A method and an apparatus for use in connection with home television video recording, playback, and viewing involving processing an electronic signal, including audio and video information, whereby the audio information, including digital representations thereof, is analyzed and modified to compare words and phrases represented in the audio information with words and phrases stored in electronic memory for elimination of undesirable words or phrases in audible or visible representations of the audio with options for replacing undesirable words with acceptable words. The options include varying degrees of selectivity in specifying words as undesirable and control over substitute words which are used to replace undesirable words. The options for control of the method and apparatus for language filtering are selectable from an on-screen menu through operation of a control panel on the language filter apparatus or by use of a conventional television remote transmitter. Full capability of the method and apparatus depends only on presence of closed caption or similar digitally-encoded language information being received with a television signal but special instructions transmitted with a television signal may also be responded to for activating particular language libraries or customizing a library for the program material.