As a parent or guardian it’s one of your most important jobs to ensure your kids are watching safe and age appropriate content on DStv. You can’t safeguard them if you don’t know how to set up DStv parental controls effectively.
With more TV shows, movies and online content available than ever before your kids may accidentally stumble upon shows or channels not meant for their age.
Luckily DStv has a feature called parental controls that gives you peace of mind by allowing you to control what your kids can access.
By using DStv’s parental controls you can limit your kids viewing choices and block out any inappropriate content. This step by step guide will take you through the process of setting up the DStv parental controls.
You’ll learn how to access decoder settings, select the right parental control options, set a PIN for security, customise channel restrictions, save your changes and test your settings to make sure they work.
It’s easy and it’s a must have to have full control over what your kids watch on DStv.
How to Set Up DStv Parental Controls Effectively
Setting up DStv parental controls is easy and will ensure your kids only watch content suitable for their age. Follow these steps to protect your family and customise your DStv experience.
Access Decoder Settings
The first step to setting up DStv parental controls is to access the decoder settings. If you have a DStv Explora or HD decoder press the Blue ‘DStv’ button on your remote.
This will bring up the DStv menu on your screen. If you have another type of decoder press the Menu button to go to the settings menu. This will be the starting point for your parental control settings.
Now go to Parental Control. Here you can set up restrictions so your kids can only watch age appropriate content.
It’s easy but make sure you follow the steps.
Parental Control Options
Once you get to the settings menu, you need to select parental control options. Here you can choose the level of control you want. DStv lets you choose the PG rating based on your child’s age.
You can choose from PG, PG13, 16 or 18 to block certain types of content.
If you want to block all content above a certain age, select that option. For example if you choose PG13, all content 16 and above will be blocked.
This is useful if you want to block more mature content like movies with strong language, violence or adult themes.
If you have younger kids, you can set a lower rating like PG so they only watch age appropriate shows. For extra control you can also choose to block channels you don’t think are suitable.
Set a PIN
One of the most important steps in setting up DStv parental controls is to set a PIN. This PIN will prevent kids from changing the settings or accessing restricted content without your permission.
To set your PIN, go to Parental Control and select the option to set a PIN code. The default PIN is 1234 but you can change it to something more secure if you want.
Choose a PIN that’s easy for you to remember but hard for your kids to guess. This will keep your settings safe and only you or other adults in the household will be able to change the parental control options.
Once you’ve set your PIN, make sure you keep it in a safe place where only you or other adults in the household can get to it.
Block Channels
Once you’ve set your PIN, the next step is to block channels. You can either block entire channels or limit access to specific shows based on their ratings.
If you want to block a channel, simply go to the Blocked Channels section in the Parental Control menu. Enter the channel number you want to block (e.g. Channel 198 for BBNaija) and press OK to apply the block.
Or you can block specific shows or movies on a channel without blocking the whole channel. This gives you more control over what your kids can and can’t watch.
Or global block. Entire service. Age rating. Everything above that will be blocked.
Save and Test
Once you’re happy with the parental controls and restrictions, be sure to save.
Exit the menu and test the settings. Try to access a blocked channel or show and make sure the PIN is required before you can view any restricted content.
If it’s not working, go back to Parental Control and check the steps again. If you still have issues, you can also check the DStv website or contact them for help.
Optional: Block Specific Shows with the ‘Block Channel’ Feature
If you want even more control, you can block specific shows. This is useful if your child likes watching channels that have some content that’s not always suitable. \
You can block specific shows and still allow the rest of the channel to be accessible. This gives you more control and your child will only see age appropriate content.
This is easy to use. Go to Parental Control, select Block Channels and enter the channel number of the show or channel you want to block. You can also add shows to a list of blocked content and customise it further.
Test Parental Controls Regularly
It’s important to test your settings regularly so they don’t get bypassed by your kids. Children can find ways to get around parental controls if they’re not tested and updated regularly.
Make sure your PIN is still secure and all channels or shows you want to block are still blocked. Review the settings periodically and adjust as needed based on the content available or as your kids get older.
Conclusion
Setting up DStv parental controls is a great way to ensure your kids watch safe content.
By going to decoder settings, selecting the right parental control option, creating a PIN, customising channel restrictions and saving your changes you have total control over what your kids watch.
Remember to test and adjust as needed to keep your family’s viewing experience secure and fun.
With DStv’s parental controls you can sleep easy knowing your kids are watching content suitable for their age, so you can relax while they watch their favourite shows.
