IE8 hangs

I have Win XP Home with SP3 and all the updates current and IE 8 running for
long time without a hitch. Also, Windows Live OneCare is installed and
updated.
Recently, I started to watch some TV programs on a web site of a foreign TV
station. The show starts and runs normally, however, when I want to stop it,
the system freezes. Funny, the show continue uninterrupted, but I cannot
close IE, or switch to any other program, or window, or even start Task
manager... The only way to get out of this situation is to pull the plug, so
to speak.
What's going on? How to fix this problem?

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Ilya Zeldes
Fort Myers, Florida