Content ratings follow the great goal to identify viewers about what they would be watching.

Theres one problem: all those ratings are difficult to understand.

Content rated with TV-MA or R isnt supposed to be viewed by people under 17.

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Vladislav Mashirenko

It may contain mature themes, strong language, intense violence, and graphic sexual content.

But theres one difference.

The content rated under NC-17 is absolutely inappropriate for those under 17.

If the duration is more than an hour, the symbol reappears at the beginning of the 2nd hour.

Rating marks are usually also displayed after any commercial breaks.

Heres everything you better know about TV-MA and R ratings.

Understanding Maturity Ratings

There are 2 types of maturity ratings used for different content types.

One of them is the TV Parental Guidelines, originally designed for television.

Another is the rating system created by Motion Picture Association (MPA).

And TV-MA is from Parental Guidelines, while R is from MBA rating.

And now its time to ask: Well, so is there any reason to compare them?

And yes, it is.

Just one example,Netflixcombines them both to explain how they use maturity ratings.

So I think thats appropriate to compare them to know the difference.

What is TV-MA?

And to indicate that the content is inappropriate for people under 17 or 18 years old.

What is R?

R is a film ratinggiven bythe Motion Picture Association (MPA), primarily used in the United States.

R stands for Restricted.

The main goal of the R rating is to alert viewers to inappropriate content for children or younger viewers.

TV-MA vs R: What is worse?

Thats why Parental Guidelines mentions that this content may be unsuitable for children under 17.

What is NC-17?

The NC-17 rating is another classification given by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in the United States.

It stands for No One 17 and Under Admitted.

Many theater chains and home video retailers have policies against carrying NC-17-rated movies.

On the other hand, NC-17 is a film rating given by the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

It stands for No One 17 and Under Admitted.

The R rating stands for Restricted.

R-rated films may contain strong language, hard violence, nudity, or abuse.

On the other hand, NC-17 stands for No One 17 and Under Admitted.

What is TV-14?

What does DLSV next to TV-MA mean?

TV-MA is the gatekeeper to shows that delve into mature themes and subject matter.

The American rating system utilizes specific content descriptors to give viewers an understanding of why content is under TV-MA.

And DLSV may come not only with TV-MA but also with a TV-14 rating.

It indicates that the content may be unsuitable for children under 14.

Strong language can contribute to a programs tone, authenticity, or emotional impact.

This can range from passionate love scenes and suggestive gestures to nudity or depictions of sexual acts.

In such cases, the S descriptor would be applied to alert viewers to the presence of sexual content.

V stands for Violence

The V is assigned to programs featuring intense or graphic violence.

This encompasses various forms of physical confrontations, combat, or aggressive behavior.

This specific rating is intended for children aged 7 and older.

But despite it usually referring to a kids rating, it can sometimes be used in TV-14 or TV-MA.

Thats rare, but such happens sometimes.

These ratings are designed to provide viewers with information about the appropriateness of the content for different age groups.

This is designed to help viewers make informed decisions about what they or their children watch.

It involves the following:

What shows get a TV-MA rating?

Most shows on channels like Showtime or HBO get this rating.

This rating is one of the most diverse on American television.

In the case of the TV-PG and TV-14 ratings, the content is properly all similar.

In the case of TV-MA, the intensity of the content and its content can be very different.