Video game timer

[dentalben]

Anyone have programming to automatically limit or track how much time is spent on video games using the system? For example, after an hour of using a PS3/Wii on a school day, the system will play an audio warning, then turn off, or something like that. It's probably easy enough to program but I thought I would throw it out to the community first.

[Godzilla]

i would start with an outlet switch for the game console...........probably use a timer based on the outlet sensing, its a start anyway

[LSDave]

You could do it without an outlet timer. by tracking the selected video source. that is assuming your av receiver is using a 2 way driver.

[thecodeman]

that is assuming your av receiver is using a 2 way driver.

Don't even need that - track the current selected source in the room. If the current source is "Xbox", start the timer. When the room turns off, stop the timer. When the timer reaches a pre-determined limit, play a warning. At the next limit, cut the power to the xbox with an outlet switch. Have a manual timer reset available that isn't super obvious and reset it at midnight. Just a thought.

[cashmoney]

If this is meant to "police" the kids game time do you honestly believe this will work? My kids would simply unplug the game from the monitered outlet, hell just read an article about kids drugging their parents so they could get on the Internet.

This kind of stuff should be done by a parent or guardian keeping track of their kid(s) and what they are doing, not left up to a cheap automation system.

[LSDave]

that is assuming your av receiver is using a 2 way driver.

Don't even need that - track the current selected source in the room. If the current source is "Xbox"' date=' start the timer. When the room turns off, stop the timer. When the timer reaches a pre-determined limit, play a warning. At the next limit, cut the power to the xbox with an outlet switch. Have a manual timer reset available that isn't super obvious and reset it at midnight. Just a thought.[/quote']

yeah, then all the kid does is hit watch cable, then switch the AV receiver to the xbox input.

[thecodeman]

that is assuming your av receiver is using a 2 way driver.

Don't even need that - track the current selected source in the room. If the current source is "Xbox"' date=' start the timer. When the room turns off, stop the timer. When the timer reaches a pre-determined limit, play a warning. At the next limit, cut the power to the xbox with an outlet switch. Have a manual timer reset available that isn't super obvious and reset it at midnight. Just a thought.[/quote']

yeah, then all the kid does is hit watch cable, then switch the AV receiver to the xbox input.

Or just take away the xBox if its that big of a problem

[Cyknight]

Or have all the equipment in a locked central cabinet. I've done some with cut-outs that fit the slide out tray so games can be changed as wanted.

Could they break it open? Sure but let's not make every kid that likes computer games to much into a full-blown criminal shall we.

[pstuart]

I drugged my parents all the time, just to play pong... Or wait, was it the other way around?

[turls]

You don't want to be randomly unplugging a game console any more than you would a PC. It basically is a PC. At least the Xbox has daily or weekly timers. Works great. All I can do with a PC with what Microsoft has built in is to turn it off at a certain time. It won't keep track of total hours, which is much more useful.

[Cyknight]

You don't want to be randomly unplugging a game console any more than you would a PC. It basically is a PC. At least the Xbox has daily or weekly timers. Works great.

I would agree, but just turning it off and using a timer and some nifty programming to make this work is fine.

[Cyknight]

I drugged my parents all the time, just to play pong... Or wait, was it the other way around?

I think I drugged myself to play pong.....

[Cyknight]

Should you want to do this by the way, I suggest either not turning that console off at all (at least you don't mess up a current game).

Also what you would be doing is PREVENTING the TV/receiver etc from going to the required input (this is really easy on a receiver or vid switch).

[LSDave]

OR if you can a receiver with a 2 way driver.... which a lot are, you could make programming that when the recevier input is switched to game and its during the scheduled "no" time it just shuts the receiver off. That way either selecting it from the front of the receiver, or from the control4 interface prevents them from playing the game. No need to cover the front of the receiver up and lock it in a cabinet.

[dentalben]

Parents need to be the one to control it true; my wife and I are ok with our kids having some "down time" after homework, etc but during the week we have placed limits on it. However, if you've ever played much of video games, it's very easy for 45 minutes or an hour to turn into 90 or more minutes. We've left it to our kids to police themselves, but more often than not, they need some "reminding" and it's getting old. I don't like being the PS police, so I thought a reminder from the system would do the trick.

I ended up putting in some programming similar to what thecodeman stated. I'm not using an outlet switch (yet), but just a "reminder" that the time limit is up and it needs to turn off. So far it's an effective reminder. Thanks all

[Cyknight]

OR if you can a receiver with a 2 way driver.... which a lot are, you could make programming that when the recevier input is switched to game and its during the scheduled "no" time it just shuts the receiver off. That way either selecting it from the front of the receiver, or from the control4 interface prevents them from playing the game. No need to cover the front of the receiver up and lock it in a cabinet.

While I see no problem with the programming, it's pretty durn easy to override the control by simply unplugging the network cable or serial cable for this - something that a 9+ year old can quite easily figure out.

And while 2-way drivers are getting more and more common, 2-way drivers that allow you to see or program off of a lost connection are a LOT rarer.

Besided that, any 9 year old (and many younger) can take that hdmi cable and put it straight into the TV should they really want to.

Just saying.

Then again I'd also say a simple warning that time is up is where to start.

[Cyknight]

Parents need to be the one to control it true; my wife and I are ok with our kids having some "down time" after homework, etc but during the week we have placed limits on it. However, if you've ever played much of video games, it's very easy for 45 minutes or an hour to turn into 90 or more minutes.

Very very true.

[turls]

Another thing I had to implement recently to give me some more granularity, my DD-WRT router allows scheduling of internet access by MAC address. So I put my son's iPad, PC, and Xbox on there and turn off internet access at xx:30 every night. With Windows 7, you can only control things by the hour, which isn't enough options.

Not perfect by any stretch as anybody with a smartphone will be able to use cellular for internet access and of course not everything is internet based...