Why when I post a message on some bulletin boards do they not show up straight away?

This happens because your browser is not set to automatically refresh the page after you post. When you are returned to the forum index you are presented with an old version of the page which has been retrieved from your internet cache (the area of your hard drive web pages are downloaded to) rather than the web server.

To check that your posts have been added successfully, you can hit the 'refresh' button or press the F5 key, yet to make sure that you are always viewing the newest versions of web pages in future, you will have to change the settings of your browser. This way, pressing the refresh button manually will not be necessary.

Here's the procedure: select 'internet options' from the 'tools' menu of your browser and prod the 'general' tab. Now click on the 'settings' button in the 'temporary internet files' section, and finally make sure that the 'every visit to the page' option is checked within the 'check for newer versions of stored pages' area.

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What are these bootleg movies the mainstream media is always banging on about?

They are illegal copies of new and old movies (though it's the unreleased blockbusters the MPAA and Co. are most keen to stamp out), created using a variety of disparate techniques, which produce varying degrees of audio and video quality.

The latest releases are reproduced and distributed either for the sheer thrill and challenge of competing with rival release groups, or to profit financially by hawking these hot-off-the-press movies on the black market.

The various forms of bootleg movies can be broken down into the following:

Cam movies are very poor quality cinema recordings usually captured by amateurs using a run-of-the-mill home camcorder. Because the camera operator has to stay hidden if he or she wants to avoid being thrown out of the cinema, tripods are rarely used and therefore the resulting movies can be very shaky. As you would imagine, sound quality is also terrible as the only microphones used are built into the side of the camera. It's not uncommon to be able to spot members of the audience wandering back and to across the screen, coughing, spluttering, having sex, and so on.

Telesync movies are high quality cinema recordings, which make use of professional video camera and sound recording technology. Unlike 'cam' movies, telesync recordings are made using a tripod, and the camera is positioned in such a way so as to avoid capturing the heads of the people in the audience. Sound is often recorded in stereo by placing microphones in strategic positions throughout the cinema. Even better quality telesync recordings are achieved as a result of filming in an empty cinema and by connecting sound recording equipment directly to the sound source.

Screeners are near perfect copies of the pre-release promotional movies which are sent to critics, video rental shops and censors etc. They are copied directly from video or DVD so loss of sound or picture quality is minimal. Screeners are usually adorned with scrolling anti-piracy and copyright restriction messages as well as tracking 'signatures' used to trace the release back to the source of the leak.

SVCD, or Super Video Compact Discs, utilize MPEG-2 encoding techniques to reduce disk capacity hogging video streams so as to fit onto one or several CD-Rs. The resulting video quality is superior to VHS and video CD.

Telecine movies are bootleg recordings made directly from a cinema reel and encoded into digital format.

TV rips are television episodes which have been captured using a PCTV tuner card and encoded using the DivX or XviD format.

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How do I burn Virtual CD disk images?

Because Virtual CD doesn't by default extract the RAW data required by Nero to burn .iso files, this CD writing tool can have difficulty reconstructing extracted disk images. Luckily WinOnCD is capable of doing just that without making reference to RAW data, so I'd suggest you use this instead. In some cases it is possible to convert disk images created with Virtual CD using ISO Buster or WinISO and then write them to a CD in the usual fashion.

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Why are images created using the bin format so much more bulky than some of the competing image structures?

Bin format files are more cumbersome because they contain extra error analyzing code, which can be used to check whether or not bin files are, or have become corrupt at any number of stages during their creation or distribution. If you discover that a bin file is corrupt you can attempt to repair it or download it again from a different source rather than wasting a recordable disk finding out. Some formats lack this critical feature and so would have to be burnt and play tested before it was possible to determine their error status.

Furthermore, bin files are able to archive a far wider range of file systems, regardless of the number of tracks or modes they comprise, so are the perfect multi-purpose solution. The alternative would be to employ a range of diverse formats, one for each kind of data structure leading to unnecessary complications.

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Quickie dot coms

Here's a really nifty web browsing, time-saving tip for you: whenever you type the address of a web site you wish to visit into Internet Explorer's address bar, try omitting the Ws and the .com. Just type the bit in between, press the control and enter key simultaneously and the rest will be filled in for you automatically before your browser attempts to load the site. This shortcut also works in Firefox if you lay off the control key. Note that this only works with .com addresses, but still, that's a hefty chunk of them, right?

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