before they allow their teenagers to view it.

We also use additional ratings of:
V - For Violence, L - For Language, N - For Nudity, SC - For Sexual Content, NR/AO - For Not Rated and Adult Oriented.

[CodeMonkey]

I see changes are going in now. Any chance of your work on this topic getting in soon?

Thanks.

[gemx]

Hi,
i just added grabbing/storing the parental rating from DVB-EPG to database.
At the moment this only works for "standard" parental rating descriptors as specified in the DVB standard.
e.g. Premiere World uses this descriptor in Germany.
I added grabbing the special Dish/BEV parental rating and star rating but as a test this functionality (grabbing parental/star rating for Dish/BEV) is currently only included in the attached TsWriter.
For those who want to try:
- Download the latest TVE3 snapshot. At least rev. 15761 !!!
- Replace the TsWriter.ax (no need to re-register the filter) and start grabbing the epg
Currently there are only additional log entries in TsWriter.log like
"epg: star rating: *+ parental rating: NC-17

@CodeMonkey:
Perhaps you want to give it a try?
BTW Thanks for the DISH 9-day guide patch. I got it from ASiDiE