Usenet subscribers, your opinions please

[crmarin]

So, I've been using usenetserver.com (http://usenetserver.com) for the last few years with pretty good results... until recently.

For some reason, when I search for what I normally get from usenet (music and movies), I'm getting less and less results now, almost as if people have stopped posting this kind of stuff. My subscription expired today, but I'm skeptical about renewing without getting some other suggestion of news server to choose from.

Which server are you guys using? Particularly for movies (DVD and BluRay).

[Hunt4m3x]

yeah, usenetserver is getting hit with spam. its getting better about it.

What client are you searching with, I would suggest newsleecher to search since you can filter out the bullshit, since most of the same is like 2kb.

[8mpg]

Im using it with great results. I havent run into spam...but then again, I only download movies really. Every once and a while i will look for a program.

[ceyko]

Also, it is being replaced by torrents. I've switched after being on them for years.

[8mpg]

Also, it is being replaced by torrents. I've switched after being on them for years.
usenet has been way faster for me than torrents.

[Hunt4m3x]

Also, it is being replaced by torrents. I've switched after being on them for years.


how is that? You get way faster speeds via the groups and don't have to worry about the RIAA and MPAA. The average torrentner isn't going to know how to block that stuff.

[crmarin]

yeah, usenetserver is getting hit with spam. its getting better about it.

What client are you searching with, I would suggest newsleecher to search since you can filter out the bullshit, since most of the same is like 2kb.

I'm actually searching with their own beta search:
https://globalsearch.usenetserver.com/index.php

And I use GrabIt to download and process NZB's, I tried newsleecher for a bit and liked it a lot, but the trial period expired... and I'm too cheap to pay for it ;) and I haven't been able to find a cracked one.

[crmarin]

Also, it is being replaced by torrents. I've switched after being on them for years.

Yeah, I've found myself going back to torrents for stuff I can't find on UNS, but they are SO gawd damn slooooooow.

[8mpg]

Yeah, I've found myself going back to torrents for stuff I can't find on UNS, but they are SO gawd damn slooooooow.

I had been using torrents for years and switched to usenet. Im downloading at 2.5mb/s at home (fios) compared to lots of torrents (that come spam filled) at a whopping 50k/s

[Hunt4m3x]

I'm actually searching with their own beta search:
https://globalsearch.usenetserver.com/index.php

And I use GrabIt to download and process NZB's, I tried newsleecher for a bit and liked it a lot, but the trial period expired... and I'm too cheap to pay for it ;) and I haven't been able to find a cracked one.


just buy it. its so much better now. their supersearch rapes the globalsearch.

[ceyko]

how is that? You get way faster speeds via the groups and don't have to worry about the RIAA and MPAA. The average torrentner isn't going to know how to block that stuff.


Well, I see your point and obviously there are pros/cons to everything. My #1 reason for switching is cost. I did not want to pay for a service after Verizon nixed their free service.

I personally can't complain about the speeds via torrents and I only really care that it gets DL'ed in a fair amount of time.

Additionally, w/o paying money the retention sucks on a lot of servers and you do have to be concerned about that.

Like you said though - there could be problems.

I just noticed (even before Verizon killed their free servers), that they were becoming less and less robust compared to service 2 - 15 years ago.

I also did not like that most services had a dl cap at all. I like just DL'ing crap 24x7 and would exceed most caps.

To clarify, I'm referring to newsgroups in general - not 1 particular service. Again, I concur with your statements, but the trade offs to torrents are better for me generally speaking. Also the average user is not slick enough to pick up on binary newsgroups and make them effective.

[GSXRK5]

I've never had a problem with torrents and spam at all. Normally download at 1.2-1.6mbs which isn't smoking fast but still decent. I've wondered about news groups and if they are worth the cost? And which is better? I normally only DL movies and music.

[crmarin]

I've never had a problem with torrents and spam at all. Normally download at 1.2-1.6mbs which isn't smoking fast but still decent. I've wondered about news groups and if they are worth the cost? And which is better? I normally only DL movies and music.

Newsgroups hands down, just because of the download speed alone.

The problem I ran into is that stuff is getting a little harder to find.

[8mpg]

Well, I see your point and obviously there are pros/cons to everything. My #1 reason for switching is cost. I did not want to pay for a service after Verizon nixed their free service.

I personally can't complain about the speeds via torrents and I only really care that it gets DL'ed in a fair amount of time.

Additionally, w/o paying money the retention sucks on a lot of servers and you do have to be concerned about that.

Like you said though - there could be problems.

I just noticed (even before Verizon killed their free servers), that they were becoming less and less robust compared to service 2 - 15 years ago.

I also did not like that most services had a dl cap at all. I like just DL'ing crap 24x7 and would exceed most caps.

To clarify, I'm referring to newsgroups in general - not 1 particular service. Again, I concur with your statements, but the trade offs to torrents are better for me generally speaking. Also the average user is not slick enough to pick up on binary newsgroups and make them effective.

Though I do pay monthly...it has been well worth the $12/month that I pay. I get so much stuff every month, it pays for itself 100 times over. While torrents are cool (I still frequent a couple of torrent sites), I find newsgroups way better. Using a supersearch in Newsleecher is just like using Limewire...anyone can do it. Binary newsgroups sounds a lot more complicated than it is. I think many people get the misconception that it is like IRC channels.