ClearPlay
I do not mind telling you that my initial experience with this
company was not a positive one. I bought a ClearPlay machine and
had a heck of a time getting it to work. I went through two
different machines in the span of 8 months! I admittedly thought
it was a good concept with poor manufacturing and was about to
give up on it entirely -- but they convinced me to try out their
new HD player and I'm glad I did. I have not had a single
problem with it. The firmware installed properly, the filters
load without me having to manually prod them to, and none of my
disks have frozen up or skipped in the player.
There is a new design for the machine and it comes from a
different (and obviously more reliable) manufacturer. I
discovered that my older machine, a flimsy and finicky piece of
"junk," was actually made in China -- which explains a lot. I've
heard that a lot of people have problems with that particular
player and no one seems to have had any trouble with the new HD.
It should hook up to any normal television but works best with
flat screens. I actually haven't even hooked up a HD cable (too
lazy to go out and buy one) but the picture is still MUCH
IMPROVED from the other player.
One might wonder why I bother at all? Well, I have viewing
standards! I don't like to watch movies and have my ears burn
from foul language, or tempt my mind with glamorized and often
overly graphic depictions of fornication and adultery. In fact,
in the last year almost all the newer films I have reviewed have
been watched on this machine -- saving me the hassle of content
while still permitting me to view and enjoy and even review the
most recent blockbusters. The company does not have everything
(I am still hoping at some point they decide to edit Showtime's
The Tudors) but it has everything that is popular enough to
warrant attention -- and then some. It is a little pricey but
for parents, discerning young people, or just individuals who
are tired of the f-word ruining their favorite movies, it's well
worth it in the end -- provided, of course, this new machine
continues to work like a charm.
When you purchase a
ClearPlay DVD Player, you have access to over two
thousand movie titles. Depending on your chosen settings for Violence,
Bloodshed, Sexual Content, Nudity, Profanity, etc., you can ensure the
removal of all select offensive content. It is one of the best parental
resources out there and best of all, it's legal, since you are not altering
the source material, just what plays on your screen.
If you have neither the time nor the resources to edit movies yourself, this
is a nice option. Plus, it retains the excellent quality of the original
material so your movies come out looking amazing on your flat screen.
(Watching Shakespeare in Love on it is a visual dream.)
How It Works
When you load a DVD into the ClearPlayer, a menu comes up asking if you
would like to play it with a filter or not. There are four settings for each
category -- None (no filter), Mild (only removes extreme instances),
Moderate (takes out portions of content), or Heavy (removes everything
offensive). Each are interchangeable based on the film and you can set them
to default or fiddle with them each time. (For example, I don't like the
gore in Gladiator
but do not mind a little innuendo, so I turn off one filter and set the
other higher.)
Some movies have more obvious cuts than others but the editors have
attempted to keep the original structure of the film without sacrificing
major plot points. Based on the individual DVD, I sometimes experienced
two-second pauses or jumps, but with most disks it is unnoticeable depending
on your settings and the content you are filtering. (The battle scenes in
King Arthur are a little jumpy since we never see blood spurt, but
The Duchess's removal of sexual content is virtually unnoticeable.)
Each player comes with a free online trial -- you go onto their website and
download the complete collection of filters to a USB stick that comes with
the player. New movie filters are based on the amount of requests,
popularity, or the cast, and often appear within 48 hours of the DVD
release.
Testing it Out
I tried out several movies on mine before writing this review:
The Duchess
-- saw this with friends, on the "heavy" setting; it was completely
family-friendly
The Golden Age -- this one was surprisingly flawless, on a
"moderate" setting.
Shakespeare in Love -- heavy settings, a touch obvious in the
editing but still appropriate
Moulin Rouge
-- on a "moderate" setting, this film is still racy (and includes the
attempted rape)
Girl, Interrupted -- lots of mutes of course, but a decent job
overall
The Reader -- rather choppy in places, but contains nothing
offensive
John Adams -- brilliant (set the "no nudity" and "no sex"
option)
Minor Complaints
E-mail tech support is not encouraged, since it can take up to a month to
receive a response, but I HIGHLY recommend calling their support line. Just not
at night, as you can wait for a call back up to an hour. If you call during the
day, you get help immediately. They are friendly and helpful and usually got my
problems sorted out in short order.
I will also express disappointment that you cannot opt out of homosexual
content. It can be "toned down" (graphic scenes are removed and/or trimmed)
but it would be nice to go without it altogether if that is your preference.
You also have to buy a subscription ($7/mo) to continue using filters.
Conclusion
This is an excellent option for parents (you can set parental controls so it
won't play anything without a password) and individuals who simply do not
want to go through the time-consuming process of editing their own DVD's.
The nice thing about it is that the quality of the image is very good, much
higher than your typical DVDR burn-off with an edited disk. Once I got it
working properly, I had no complaints. Some movies still aren't completely
"family friendly," but this does help a lot.
Take the time to visit
ClearPlay's website and read more about it.
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