The new Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Portable DVR makes it possible to record kid-friendly program from a cable or satellite source and take it wherever the kid is going – in a format that is easy for parents to prepare and for the child to operate.
The recording function is, of course, the parents’ responsibility – the device comes with a dock that hooks to the MVPD system, and it can be programmed as much as 24 hours in advance.
It will hold two hours worth of programming and has a rechargeable battery that provides 4-6 hours of use without getting more juice. It recharges while docked.
Additional memory can be added to the device for more storage capacity.
On the children’s end, they take charge of the device via a 3.5-inch screen with touch-screen controls. It is designed to appeal to members of the age group.
Fisher-Price touts the Kid-Tough DVR as the perfect thing to keep small children entertained on long car trips or for other occasions that leave a lot of down time to be filled.
RBR-TVBR observation: We would not be surprised if there was some pushback on this device from children’s advocacy organizations. However, we suspect that this is one audience that is unlikely to fast-forward through the commercials.
It occurs to us that if you have a very young child that isn’t sleepy when an episode of some racy reality show you like comes on, this could be one more parental content control device – a way to protect the child from questionable content while preserving the right of programmers to put on material aimed at an adult audience.
