Blog
Fixes for everyday video, audio and PDF problems — plus the tools and settings worth knowing about. Every set of steps comes with screenshots from a real run.
Air conditioning drowning out a recording: how to fix it
Air conditioning, computer fans, microphone hiss. Hear the same ten seconds before and after, then the steps — plus how to keep the noise out while recording.
A black box on a PDF does not delete the text
We pulled the supposedly hidden name and account number straight back out of a redacted PDF. Why it happens, how to check your own file in 30 seconds, and what actually removes the text.
One part of a recording is too quiet, or has noise: how to fix it
A thump in the first few seconds. One person too quiet to hear. You want to fix that part, not the whole file. How to do it in AudioMass — no install, no upload — tested and measured.
Transcribing a recording without uploading it
Whisper running inside the browser, measured: the one setting that makes other languages fail completely, and the weak spot that matters most — dates and times.
Removing a photo background without uploading it
Nearly every background remover uploads your picture. We tested bg.addy.ie, which does not — checking the claim against the network log, and timing where it wins and where it fails.
A recording is too quiet to hear: how to fix it
How to raise the volume of a too-quiet recording without distorting it, how loud it should be, and what to do when louder still is not clearer.
iPhone video will not play on Windows: how to fix it
The cause is .MOV and HEVC. How to convert the video you already have to MP4, and the iPhone setting that stops it happening again.
A video is too large to send: how to fix it
When a video will not fit an email or an upload form: whether to compress it or cut it, and how to shrink it to a size you name.
Looking for a tool?
If you already know what you need, go straight to the list of tools — video, audio, PDF and images.