{"id":17,"date":"2007-03-25T04:00:42","date_gmt":"2007-03-25T04:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.soundadviceblog.com\/?p=17"},"modified":"2007-03-25T04:02:52","modified_gmt":"2007-03-25T04:02:52","slug":"pop-up-stoppers-ii-better-video-recording-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.soundadviceblog.com\/?p=17","title":{"rendered":"Pop-Up Stoppers II, Better Video Recording Quality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originall published August 24, 2002 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Based on email I received after the AOL pop-up column was published, it would seem pop-up ads annoy more than AOL users. \u00a0 Some sample questions I received:<\/p>\n

Q.I recently read in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the instructions for eliminating pop up ads when using AOL. \u00a0 Is there a procedure for MSN users to accomplish this?
\nName not given<\/p>\n

Q.Reading your article regarding AOL and constant advertisement, does the alternative you spoke of\/or are there other ways to avoid these problems if you don’t use AOL? \u00a0 \u00a0 Like the constant banners you get when using free internet access like Juno? \u00a0 \u00a0 Can anything be down with the constant interference?
\nJuanita Harper<\/p>\n

A.Juanita, advertising revenue is what allows Juno to provide you with that free internet access. \u00a0 If it weren’t for the pop-ups, they would have to charge you. \u00a0 You may want to think about that before you attempt to eliminate them. If you still want to try, there are several programs available for free download that attempt to defeat pop-up advertising. \u00a0 I don’t know if they will work with Juno or MSN network-generated advertisements, but they should at least allow you to eliminate pop-ups that appear when you visit certain websites. \u00a0 The free programs can be found at the following websites:<\/p>\n

www.panicware.com\/popupstopper.html<\/a>
\nwww.filemix.net<\/a>
\nwww.analogx.com\/contents\/download\/network\/pow.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the best programs of this type is Adsubtract Pro, available at www.adsubtract.com<\/a>, but it costs $29.95. \u00a0 You may want to try it if the free software doesn’t work for you.<\/p>\n

Q.My recorded videos look worse than the original programs. \u00a0 Is there anything I can do to make them look better? \u00a0 Steve Barry, Pittsburgh
\nA.There isn’t much you can do with the tapes you have already recorded. \u00a0 What is happening is you are running into the limitations of the VHS format, which at its best records 240 lines of resolution. \u00a0 Broadcast television is 320 lines, satellite television is around 400, DVDs are 480, and the new HDTV broadcasts are either 720 or 1080. \u00a0 Years ago, the SVHS format was introduced as an improved form of VHS. \u00a0 SVHS, can record 400 lines with improved color purity, a big improvement over VHS. \u00a0 Unfortunately for consumers, SVHS VCRs were much more expensive than their VHS counterparts, and the special SVHS videotapes typically sell for more than $6 each. \u00a0 \u00a0 Fortunately, now you can enjoy the benefits of SVHS without investing in an expensive VCR and videotapes with SVHS-ET. \u00a0 SVHS-ET VCRs cost little more than a VHS VCR and record 400 lines of resolution on a VHS videotape. \u00a0 \u00a0 Many older VCRs may not be able to play back tapes recorded in SVHS-ET, but many newer ones have a feature called “Quasi-playback”, which will play SVHS and SVHS-ET tapes, but at the regular 240 lines of resolution. \u00a0 You can also record in VHS mode if the tape is intended for someone using VHS. \u00a0 If you use a digital satellite service like Direct TV or Dish Network, it’s worth your while to upgrade to an SVHS-ET machine if you do much recording. \u00a0 You will be astounded at how much better your recordings look, at minimal expense. \u00a0 A more expensive option is to buy a component DVD recorder, a home DVD player that also records on blank DVDs. \u00a0 It can also be used like a Tivo machine by using a re-recordable DVD-RW blank. \u00a0 DVD recorders are still quite expensive and the technology is new, so you would probably be better served using SVHS-ET for now and waiting for the DVD technology to mature and prices to come down.<\/p>\n