The latest version of Media Browser, code named “Phoenix”, includes the addition of a parental control option. This much requested feature enables the locking of content of a certain rating and requiring a pin number to be able to view the media. Much like the common cable DVR this is enacted to prevent younger audiences from getting access to content that’s inappropriate for their age. The new parental control options inside Media Browser allow you to define a maximum rating above which users will be required to enter the pin number before being able to play the media.

To use this new feature make sure you’ve got the latest version of Media Browser, from the forums at mediabrowser.tv, installed. Also, be sure that your content has been properly tagged with the ratings metadata. To do that you can use the popular metadata tool MetaBrowser (or any other tool of your choice that supports the ratings tag). Make sure that each movie or piece of media in the collection contains a proper rating to ensure that your parental control selection will be effective.

Inside MetaBrowser you can set the rating of each listed item by selecting the title in the left hand pane then adjusting the MPAA Rating dropdown to the appropriate rating for each movie. Be sure to press the Save Metadata after each movie has been edited to be certain your selection is saved to the metadata of that movie. Remember, the parental controls will only be as effective as the ratings employed in the collection.

Once you’ve assigned ratings to your media collection it’s time to open up Media Browser’s configuration and setup the parental controls feature. Inside the configuration program be sure to select the Advanced options selection from the top to enable the extra options then open the new parental controls tab. Here you can set the maximum rating allowed to be viewed by everyone in the household as well as the pin number to unlock content.

You also have the option to hide blocked content until the pin is entered. This will remove all titles from the listing that are above the maximum rating until pressing the “lock” button on the main Media Browser window, next to the configuration wrench, and entering the pin number. Unchecking this option leaves the titles in the listing and will prompt for the pin when attempting to play the content. Also included is the option to unlock all content for a period of time once the pin number is entered. This will keep you from having to repeatedly enter the pin while using Media Browser for extended periods but also makes the system vulnerable should you leave the machine unattended in that time.

That’s all there is to it! Just re-launch your Windows 7 Media Center and start up Media Browser to see the new parental controls in effect. There are sure to be many happy parents happy to see this feature added to the Media Browser plugin and the ease of setup makes the system even more effective though the lynch pin here is still in the rating system itself. You need to be certain that your entire collection is properly tagged before the system becomes effective.