Let me tell you about Clearplay...

I am blessed to be part of a group of ladies that meet for lunch or dinner every month to share our lives and pray for each other. A couple of months ago a friend of mine, Valerie, mentioned that she had just watched a movie that was completely clean - shocking I know! I asked what movie and the name she mentioned didn't ring a bell as a completely clean movie.

She then began to tell me about a DVD player called Clearplay. Evidently, this DVD player has been available for years, but since we don't watch television and are spared all the advertisements, we are a wee bit behind on new events! So perhaps this will be new information to some of you also. If not, you might want to skip this post and head for your garden :)

She said Clearplay cost about $100 and came with filters for over 2000 movies. You could program it to edit out profanity, blasphemy, violence, immodesty, nudity, bloodshed, dishonoring the flag, dishonoring parents, sex, substance abuse and even vulgarity. Tell me more, tell me more my heart cried! Although we don't subscribe to any TV stations, cable, satellite etc., we do have a television that we use occasionally as a VCR/DVD monitor. But, I have been disappointed with most of the movies for "children". I view everything first before my kids see it and many times have thought "What a cute movie if only they hadn't used the name of God that way.....or slipped in that curse word......or had that low cut top...." and so forth. I am sure you have all been in the same place. She said the amazing thing is that the editing was pretty seamless - that in most instances you wouldn't know anything had been edited. You can see a demonstration here.

For years we have used TV Guardian which took care of the language but not the other offensive parts of movies. Therefor, our viewing was VERY limited. And the language has deteriorated so much over the last few years that TV Guardian wasn't picking up some of the newest foul language. In all fairness to TV Guardian, our model was one of the first and I am sure that they have improved since our purchase.

I found Clearplay at Target last week for considerably less than Valerie paid ($59.95!)....and have just found out that this week it is $10 less than I paid. You are sent a thumb-stick (after registering your machine) that plugs into your computer's USB port and you download all the filters they have ever created. This thumb-stick then plugs into a port on the front of the Clearplay machine. When you put in a DVD it searches and finds the filter for you. It then allows you to choose to use the filter, or not. It also warns you if there is something that they didn't filter. You can purchase a model from their website that downloads through the phone lines for those who don't have internet access.

It comes with free membership for a month after registration.You can also purchase a membership for a year that will entitle you to all new filters created that year. There is a coupon in the box for 40% off of a year's membership.

I found the Clearplay tech support very easy to get hold of and they walked us through setting this machine up - they made it very easy. You set how intensely you want your movies filtered....we put all of ours on max. There is even a setting for "mushiness"!

Although we haven't watched a ton of movies since purchasing this DVD (nor will we ever be watching a ton of movies :) ), we have watched a couple to "test" it. I am extremely pleased. The only time I could catch where something had been edited was if there was background music going and I heard a "glitch". It was refreshing to watch a famly friendly movie that truly was family friendly. Even though we might only watch a movie every once in awhile...I want to know that my children are protected during that time!

I found it interesting that Hollywood tried to stop the sale of this DVD player - something along the lines of interfering with artistic content. Maybe they'll get the idea that LOTS of us would like to interfere with the majority of their artistic content! I am thankful that a law was actually passed to protect our ability to edit the movies that our children see.....Hollywood lost!

So...for those nights when you want to enjoy a movie with the family and not have to worry about that one foul word....you might want to take a peek at this new DVD called Clearplay...I am so impressed that I have placed a link to them in my sidebar.

Since we have had ours such a short time, let me know what you think if you have one.....or if you purchase one.