1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to manual fine tuning (MFT), and more particularly, to selectively performing re-tuning during MFT depending on whether viewing of a broadcast program is blocked.
2. Description of the Related Art
Violence (V)-chips set viewing restrictions on individual viewers according to program viewing classes. Parents can prevent children from viewing by setting permissions through the V-chips. Thus, the V-chips are also called parental locks. Televisions (TVs) with V-chips determine whether program viewing classes of received broadcast programs are higher than viewing classes pre-set by users or lower than the viewing classes. If the received program viewing classes are higher than the pre-set viewing classes, the TVs intercept the corresponding programs to regulate indiscreet program viewing which may be harmful to children.
If a received sensitivity of a broadcast program is deteriorated, a viewer will see unclear images on a TV. Thus, the TV provides an MFT function to the viewer so as to address the problem of the viewing of the unclear images.
The MFT function is to detect an optimal frequency having a highest receive sensitivity from a bandwidth of a viewed channel so as to provide clear images to a viewer.
However, in a case where the viewer performs MFT on a channel having a restricted viewing class to detect an optimal frequency, a conventional TV performs re-tuning using the optimal frequency, receives a blocked broadcast signal, and processes the broadcast signal even though it is blocked by a V-chip.
Thus, when a restricted viewer such as a preschool child or a minor performs the MFT on a channel having a restricted viewing class, a TV performs re-tuning to a constant frequency according to the result of the MFT to relieve a broadcast signal from being blocked. As a result, the underage viewer can view a desired broadcast program without restriction of a genre of the broadcast signal or limits to the viewing periods of time. In other words, the V-chip permissions are circumvented.