How to Set Up Parental Lock with DIRECTV Satellite TV

DIRECTV satellite TV transmits all kinds of programs, some of which may not be appropriate for children. Parents, as a result, may not want their kids to watch such programs. DIRECTV supports the parental lock mechanism to enable parents and guardians to restrict television viewing for the young. Selective programs and entire channels can be password protected. In addition, parents might want their kids to watch television only for a specific length of time--this can also be set with the parental lock mechanism.

Instructions

1. Turn on your television and press the Menu button on the remote.

2. A menu will appear on the TV screen. Select Parental >> Edit Settings.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions. You will have options such as ratings, channel blocks, hours, and spending. Every pay-per-view movie has a rating. You can block movies based on the ratings. Channel blocks allow you to block complete access to specific channels. Hours allow you to limit viewing hours, and the Spending functionality limits spending on pay-per-view movies.

4. Choose Lock Now after you have made your selection. The system will prompt you for your PIN (Personal Identification Number). This is given to you when you buy the service. If you do not have the PIN (or have lost it) call customer service and request another PIN.

5. Enter the PIN. The parental lock is now set up.

Tips & Warnings

• The system manual gives step-by-step information about parental locking.

• The DIRECTV Web site has a page dedicated to Parental Controls. Access this page by clicking the Parental Controls link in the Quick Links section below the main menu to the left of the screen.

• Along with the information about parental locks, there are links to videos about the same. URLs of additional resources to parental lock are also given.

• Keep your PIN safe. Without it you cannot set the parental lock or access locked channels.