Whether you're renting some movies, taking your date to the big screen, or buying your very own copy of the original DVD, you're bound to notice a discreet piece of boxed text usually at the lower left or lower right corner of the DVD case or box. What you're actually seeing is the rating of the movie according to the guidelines set by the Motion Pictures Association.

If you've ever wondered what the rating means and why it's significant, you've come to the right page. Read on to get a bird's eye view of the rating labels and their meanings. You'll be surprised how many misconceptions you have had about the whole lot.

• NC-17. NC stands for nude content, and 17 stands for the minimal age of viewers allowed to watch the film. This rating used to be X in old standards, which resulted to a lot of misconceptions that anything with the label is hard-core pornography.

When you rent or buy a film with an NC-17 label, be sure you're watching the show in the absence of teens and kids. Expect to get your dish of adults-only scenes which may involve any or a combination of sex, violence, drug abuse and other touchy topics.

• R. This stands for restricted. An R rating is actually a milder form of NC-17 rating where adult scenes are concerned. Sure, you can still expect some love scenes, foul language and persistent violence in the film, but generally these types of content may be viewed by the hot 16-year-old crowds so long as an adult is watching the film with them and is able to provide these hormone-enraged teens with some decent guidance between what's right and what's not.

• PG. PG stands for parental guidance, and there are two ways of interpreting this rating. Plain PG rating merely recommends parental guidance, while a PG-13 rating requires it. You may be wondering how different PG-13 films are from the R-rated ones which also require the guidance of adults. The answer has much to do with the age of the audience the adult is “baby” sitting. With PG-rated films, you're expected to deal with the younger crowd – those who haven't even reached sweet 16 yet.

• G. G stands for general audience, and this rating is perhaps what you can consider as the most harmless motion picture that's fit for all eyeballs of all ages. If you're organizing a children's party and planning an adult get-together at the same time, G-rated movies are the perfect entertainment solution for you. Watch out though, not everything is all angel halo and wings with G-rated films. There could still be some use of foul language in the film, but since these moments are fleeting, keep your fingers crossed and pray that these words pass unnoticed.

Heed these rating systems the next time you're out renting a movie or selecting a DVD to show on your set movie marathon with family or friends. Your choice of films reflects your personality and your level of thoughtfulness. Choose wisely, choose well, and enjoy the show.