LYCOS RETRIEVER 
V-Chip: Tv Ratings
built 235 days ago
The V-Chip (which stands for ViewControl, not Violence), that venerable protector of children's morals nationwide, will soon spawn an upgraded version that is scheduled to start appearing in digital sets on March 15th. According to an FCC mandate, all 16:9 DTVs 7.8-inches or greater in height plus 4:3 models with at least 13-inch diagonals must incorporate the digital V-Chip, or "v.gis," which unlike its analog counterpart, can be adapted to modified future rating systems and ... fine tuned with regards to its filtering system. The v.gis chip was designed by Tim Collings, the same man who invented its predecessor, and who draws criticism from the Consumer Electronics Association because of his ownership in companies that essentially have a government-granted monopoly over this mandatory tech (which, of course, must be licensed by CEA members). That's why you may have noticed an unusual number of "public service announcements" on TV lately touting the wonders of the current V-Chip- they are actually part of a larger public relations campaign by the CEA, MPAA, and others to build up support against v.gis specifically and the expansion of the technology in general.
Source:
If you need assistance in setting up the V-Chip, you will need to contact the manufacturer of your TV for the instructions on V-Chip operation. You will know if your TV is V-Chipped if it has the V-Chip option displayed somewhere within the menus.
Source:
The next step was to have the V-Chip commercialized. So Tri-Vision and Professor Collings worked together to put out the first commercial V-Chip product which was a Set-Top decoder that was capable of handling multiple informational schemes and ... able to operate with existing TV technology. The decoder was shown to the public at the Canadian Cable TV Convention in Edmonton, Alberta in 1997. After that it was then shown at the US Cable Convention in Nashville, Tennessee that same year.
Source:
Collings proceeded to develop a technological solution - the V-Chip. 1991 marked his first testing of the chip, which, when installed in a TV set, would permit viewers to customize their sets accordingly.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Tv Ratings