Frank Harper is well aware that all those free video clips on the Internet come at a price: advertising. However, that doesn't mean he sits idly as short video ads precede many of the dozen or so clips he watches each day at sites like Microsoft's MSN. "For the most part, I just mute the volume," said Harper, 55, who runs a security consulting firm in Sterling, Va. "Or I just look at something else, look at another headline ... or go to another site while the thing is playing."