A V-chip for your old television

Bob Shemeligian

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

A year from now, practically all new televisions will be equipped with a V-chip, an electronic device that permits programs with certain codes or ratings to be blocked from the set.

But what about owners of the 200 million existing television sets in America that do not have V-chips?

How are they to ensure that their children don't watch network or cable programs with gratuitous sex or violence when parents are not home?

H. Lee Browne, president of Soundview Technologies Inc., has what he considers to be the answer: the $50 V Chip Converter.

"This device allows people the advantages of V-chip technology without having to go out and spend a lot of money on a new television set," Browne said Thursday, the opening day of Winter Consumer Electronics Show.

The V-chip works similar to "closed captioning" for the hearing impaired. The device receives a signal that tells it the rating of a particular program, and depending on how the chip is programmed, it either lets the signal through or scrambles it.

President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Bill last February creating a federal mandate requiring all new televisions with screens 13 inches or greater in size to contain circuitry which will enable the viewer to block certain programs.

The law stipulates the V-chip must be in new televisions by February 1998, but officials of Soundview Technologies suggested that broadcasters probably will begin altering television signals to signal V-chips as early as this fall.

David Schmidt, vice president of the Greenwich, Conn., telecommunications design firm, explained that the Federal Communications Commission is now considering whether to implement a television parental guidelines proposed by Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

The guidelines are similar to the rating system developed by the Motion Picture Association of America for films.

* Y -- Children's programs suitable for the entire family.

* Y-7 -- Programs suitable for ages 7 and older.

* TV-G -- Suitable for all ages.

* TV-PG -- Parental guidance accepted.

* TV-14 -- Suggested for those ages 14 and older.

* TV-M -- For mature audiences.

If the FCC approves the TV Parental Guidelines, it could be a matter of just a few months before local stations between transmitting V-chip signals.

"This is where our product fits in," Schmidt said. "There are 200 million television sets in America that do not have V-chips. With our product, a consumer can spend about $50 to retrofit his existing TV. He wouldn't have to buy a new one with a V-chip."

Even the consumer who purchases a new television set with a V-chip for the living room might want to consider retrofitting his old television for use in another part of the house -- such as the children's playroom.

But what if an enterprising computer-savvy kid decides to simply unplug the converter when Mom and Dad are not home?

"If that happens, the converter box detects it and turns off the television," Schmidt said. "There's also a signal light on the box to let Mom and Dad know that the box had been turned off -- and then, boy, the kids have some explaining to do when Mom and Day come home."

Browne and Schmidt say the V Chip Converter should be available in retail outlets by this fall.

At the Winter CES this week, officials from Soundview Technologies are meeting with others in the telecommunications industry to consider different approaches on how to best market the product.

"We're exploring all options," Schmidt said.