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OK, after playing with my new Droid X and finding out that I can watch pretty much any tv show on it using the TVShows HD app, I'm starting to wonder hwy I can't do that on my computer. What am I missing? I'm guessing that this is what torrents are about, but I've never explored them. Where do I start?
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"There is involved in this struggle the question whether your children and my children shall enjoy the privileges we have enjoyed. I say this in order to impress upon you, if you are not already so impressed, that no small matter should divert us from our great purpose. "
Abraham Lincoln, from his Address to the Ohio One Hundred Sixty Fourth Volunteer Infantry -
Download utorrent or any trusted torrent client. Utorrent is small, fast and resource friendly.
Then go to a torrent site (Piratebay and kickasstorrents are the largest general torrent sites ... but there are many specific sites dedicated to any and all things: documentaries (MVGRoup.org), TV (eztv.it), music etc), search for what you want, and click the download link.
General rules of thumb ... the more Seeders (S) and Leechers (L) the more trustworthy the file. Never download anything with very few seeders unless it is rare material. Look for files that have been upload by trusted seeders ... most sites have different ways of showing this.
The torrent program will open and download your file ... you can at this point choose which files to download and which to exclude (e.g. you only want 2 songs from a record ... unclick the ones you don't want).
I would also download and install Peerblock, and run this whenever you are downloading something.
I would also advice not to be seeding (sharing) anything that may have copyright issues after your download is complete. To do this simply remove the file from the utorrent program once it is at 100%.
That is pretty much it.
Edit: I'm assuming you are planning to download via your PC / laptop ... not via your phone ... I haven't heard of anyone downloading torrent on their phone.Last edited by johnnya24; 03-13-2011, 11:03 PM. -
DO NOT SEED!!
If you seed, you leave yourself open to having your internet shut off by your provider-- it happened to me after reading the last 'Torrent 101'
be safe, keep a restore point handy cuz some of those downloads can infect your computer.If I whisper my wicked marching orders into the ether with no regard to where or how they may bear fruit, I am blameless should a broken spirit carry those orders out upon the innocent, for it was not my hand that took the action merely my lips which let slip their darkest wish. ~Daniel Devereaux 2011
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Comment
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You have to be careful what you are seeding. I will seed documentaries and very rare material (music) for a while, but never anything that could lead to a copyright infringement complaint. Peerblock is a good shield while you are downloading.Originally posted by GwynnInTheHall View Post
You can avoid infection by only downloading from trusted uploaders, by checking the comments that have been posted in the torrent thread, and not downloading torrents with low seeds (unless from a trusted source).
By following some basic self-protection measures, I have never had a problem with torrents ... they are much much safer than old P2P clients (Napster, Kazaa etc) because the community essentially rates the file.Comment
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