Even though the writers are no longer on strike I still watch plenty of tv shows and movies on hulu.com. While sites like Hulu and abc.com are convenient because I am able to watch some of my favorite shows whenever I’d like, one aspect of this format that I find particularly annoying is the random insertion of commercial breaks. These advertisements wouldn’t be nearly as disruptive if hulu managed to time them appropriately (they are always a second or two off), or if I didn’t need to ‘click to continue’ on abc.com. Luckily there’s a fix to this problem, and if you’re interested in maximizing your viewing pleasure by eliminating those pesky advertisements then read more.
Safari AdBlock
Safari AdBlock is a free program that does just what it says: blocks ads in Safari, which includes commercial breaks. After downloading and installing the program, be sure to restart Safari so that the changes take effect. Yes, it’s that easy. The next time you watch a tv show online all commercials will be skipped and you won’t have to wait in suspense for 30 seconds!
Customize your settings
Of course, Safari AdBlock also blocks the other ads that appear on your favorite websites. If you miss these ads, the software is easily disabled with a single click of the mouse. Simply go to ‘Safari-Preferences’ and click on ‘AdBlock’ at the top right which brings up a panel that looks like this
Notice that you can also create custom filters; for example, you can disable the AdBlock for certain favorite websites
Final verdict
Safari AdBlock gets my stamp of approval, and I hope you enjoy it too. Leave me a comment below if you also enjoy ad-free shows, or if you know of another program that works for other browsers.