Guideline for Setting Up Parental Controls on Various Smart TVs: Samsung, Google TV, Roku, and Others
In the realm of smart TVs, parental controls play a crucial role in keeping children safe from inappropriate content. Here's a comparison of parental control features on Roku TV, Google TV, and Samsung Tizen OS.
Roku TV
Roku TV's parental controls are primarily set up online via the Roku account at my.roku.com/signin. The controls focus on purchases and channel additions, with a four-digit PIN for security. However, Roku TV does not offer TV-specific content restriction or program blocking features directly on the device. For more information on blocking content, Roku users can refer to the support page titled "How to block content using parental controls."
Google TV
Google TV offers one of the widest and most advanced parental control systems for TVs. Parents can set content filters based on ratings, restrict apps, control screen time, and manage individual profiles with tailored access to apps and content. To set up parental controls, open Settings (either via a button on the remote or by clicking up on the home screen and pressing the gear icon), then navigate to System, and finally to Parental Controls (located below System Sounds and above Gesture Control).
Samsung Tizen OS
Samsung’s Tizen OS parental control features include program rating locks that hide content on Samsung’s free channels based on content ratings and allow app hiding with PIN protection. The controls can restrict both apps and programs, but they are noted as less robust than Google TV’s system. To set up parental controls, open Settings (either via a button on the remote or by clicking up on the home screen and pressing the gear icon), then navigate to General & Privacy, and then Parental Settings.
Other Options
LG TVs also have parental controls, but specific features may vary. For more information and updates on smart TV news, how-tos, and reviews, users can follow Tom's Guide on Google News.
In sum, Roku’s parental controls are the most basic, focusing on purchases and channel additions via a PIN online, lacking fine-grained content or app restrictions. Samsung Tizen provides moderate parental controls mainly through program rating locks and app hiding with PIN. Google TV stands out with the most comprehensive parental control suite, including content filtering, app restrictions, screen time, and profile management.
[Table: Comparison of Parental Controls on Popular Smart TV Platforms]
| Feature | Roku TV | Google TV | Samsung Tizen OS | |---------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| | Content Restrictions | No direct content blocking; PIN for purchases & channel additions | Full content filtering by rating, app restrictions, screen time limits | Program rating lock on Samsung free channels; app hiding with PIN | | Parental Controls Setup | Via Roku account online (my.roku.com/signin) | Built into Google TV device settings | Settings menu > General & Privacy > Parental Settings | | App Restrictions | Can't restrict apps individually | Can restrict/block apps | Can hide apps with PIN | | Profile Management | Not available | Multiple profiles with parental control | Not available | | PIN Protection | Yes, for purchases & store access | Yes, for content and app management | Yes, for content & apps |
While each smart TV platform offers parental controls, their effectiveness varies. Roku TV focuses on security for purchases and channel additions, but lacks direct content or app restrictions. Google TV excels with comprehensive controls, including content filtering, app restrictions, screen time, and profile management. Samsung Tizen OS provides moderate controls through program rating locks and app hiding with PIN. For LG TVs, specific features may differ, and updates can be found on Tom's Guide via Google News. In terms of shopping, users can consider including fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden items, or even pets' essentials when browsing online stores. Lastly, for travel enthusiasts, checking out the latest deals on cars for road trips or booking flights to new destinations could make the journey even more exciting.
