sky movie channels and a pin code?

[frogstamper]

Admittedly its a pain in the backside having to enter a PIN whenever you change movie channels, having said that I'd rather have this palava and be able to watch a 15 or 18 film day or night than go back to the way it used to be.

[jab1990]

Those were the good times. Pressing the red button in hope that the pin box would appear.
And when it didn't you have reset the box whereby you miss the start of the film.
On that note i am looking forward to sky interactive features.

[nstokes]

it seems sky family doesnt require the pin, i went on it about 4-5 times yesterday and didnt ask for the pin, this was before 10pm

[jab1990]

Sky family has never asked for pin. They only show kids films. ie pg

[RamJet]

well - currently showing in the afternoon ( 16.00-18.00)(Sunday 1st Aug) on the horror channel (VM-149) is Stephen King's The Stand

www.digiguide.co.uk has this rated as a 15 ? ?

so unless someone has made a mistake is seems it's actually OK to show 15s throughout the day without any of the nanny-state PIN requirements and we have been entirely mislead that this is an 'OFCOM' requirement

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by RamJet

well - currently showing in the afternoon ( 16.00-18.00)(Sunday 1st Aug) on the horror channel (VM-149) is Stephen King's The Stand

www.digiguide.co.uk has this rated as a 15 ? ?

so unless someone has made a mistake is seems it's actually OK to show 15s throughout the day without any of the nanny-state PIN requirements and we have been entirely mislead that this is an 'OFCOM' requirement

It is an Ofcom requirment, so someone did make a mistake.

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/bin...9/section1.pdf section 1.24 and 1.25 (go to the 7th page of the PDF, or page 13 according to the page numbers)

[dohertwhy]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

It is an Ofcom requirment, so someone did make a mistake.

Im willing to bet that the stand has been cut to bits on the horror channel to get a lower rating.

Same can be said for Syfy, they show Angel and Smallville in the afternoon not protected by a PIN because its been cut to bits(by atleast 4 minute most times). so maybe thats how they get round not needing a PIN.

[RamJet]

it's not very likely that the horror channel would make a mistake - I've checked & the whole series of The Stand is showing in the afternoons and each episode is rated 15 on www.digiguide.co.uk

I suspect either the regulations have changed or perhaps more likely that VM have misread the regulations and have mislead all of us

come to think of it - I think I recall that when the regulations came in seeing one or 2 - 15 rated films on Satellite Channels during the day

well VM - time to come clean & drop the unrequired & unnecessary PIN requirement for 15 rated films which so annoys all of us

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by RamJet

it's not very likely that the horror channel would make a mistake - I've checked & the whole series of The Stand is showing in the afternoons and each episode is rated 15 on www.digiguide.co.uk

I suspect either the regulations have changed or perhaps more likely that VM have misread the regulations and have mislead all of us

come to think of it - I think I recall that when the regulations came in seeing one or 2 - 15 rated films on Satellite Channels during the day

well VM - time to come clean & drop the unrequired & unnecessary PIN requirement for 15 rated films which so annoys all of us

The guidelines I posted are dated December 2009. They do not appear to have changed since then. So yes, it would appear to be a mistake.

And, I have reproduced the text from section 1.24.

Premium subscription film services may broadcast up to BBFC 15-rated films or
their equivalent, at any time of day provided that mandatory restricted access is
in place pre-2000 and post-0530.
In addition, those security systems which are in place to protect children must
be clearly explained to all subscribers

A pin protection system is used to enforce "mandatory restricted access".

That phrasing seems fairly unambiguous to me..

Anyway, what's more likely? The Horror channel would incorrectly tag something as not requiring a pin (which the cynic in me would like to point out may get them more viewers) or that VM would deliberately enforce a restriction they don't need to, and would actually cause them grief (winding up the customers is something no company should do easily).

[spiderplant]

Premium subscription film services may broadcast up to BBFC 15-rated films or
their equivalent, at any time of day provided that mandatory restricted access is
in place pre-2000 and post-0530.

The answer lies in there. The Horror Channel is not a premium subscription film service. Neither is Film4, which often shows things pre-watershed that would have to be PIN protected if shown on Sky Movies.

edit: ooh, 3000 posts! What do I win?

[VirginMediaPhil]

I'm not sure what's happened since the rebrand but certainly before the rebrand wasn't it Sky Movies 9 and 10 that required the PIN to show 15 and 18 certificate films from 1-5pm?

[RamJet]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

A pin protection system is used to enforce "mandatory restricted access".

That phrasing seems fairly unambiguous to me..

I'm not at all sure - I think it's very ambiguous & for this reason

it would cover 2 situations >>>>>

1. the current lazy system VM have put in whereby each-and-every-subscription-film-channel-your-surf-to needs the pin put in time and time again

2. a superior system whereby VM do the software-code so the adult-pin-person could turn off the Pin requirement til say midnight when the Pin-requirment could kick in again for the next day

BOTH could be defined as a Mandatory Restricted Access system !

nanny-state-lazy-VM-nanny-state-lazy-VM grrrrrrr !

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by RamJet

2. a superior system whereby VM do the software-code so the adult-pin-person could turn off the Pin requirement til say midnight when the Pin-requirment could kick in again for the next day

That would contravene Ofcom requirements.

Originally Posted by Ofcom

Meaning of "mandatory restricted access":
Mandatory restricted access means there is a PIN protected system (or other equivalent protection) which cannot be removed by the user, that restricts access solely to those authorised to view.

(My bold)

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by RamJet

I'm not at all sure - I think it's very ambiguous & for this reason

it would cover 2 situations >>>>>

1. the current lazy system VM have put in whereby each-and-every-subscription-film-channel-your-surf-to needs the pin put in time and time again

2. a superior system whereby VM do the software-code so the adult-pin-person could turn off the Pin requirement til say midnight when the Pin-requirment could kick in again for the next day

BOTH could be defined as a Mandatory Restricted Access system !

nanny-state-lazy-VM-nanny-state-lazy-VM grrrrrrr !

1... It's not lazy. it's a restriction of the current software. Things may change with the new TIVO middleware later this year/early 2011 for non watershed films

2... not allowed as per Ofcom regulations, so not VM's fault


3.. chill out

---------- Post added at 21:49 ---------- Previous post was at 21:45 ----------

Originally Posted by VirginMediaPhil

I'm not sure what's happened since the rebrand but certainly before the rebrand wasn't it Sky Movies 9 and 10 that required the PIN to show 15 and 18 certificate films from 1-5pm?

Sky changed it to all Sky Movie channel, except Family

[Hom3r]

Originally Posted by RamJet

my children and all grown up and living away from home - ie there are NO under 18s in my household

why can't OFCOM -

1. allow me to register my set-top box and being in an 'adult' household and allow me to turn OFF the PIN requirment

or 2. allow a 1/2 way house whereby I can turn OFF the PIN requirment for say 24 hours - it then kicks back in - and I could turn it off again

the real problem is that every time you try to change film channels - you have to put that ****ed PIN number in again and again and again

I like 'surfing' the channels up-and-down - cant do this with Movie Channels in day or early evening

and er er let me get this right - I am the one who is paying the bills for a service which is less that satisfactory ! ! !

time for the new govt to reform this old fashioned-nanny-state-way-of-treating-the-british-people ? ?

Because yo might let underaged persons what stuff they shouldn't, I'm in the same boat, it sucks, plus there is no way I would let my sisters kids watch unsuitable programmes.

It basically boils down to 2 words "NANNY STATE"

---------- Post added at 21:53 ---------- Previous post was at 21:51 ----------

The pin is also on any programme that is recorded after the watershed, It winds me up, even on terrestial TV.

OFCOM suck..