Home > Consumer Reviews > BOB - Screen Time Manager - Manage Your TV Time

Bob was easy to set up. It's easy for the kids to use, and surprisingly, they don't mind (too much) having it. We are able to avoid arguments that were a regular occurance before. Bob is able to detect that the TV has been turned off, so the kids can save some of their time for later. I believe this is teaching them to be more selective about when and what they watch.

The best product I ever tried for controlling my kids' screen time was "EyeTimer" which inexplicably went out of business. Bob is a worthy substitute - but whereas EyeTimer let me set up a single "screen" budget for each child for 2 TVs and 1 gaming system, I need a "Bob" for each device and have to manage time on each of them. (Eyetimer also had a "homework" mode that let kids use the computer for homework without charging their "playtime" budget and kept track of what they did to make sure there was no playing when they were supposed to be working.)

We have 2 "Bobs" - one for the family TV and one for the small TV my 10- and 13-year-old boys use for gaming. My kids have really learned how to budget their "screen" time. We use a weekly allowance that is split between the gaming Bob and the TV Bob. I'm back to buy a 3rd Bob b/c my 13-year-old figured out he could move the Wii into my bedroom when I'm not home! They won't even have pin numbers on that one.

With Bob, the kids know exactly how much time they've used and how much they have left. I have set up blocks for times they shouldn't be on screens and I have one pin number that only works on Saturdays from 7-11 PM - so it's only used when my oldest is sitting for his younger brother and they're allowed to watch a movie. They also know that I can take away Bob time for bad behavior, or reward them with "fly time" as either a special "bonus" or because there are 10 minutes left in a show they are watching.

Since installing Bob on our TV, my kids have learned to respect
their allotted TV/video time. Previously, "2 hours" would turn into much longer on the weekends. Now, each one has their own time slot.
Very easy to use, very easy to program, can have multiple users, doesn't just "let you in" if the power is cut (unplugged or power outage) -- you have to use the master account if the power is out.
Very straightforward to use. Even my husband, the TV addict, does not complain about it being in place. Very nice to be able to control usage.

We ordered Bob to help control TV watching time for our son. What a great product! Now we are not the bad guys yelling to turn off the TV. Bob is very easy to use, and we had it up and running in about 5 minutes. Programming is very intuitive and the directions for use are pretty clear. (You do have to log out of the device to turn it off, not just turn off the TV.) The device blends in with the other electronics on our entertainment center, so there's no embarrassment factor when his friends come over. It has done a great job of limiting time and is flexible--it is easy to add extra time when watching a favorite film and to change programming. I love Bob!

I bought Bob after researching several similar products. BOB was easy to set up and my kids learned how to use their PIN codes very quickly.