# Anybody want to explain Usenet to me like I'm seven?



## cheesesteak

I've decided that I'd like to watch Doctor Who in hi-def, commercial free and without all the crap BBC America plasters on the screen. I already know how to download using torrents. I got a "We caught you!" email from Comcast last year when I used utorrent even though I used PeerBlock and want to avoid getting another one. I've heard that Usenet is the way to go. How do I get started? What client should I use? Is there a host I need an account on?

(Note: if the FBI is monitoring this thread, this is only for research purposes, sir!)


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## IndyJones1023

You need to see if your ISP gives you usenet access, first. If not, then you need to pay for a provider. Mine does, so I don't know what it entails to get a usenet account elsewhere.

But once you do, get SABnzbd and install it. It's basically a newsreader that uses your browser as a front end. Once installed, go to FileSharingTalk and sign up for a free account (use a disposable email, if you wish).

FST is a forum like this one, except it's where people post NZB files. These are basically little files that tell SABnzbd how to get the things you want off usenet. You search FST's forum for "doctor who" and it will give you results. Go to the thread of the episode you want (S06E01, in the case of the latest Doctor Who) and click Create NZB.

Instead of downloading it, I just hit "Run" from the dialog box. This loads the NZB file directly into SABnzbd and it starts fetching all the parts it needs from usenet, checks them, fixes them (if necessary), decompresses them all to the video you need, then deletes the unneeded files.

Easy peasy.


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## IndyJones1023

Or so I've heard.


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## JYoung

So what channel is this show on?
(Since it's in Now Playing)


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## LoadStar

IndyJones1023 said:


> You need to see if your ISP gives you usenet access, first. If not, then you need to pay for a provider. Mine does, so I don't know what it entails to get a usenet account elsewhere.
> 
> But once you do, get SABnzbd and install it. It's basically a newsreader that uses your browser as a front end. Once installed, go to FileSharingTalk and sign up for a free account (use a disposable email, if you wish).
> 
> FST is a forum like this one, except it's where people post NZB files. These are basically little files that tell SABnzbd how to get the things you want off usenet. You search FST's forum for "doctor who" and it will give you results. Go to the thread of the episode you want (S06E01, in the case of the latest Doctor Who) and click Create NZB.
> 
> Instead of downloading it, I just hit "Run" from the dialog box. This loads the NZB file directly into SABnzbd and it starts fetching all the parts it needs from usenet, checks them, fixes them (if necessary), decompresses them all to the video you need, then deletes the unneeded files.
> 
> Easy peasy.


The other option is to go with a usenet provider like EasyNews, for example, that archives and indexes binaries from UseNet and provides an easy to use web page with a search engine. It's as easy as downloading from any other webpage.

Or so I've been led to believe. By others. Yeah, that's it.

Seriously, though, I've heard AstraWeb and GigaNews come highly recommended, but I have not used either service. Both have very high retention rates and reasonable costs.


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## Azlen

Here are the basics of what you need.

1. Usenet provider. Most ISP's don't offer them anymore and the ones that do are slow speed. I use Astraweb. It's $11 a month and it's unlimited high speed.

2. Newsreader/Client - This is the program you use to download files from usenet. Normally this is done by importing an NZB file (see part 3) The nicer ones will not only download the file but will put all the pieces together and leave you with a finished file in a designated directory. Without that you would have to unrar the files yourself. Not to familiar with all that is out there but I use newsleecher.

3. NZB directory - NZB files are basically pointer files to all the pieces of a particular file.
There are a number of those out there. I use the search function in newsleecher for a small monthly fee, but there are a lot of free ones available.

That's all there is to it basically. It's much faster than torrents and typically more private and you don't have to worry about upload/download ratios.


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## ewolfr

If you still want to use torrents then try either uknova.com or thebox.bz. They are both excellent choices for UK originated shows. I've been a member of both for several years now and never gotten a nastygram from my isp about using them.


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## JFriday

Go clean your room and turn off the computer!!


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## Malcontent

http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide

http://www.newsgroupreviews.com/Tutorial.html

http://lifehacker.com/5601586/how-to-get-started-with-usenet-in-three-simple-steps

http://mantup.com/

Here is a quick start guide.

You will need to pay for a premium usenet provider. There are two kinds of usenet accounts. One is unlimited. You pay a monthly fee (as low as $9.99) and you are allowed to download as much as you want without limits.

The second one is when you prepay for a certain amount of Gigs.They are called Block Accounts. For example you could pay a one time fee of $20 for 200 gigs of download credit. Those 200 gigs don't expire and can be used anytime you wish without loosing them from inactivity. Everything you download is subtracted from that 200 gigs until you have used them all up. When you used them up you would have to buy more usenet block credit. If your not a heavy down loader then a Block account might be cheaper for you. Block accounts are one off charges and don't expire. They can be made to last months or years depending how much you download. They are good to use when getting started using usenet.

I use an usenet provider called Blocknews.net for my usenet block accounts. Great prices and customer service.

http://www.blocknews.net/

5 GBs - $2.75!
10 GBs - $4.50!
25 GBs - $8.50!
50 GBs - $11.79!
100 GBs - $14.69!
200 GBs - $21.59!
500 GBs - $51.49!
1,024 GBs - $91.39!

Another thing about usenet is the ability to use SSL encryption when downloading from usenet servers. So, not even your ISP will know what your downloading.

If you decide to go for unlimited I recommend an usenet providers called "Astraweb.com" and "Usenetnow.net". Both charge around $11-12 a month for unlimited.

Stay away from Giganews. They are very very expensive. There are many cheaper alternatives that provide good service.

The learning curve for usenet is slightly more then torrents but once you get the basic down it's a breeze. With usenet you download at max speed immediately and all the time. No ratios to worry about and much safer.


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## Steveknj

You realize for $10 a month he can get a netflix account and watch this streaming (if available) 

Man, usenet used to be easy. Your ISP gave you the account as part of your package and then off you went to leech as much illegal stuff as you wanted


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## Malcontent

Steveknj said:


> You realize for $10 a month he can get a netflix account and watch this streaming (if available)


Far more content on usenet and almost always arrives on usenet before Netflix. In addition to TV and movies, there are video games and computer software and music, ebooks, audio books.


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## BrettStah

Steveknj said:


> You realize for $10 a month he can get a netflix account and watch this streaming *(if available) *
> 
> Man, usenet used to be easy. Your ISP gave you the account as part of your package and then off you went to leech as much illegal stuff as you wanted


That's a big caveat...


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## robojerk

Lifehacker has some awesome articles for people who don't understand technology like this.

How To Get Started With Usenet In Three Simple Steps
How to Automatically Download TV Shows as Soon as They've Aired (or Turn Your PC into a TiVo)


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## Ment

Malcontent said:


> I use an usenet provider called Bl...omer service.
> [url]http://www.blocknews.net/
> 
> 5 GBs - $2.75!
> 10 GBs - $4.50!
> 25 GBs - $8.50!
> 50 GBs - $11.79!
> 100 GBs - $14.69!
> 200 GBs - $21.59!
> 500 GBs - $51.49!
> 1,024 GBs - $91.39!
> 
> Another thing about usenet is the ability to use SSL encryption when downloading from usenet servers. So, not even your ISP will know what your downloading.
> 
> If you decide to go for unlimited I recommend an usenet providers called "Astraweb.com" and "Usenetnow.net". Both charge around $11-12 a month for unlimited.
> 
> Stay away from Giganews. They are very very expensive. There are many cheaper alternatives that provide good service.


:up: On Blocknews and Usenetnow (same peeps but caters to different market setments for usenet). An additional bonus for those guys is that takedown notices are few and far between. Giganews, a big usenet provider, gets them quite frequently so completing DLs of older shows can be a hassle.


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## Casual

http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide

YW

This helped me big time. I was one of the first ppl in my group of friends to leave torrents for usenet (7 years ago). This guide will teach you everything you need to know.


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## Hoffer

I use usenetserver.com as my usenet provider. I've been using them for like 8-10 years. In the beginning, they were a little shakey, but have been rock solid for years. I think I pay $35-40 every 3 months for service. They used to only be $10/month. I was fine with the price increase as they are very reliable, fast and keep a lot of history.

I've been using GrabIT as my binary extractor for a number of years on PC. I use Unison on my MacBook. GrabIT has a search feature that they charge like $20 a year for. From within GrabIT, I do a search like "Doctor Who x264" and it shows me everything. I then just download which episode I want. GrabIT also automatically merges the RAR files if you download at least one PAR file.

According to Comcast, I downloaded 241 GB of data last month. A lot of that was off usenet. I rarely use bit torrent.

I do like seeing this thread as I see some interesting stuff to try.


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## jpwoof

usenet/newsgroup is old school. download the video files directly instead. PM if you want to know where.


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## Hoffer

Casual said:


> http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide
> 
> YW
> 
> This helped me big time. I was one of the first ppl in my group of friends to leave torrents for usenet (7 years ago). This guide will teach you everything you need to know.


Has bit torrent been around 7 years already? Time flies!!


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## Roommate

Others have covered the basics of getting set up, so I will just add that in addition to SABnzbd that IndyJones1023 mentioned, you should look into a program called Sick Beard, which will allow you to set up shows to watch for and automatically download when they appear (like a TiVo!). Sick Beard + SABnzbd + XBMC + HTPC = pure happiness.


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## Malcontent

For dead simple Windows usenet client that will handle all the basics try 'Unzbin'. It's free. It's good for people just starting to learn usenet. While Sabnzbd is better, it's more complicated to set up. At least at first. "Unzbin" might be a better start to get your feet wet.

http://www.unzbin.com/


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## Steveknj

Malcontent said:


> Far more content on usenet and almost always arrives on usenet before Netflix. In addition to TV and movies, there are video games and computer software and music, ebooks, audio books.


On the other side of the coin, Netflix is legal  Another argument for another thread, I know.

Just seems crazy to me to pay for downloading illegal content.


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## MxRodriguez

Roommate said:


> Others have covered the basics of getting set up, so I will just add that in addition to SABnzbd that IndyJones1023 mentioned, you should look into a program called Sick Beard, which will allow you to set up shows to watch for and automatically download when they appear (like a TiVo!). Sick Beard + SABnzbd + XBMC + HTPC = pure happiness.


I will double and triple thumbs up this recommendation of 
SickBeard +Sabnzbd +XBMC +HTPC and add in CouchPotato to equate to pure happiness.


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## BrettStah

Steveknj said:


> On the other side of the coin, Netflix is legal  Another argument for another thread, I know.
> 
> Just seems crazy to me to pay for downloading illegal content.


Thought we established that it against copyright laws to upload, but it's not to download?


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## Malcontent

Steveknj said:


> Just seems crazy to me to pay for downloading illegal content.


When you do the math, it's very economical. By just downloading one DVD/Bluray, music CD, or video game a month you come out ahead money wise. With Netflix you get to watch the content you stream but not keep a hard copy. The content you download from usenet you get to keep. Even if you cancel your usenet account, the content you downloaded before is still available to you. Burn it to DVD/Bluray/CD. Play it on your computer, Bluray Player, hand held.

I'm not slamming Netflix. I think it's great. I just get more bang for my buck from usenet then I could from Netflix.


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## 2004raptor

I use to use giganews probably 5 or so years ago. 

This thread has got me thinking to start using usenet again. I go through spurts of using it and then not using it for weeks and weeks so I got tired of paying for a service I wasn't using.

Never heard of the "block accounts". May have to research that a bit more. It's great theat they don't expire. Is there any type of contract you have to agree to or could it be a once time deal? Any disadvantage to it?


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## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> I use to use giganews probably 5 or so years ago.
> 
> This thread has got me thinking to start using usenet again. I go through spurts of using it and then not using it for weeks and weeks so I got tired of paying for a service I wasn't using.
> 
> Never heard of the "block accounts". May have to research that a bit more. It's great theat they don't expire. Is there any type of contract you have to agree to or could it be a once time deal? Any disadvantage to it?


No contract. You pay a one off fee for the amount of GIGS you want and that's it. There is no reoccurring fee. No expiration. You can go weeks, months, years without use and they will be waiting for you.

Only disadvantage is if you are a big down loader or suddenly turn into one. If you download say around 50+ gigs EVERY month, then block accounts would be expensive. An unlimited usenet account would likely be better.

The way you describe your prior usenet downloading habits, block accounts sound like it would be the way to go.


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## logic88

Hoffer said:


> I use usenetserver.com as my usenet provider. I've been using them for like 8-10 years. In the beginning, they were a little shakey, but have been rock solid for years. I think I pay $35-40 every 3 months for service. They used to only be $10/month. I was fine with the price increase as they are very reliable, fast and keep a lot of history.


UNS is still $10/month. Or $95/year.

http://www.newsgroupreviews.com/usenetserver-special.html

Alternatively, there's the Rapidshare/Megaupload/Fileserver/Filesonic/etc. route as well.


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## orangeboy

Brighthouse in Central Florida uses Newshosting as their default provider. Very good retention and completion. I still have a grandfathered Giganews account where I pay $99 for 100GB that I use as a "backup" server with SABnzbd.

Check out what your ISP provides. I've had ISPs use SuperNews, Giganews and now Newshosting as their providers. Chances are you're paying for a usenet provider to your ISP and may not even know it!


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## Malcontent

orangeboy said:


> Brighthouse in Central Florida uses Newshosting as their default provider. Very good retention and completion. I still have a grandfathered Giganews account where I pay $99 for 100GB that I use as a "backup" server with SABnzbd.
> 
> Check out what your ISP provides. I've had ISPs use SuperNews, Giganews and now Newshosting as their providers. Chances are you're paying for a usenet provider to your ISP and may not even know it!


$99 for 100GB? That's a rip off. For $91.39 you could buy 1 Terabyte from Blocknews.net with 981+ days of retention.

Are you able to use SSL on your Brighthouse Newshosting usenet? What is the retention?

Most ISP's have dumped their usenet service (binaries) in cost cutting measures. Not all but the majority.


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## mattack

Malcontent said:


> Far more content on usenet and almost always arrives on usenet before Netflix. In addition to TV and movies, there are video games and computer software and music, ebooks, audio books.


and it's all illegal.

(trn is the best newsreader ever.)


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## Malcontent

mattack said:


> and it's all illegal.


Damn, now you tell me. 

If this subject bothers/offends you why do you read and participate in these kind of threads? Make use of the ignore thread feature. If you wish to debate the subject, start your own thread and go for it.


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## orangeboy

Malcontent said:


> $99 for 100GB? That's a rip off. For $91.39 you could buy 1 Terabyte from Blocknews.net with 981+ days of retention.


Well, when you put it that way, yep, it does seem that I'm paying too much! I'll definitely gonna look into blocknews. :up:



Malcontent said:


> Are you able to use SSL on your Brighthouse Newshosting usenet?


Never tried.



Malcontent said:


> What is the retention?


985 days.


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## IndyJones1023

Usenet is not all illegal.


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## brettatk

I think everyone is forgetting the first rule of Usenet. 

I've been completely happy with Astraweb. I pay $96 a year for unlimited and it's so worth it. Also I'd recommend using nzbmatrix.com as an indexing site and then upgrading to VIP. Retention is 1000 days and makes finding downloads so much easier. Then as mentioned earlier use SABnzbd+ to automatically download files to your computer.

If you aren't going to be downloading a lot then I probably wouldn't pay for unlimited. It would probably work out cheaper to buy a block from somewhere and use it sporatically. I'm probably 50/50 in recording TV and downloading so I definitely get my money in paying for unlimited.


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## KungFuCow

I use Giganews and Newsleecher. Ive been looking for get away from GN.. its just too expensive. Maybe Ill take a look at usenetserver again. They were my first Usenet provider, then I went to Astraweb and Ive been with Giganews for years.


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## Jeeters

KungFuCow said:


> I use Giganews and Newsleecher.


This. Newsleecher is the bee's knees.


> Ive been looking for get away from GN.. its just too expensive.


Me too. They keep raising their retention and have added some features such as personal VPN, and I think they're working on a DropBox or Mozy type service add-on, but, still.
I'm always too lazy to look around or to pull the trigger on somebody else.
I used to use Supernews way back when, but I forget why I switched over to GN.


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## Malcontent

Jeeters said:


> I used to use Supernews way back when, but I forget why I switched over to GN.


Giganews bought Supernews awhile ago. With Supernews you get Giganews quality at cheaper prices. You can probably get Supernews for $9.99 a month on special. Supernews has a retention limit of 800 days. The lower retention is one of the reasons it's cheaper. If your happy with Giganews service then Supernews would a good choice.

http://www.supernews.com/superspecial.html

Edit:

In addition to less retention, you don't get VPN or any of the premium features Giganews charges for.


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## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> I use Giganews and Newsleecher. Ive been looking for get away from GN.. its just too expensive.


Giganews bought Supernews awhile ago and they are cheaper at $9.99 a month. You would get the Giganews quality service for less money with Supernews. One of the differences is that Supernews has 800 days retention.

http://www.supernews.com/superspecial.html


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## Fofer

I use newzbin.com for NZB indexing, and Giganews as my Usenet provider, and Unison client (for Mac.)


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## LoadStar

Ok, I know I'm paying way too much for easynews, but I like that they have a very well designed web front end, including search, PAR file viewing, auto-RAR decoding, etc.

Does AstraWeb or GigaNews offer a similar web front end, or are they strictly NNTP-based?


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## Malcontent

LoadStar said:


> Ok, I know I'm paying way too much for easynews, but I like that they have a very well designed web front end, including search, PAR file viewing, auto-RAR decoding, etc.
> 
> Does AstraWeb or GigaNews offer a similar web front end, or are they strictly NNTP-based?


No they don't. No web based front ends. Giganews has released an usenet client that that allows searches, ect. but you would be paying even more then Easynews.There are several good and free usenet search engines.

http://www.mysterbin.com/


> MysterBin gives you the best of search technologies for binary newsgroups:
> 
> Search inside RAR archives and preview them before download
> Refine your queries on size and type of content
> Extended queries: car*, *car, -car
> Automatic grouping of results belonging to the same group
> Over 1001 days indexed and growing


http://www.binsearch.info/

There are stand alone usenet clients that have built-in search and will auto decode, repair and unpack RAR. There several (free) that will decode, repair, unpack. Paired with free usenet search engines it's very effective.

http://newsleecher.com/


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## Turtleboy

I'm grandfathered into a plan with Newsdemon where I have unlimited downloading for $9.99 a month and they can't raise the price (theoretically). I'll sometimes go a month or two without downloading from Usenet but I won't cancel b/c I don't want to give that up.

I also use Unison for Mac. I forgot about Newzbin. I'll use the built in search feature in Unison, which really is just a link to www.binsearch.info


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## classicsat

IndyJones1023 said:


> Usenet is not all illegal.


Neither are any number of other file trading/distribution schemes. It is just how they are used is illegal, and using Usenet in the intent described in this thread is the illegal thing.


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## Ment

Turtleboy said:


> I'm grandfathered into a plan with Newsdemon where I have unlimited downloading for $9.99 a month and they can't raise the price (theoretically). I'll sometimes go a month or two without downloading from Usenet but I won't cancel b/c I don't want to give that up.
> 
> I also use Unison for Mac. I forgot about Newzbin. I'll use the built in search feature in Unison, which really is just a link to www.binsearch.info


Sound like you're the perfect block account customer. $9.99 per month deals can be found quite frequently nowadays so it's not a factor to keep an account.

Anyone use nzbs.org? I started using them when Newzbin went down for a while and they have a RSS feed tie in to SABnzbd just like Newzbin does. Plus its free as long as can get in during one of the open registration periods.


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## ewolfr

LoadStar said:


> Ok, I know I'm paying way too much for easynews, but I like that they have a very well designed web front end, including search, PAR file viewing, auto-RAR decoding, etc.
> 
> Does AstraWeb or GigaNews offer a similar web front end, or are they strictly NNTP-based?


http://easynews.com/partners/

Easynews now has an unlimited account for $9.99/mo. If you are paying more than that it might make sense to email them and ask to this new plan.

http://www.bintube.com/

Bintube is an Astraweb reseller. They let you preview audio and video clips but you have to use their software in order to do it.

http://www.bintube.com/player/


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## Malcontent

Another nice and free usenet indexing site. Their RSS feeds can also be used with SABNzbd usenet client.

SABNzbd (free) also has Apple versions of it's software.

http://www.nzb.su/


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## gsorel

> For $91.39 you could buy 1 Terabyte from Blocknews.net with 981+ days of retention.


Blocknews is an excellent readnews reseller. Newsdemon have also excellent price on big GB account: 1000 GB - $ 89 - 0.089 USD/GB


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## KungFuCow

Hate to bump this back up.. Ive officially left Giganews and need a new Usenet provider. Ive tried to sign up with UsenetServer but its been a train wreck and Im disgusted in dealing with them. Id like a service I can pay for yearly.. Astraweb seems to be my other option. I had them once before and they kind of stunk. Is anyone using them with any success now or have any other suggestions I should look at?


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## Fofer

Why'd you "officially leave Giganews?"


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## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Why'd you "officially leave Giganews?"


One reason may be cost. Their quite expensive. You can get unlimited usenet for $10 a month elsewhere.


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## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Hate to bump this back up.. Ive officially left Giganews and need a new Usenet provider. Ive tried to sign up with UsenetServer but its been a train wreck and Im disgusted in dealing with them. Id like a service I can pay for yearly.. Astraweb seems to be my other option. I had them once before and they kind of stunk. Is anyone using them with any success now or have any other suggestions I should look at?


I don't know how long ago you last tried Astraweb but for the last couple of years they have been getting good buzz. Their one of the few independent providers left. Their completion is good. They don't take down content because of DMCA requests. Users with 50m internet connections report maxing out their line speed with Astraweb. They have a $96 a year subscription special that's been running.

The only negative is customer service. They have been said to be slow to respond to emails. Poor communication with customers.

Although they don't have a yearly option, Usenetnow.net is a great service. They and Astraweb have the best completion and both don't remove content because of DMCA take down requests. Their customer service is fantastic and quick to respond. They go the extra mile to make sure their customers are satisfied. Their service is fast and reliable. I use and recommend them to friends and family.

http://usenetnow.net/

I would urge you to stay away from Highwinds and it's resellers. Usenetserver, Newshosting, Thundernews, Newsdemon, ect. Highwinds take down content because of DMCA. They remove HBO shows, Xbox games, ect.


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## Fofer

Does Giganews take down content because of DMCA requests?


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## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Does Giganews take down content because of DMCA requests?


Yes, they do. The only ones that don't take down content because of DMCA is Astraweb and Usenetnow.net and Ngroups.net and Blocknews.net.

If you download the DMCA targeted content within the first few days of being posted there is no problem getting it. But if you wait to long it will be removed from the servers.


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## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> One reason may be cost. Their quite expensive. You can get unlimited usenet for $10 a month elsewhere.


Ding Ding Ding

Ive been a platinum account member for years and its just too expensive. Loved the service, the support was good but when everyone else is charging $10-15 a month and they're charging $30, its a tough pill to keep swallowing.

I canceled a few weeks ago, my time just didnt run out until the 28th. Cant say a thing bad about Giganews other than they're pricey. Id like to say you get what you pay for but their Usenet client is just "okay" and I dont really use the VPN access.


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## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Ding Ding Ding
> 
> Ive been a platinum account member for years and its just too expensive. Loved the service, the support was good but when everyone else is charging $10-15 a month and they're charging $30, its a tough pill to keep swallowing.
> 
> I canceled a few weeks ago, my time just didnt run out until the 28th. Cant say a thing bad about Giganews other than they're pricey. Id like to say you get what you pay for but their Usenet client is just "okay" and I dont really use the VPN access.


Have you considered using 'Supernews'. It's owned by Giganews and you can get it for $9.99 a month. It's basically Giganews but with retention limited to 800 days. No VPN or any of the bells and whistles. If you can live with 800 days retention, it might be something to consider.

http://www.supernews.com/superspecial.html


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## Fofer

KungFuCow said:


> Ding Ding Ding
> 
> Ive been a platinum account member for years and its just too expensive. Loved the service, the support was good but when everyone else is charging $10-15 a month and they're charging $30, its a tough pill to keep swallowing.
> 
> I canceled a few weeks ago, my time just didnt run out until the 28th. Cant say a thing bad about Giganews other than they're pricey. Id like to say you get what you pay for but their Usenet client is just "okay" and I dont really use the VPN access.


I'm currently with Giganews, pay $12.99 for a "Silver" account and am allowed 58 GB per month. (I never, ever get close to that. It may as well be unlimited, as far as my usage pattern is concerned.) I've been with them for a while so I'm grandfathered in at this price and have earned a little referral credit, I suppose.

I'm happy enough with them that I've never considered switching. I've also never come across some file I hoped to download only to learn it was taken down by a DMCA request.


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## vertigo235

I use easynews which is pretty expensive but they have web interface that unpacks all the files so I can download them on my iPad.


----------



## Fofer

vertigo235 said:


> I use easynews which is pretty expensive but they have web interface that unpacks all the files so I can download them on my iPad.


Hmm. Interesting. So, could you download _and view_ video files "directly" off Usenet, on the iPad, using no other devices? If so, I should look into this.


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> I've also never come across some file I hoped to download only to learn it was taken down by a DMCA request.


Glad to hear that the content you download isn't targeted DMCA or you were able to download it before it was removed. But Giganews does comply with DMCA take down requests.


----------



## logic88

KungFuCow said:


> Ive tried to sign up with UsenetServer but its been a train wreck and Im disgusted in dealing with them. Id like a service I can pay for yearly..


What was the problem? I've been with UNS for probably two years now and haven't had any major problems. There has been an occasional billing hiccup with them in that the system locked me out for an hour or two but an email resolved that issue quickly.

The $95 yearly price is good and they max out my connection (1.4MB/sec) with 10 threads. Retention is OK. Anything within ~600 days is pretty solid. Anything from ~700-1000 days is OK if it comes with a decent amount of PAR2 files as I find that every file tends to be missing one or two parts.


----------



## KungFuCow

logic88 said:


> What was the problem? I've been with UNS for probably two years now and haven't had any major problems. There has been an occasional billing hiccup with them in that the system locked me out for an hour or two but an email resolved that issue quickly.
> 
> The $95 yearly price is good and they max out my connection (1.4MB/sec) with 10 threads. Retention is OK. Anything within ~600 days is pretty solid. Anything from ~700-1000 days is OK if it comes with a decent amount of PAR2 files as I find that every file tends to be missing one or two parts.


Their ordering system broke in between the transfer process from Paypal back to them so the money left my account, went floating around in never, never land and they said they never got it. Between about 50 emails and 3 calls to Paypal and 4 calls to UsenetServer, I think we're finally straight. I went ahead and paid for a year. At $7.50 a month, its hard to argue with that price.


----------



## Ment

Malcontent said:


> Although they don't have a yearly option, Usenetnow.net is a great service. They and Astraweb have the best completion and both don't remove content because of DMCA take down requests. Their customer service is fantastic and quick to respond. They go the extra mile to make sure their customers are satisfied. Their service is fast and reliable. I use and recommend them to friends and family.


I don't believe that Usenetnow/Blocknews doesn't comply with a takedown notices. As an indi, just haven't been targets for regular complaints and there is much more bang for the buck to be vigilante on sending notices to Highwinds and Giganews as they are backends for many usenet providers. Agree that they have great customer service. Got into their $48 per 6 month deal a couple years back and don't ever see leaving.


----------



## innocentfreak

Heard good things also about astraweb. If you don't want the $96 option, they used to have an unadvertised option for $9 or so for unlimited with ssl. You may still find the link on slickdeals since they always post usenet deals there.


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> Heard good things also about astraweb. If you don't want the $96 option, they used to have an unadvertised option for $9 or so for unlimited with ssl. You may still find the link on slickdeals since they always post usenet deals there.


Astraweb's been running a $11 a month unlimited deal for the last 3 years. It was advertised as being available for a limited time but it's still working.

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/kleverig-11.html


----------



## swifty

I'm using Supernews. I can saturate my connection and they have 800 day binary retention. They have an unlimited plan on special for only $9.99/mo
http://www.supernews.com/superspecial.html

I'm also using the Media Browser plugin for Windows Media Center to manage my files, it works really slick and has a lot of plugins.
http://www.mediabrowser.tv/


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

For those using Mac,

*NZBVortex*

http://www.nzbvortex.com/site/


> The small and efficient NZB client for OSX, optimized for performance and ease of use.
> NZBVortex is very fast in comparison to other usenet clients because it will try to minimize the download size and has very fast postprocessing. NZBVortex will not only skip not-required par2 files, but also is able to skip sample files (optional) and has a extreme fast par2 pre-check called "SmartCheck". SmartCheck is able to detect if a par2 check is required at all; if not it will completely skip the lenghty par2 check! This is unique in NZBVortex!
> 
> NZBVortex is very feature complete and extremely tuned for optimal download speeds and minimal system usage.
> A real set-and-forget download application: add a NZB and NZBVortex will take care of the rest.


----------



## Graymalkin

If I was seven years old again, my father probably would explain Usenet this way:

"It's where boogymen hang out and try to snatch little kids like you. If I catch you in there, I'll take away your computer."


----------



## Fofer

"You're seven. You don't need to know anything about Usenet. Go outside and play ball."


----------



## 2004raptor

SO how is NewsgroupDirect for a block account? I see they have a deal going for 1TB for $50. I think it ends tonight though. I was on the fence about Blocknews.net but this current deal seems perfect for what I would use. don't want/need unlimited so that's not a factor.

Does Newsgroupdirect take down content as discussed earlier in this thread?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> SO how is NewsgroupDirect for a block account? I see they have a deal going for 1TB for $50. I think it ends tonight though. I was on the fence about Blocknews.net but this current deal seems perfect for what I would use. don't want/need unlimited so that's not a factor.
> 
> Does Newsgroupdirect take down content as discussed earlier in this thread?


Their a Highwinds reseller and they do remove content because of DMCA take down requests. If you download targeted content within a few days to a week of being posted, you shouldn't have a problem getting it.

Highwinds completion isn't as great as Blocknews.net as a whole. Blocknews.net doesn't remove content because of DMCA. Blocknews customer service is top notch. Their quick to respond.

That being said, the 1TB for $50 deal might be a fair trade off. It's a 50% discount on average prices for 1 Terabyte block.


----------



## The Spud

Malcontent said:


> Their a Highwinds reseller and they do remove content because of DMCA take down requests. If you download targeted content within a few days to a week of being posted, you shouldn't have a problem getting it.
> 
> Highwinds completion isn't as great as Blocknews.net as a whole. Blocknews.net doesn't remove content because of DMCA. Blocknews customer service is top notch. Their quick to respond.
> 
> That being said, the 1TB for $50 deal might be a fair trade off. It's a 50% discount on average prices for 1 Terabyte block.


I jumped on this deal. This makes the 4th provider I've signed up with in the past 3 weeks. I originally signed up with a company that I used to be with a number of years ago and cancelled within their trial period. It turned out that, while they were a good deal back then, there were much better deals given how I intended to use them now. I then bought a 200 gb block from Newsdemon for $19. When I blew through nearly have of that in a couple of days, I signed up for an unlimited plan with UsenetServer for $10/month. I've gotten just about everything I wanted so I'll cancel that when my first month is up. Moving forward the 1 TB block should be sufficient.

All of these great deals are a blessing and a curse.


----------



## 2004raptor

Malcontent said:


> Their a Highwinds reseller and they do remove content because of DMCA take down requests. If you download targeted content within a few days to a week of being posted, you shouldn't have a problem getting it.
> 
> Highwinds completion isn't as great as Blocknews.net as a whole. Blocknews.net doesn't remove content because of DMCA. Blocknews customer service is top notch. Their quick to respond.
> 
> That being said, the 1TB for $50 deal might be a fair trade off. It's a 50% discount on average prices for 1 Terabyte block.


Thanks for the quick reply. I'm in turmoil. The deal seems great but I am not a user that will be looking daily. Maybe once a week or so. And i really can't download alot because comcast has their 250 GB cap/month anyway.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. I'm in turmoil. The deal seems great but I am not a user that will be looking daily. Maybe once a week or so. And i really can't download alot because comcast has their 250 GB cap/month anyway.


The 1 Terabyte block doesn't expire. It will last forever until it's all used up. Doesn't matter if it would take you 3-4 (or longer) years to use it all.


----------



## pteronaut

2004raptor said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. I'm in turmoil. The deal seems great but I am not a user that will be looking daily. Maybe once a week or so. * And i really can't download alot because comcast has their 250 GB cap/month anyway.*


You'll be able to download more with Usenet per month than you would with bittorrent what with the concurrent seeding and if you are a member of a private site with ratio standards, you will be using twice as much bandwidth as the file size just to avoid being kicked out.


----------



## Idearat

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> For those using Mac,
> 
> *NZBVortex*
> 
> http://www.nzbvortex.com/site/


Works great for me. If I think of something I want I find the NZB and put in my Dropbox folder. NZBVortex monitors the same folder on my Mac Mini, deletes the NZB when it's used it.

I get an occasional file that it doesn't decode, but I just drag one of the files over to StuffIt Expander and I'm all set. Otherwise it's a whole lot tidier than BitTorrent. I'll only torrent things like obscure UK TV series that don't show up on Usenet or where I want to download the whole series at once.


----------



## Fofer

Is there an easy way to search for, and save, NZBs to Dropbox... from an iPhone or iPad?


----------



## 2004raptor

Finally had some free time today and signed up for BlockNews. I am trying to use the SABnzd Wizard to enter my account info. I keep getting a 10061 error. Permission denied.
I know I have my username and password typed correctly. Server name is good. 119 is the Port and I clicked on SSL connections. Also I have set it to anywhere in between 8 and 20 connecitons. 

I sent them a ticket but not sure how long they take to respond. Any ideas?


----------



## 2004raptor

OK, I think I figured it out. Appears to maybe be an issue with PeerBlock. 


Now, it's connecting. But I have no idea how to use SABnzd.


----------



## danterner

2004raptor said:


> Finally had some free time today and signed up for BlockNews. I am trying to use the SABnzd Wizard to enter my account info. I keep getting a 10061 error. Permission denied.
> I know I have my username and password typed correctly. Server name is good. 119 is the Port and I clicked on SSL connections. Also I have set it to anywhere in between 8 and 20 connecitons.
> 
> I sent them a ticket but not sure how long they take to respond. Any ideas?


Try using the eu server instead of the us server, to see if that works? Maybe the US server is down? When I signed up for a block last month, I had exactly the same problem you are describing (I don't recall the number of the error, though). Using the eu server solved it.


----------



## 2004raptor

Thansk danterner. I figured it out not long after I posted. 

Still not sure what I'm doing with this. In the old days I would get a list of newsgroups and click on it to see the individual files posted under that group. Is that not how it works anymore or at least not how SABnzbd works? I see the ADD nzb button (which one of the posters here mentioned how to get this file) but I don't really have anything in mind. I just want to load up the groups and then decide where i want to go from there. Possible?


----------



## Azlen

2004raptor said:


> Thansk danterner. I figured it out not long after I posted.
> 
> Still not sure what I'm doing with this. In the old days I would get a list of newsgroups and click on it to see the individual files posted under that group. Is that not how it works anymore or at least not how SABnzbd works? I see the ADD nzb button (which one of the posters here mentioned how to get this file) but I don't really have anything in mind. I just want to load up the groups and then decide where i want to go from there. Possible?


I don't think that SABnzbd would be the right tool for that as I think that's more geared towards the usage of nzb files. If you just want to go old school, load up the groups and go from there, use an old school program like Xnews or something. http://xnews.newsguy.com/
I'm sure there are probably some newer newsreaders that could probably handle it better though.


----------



## 2004raptor

Yep, Xnews is what I used to use years ago. I've been reading a bit and I don't think it supports SSL without some other program. Jeesh, this used to be much simpler.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Do you all just use the nzb files?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Finally had some free time today and signed up for BlockNews. I am trying to use the SABnzd Wizard to enter my account info. I keep getting a 10061 error. Permission denied.
> I know I have my username and password typed correctly. Server name is good. 119 is the Port and I clicked on SSL connections. Also I have set it to anywhere in between 8 and 20 connecitons.
> 
> I sent them a ticket but not sure how long they take to respond. Any ideas?


If you want to use SSL connections, you have to use very specific ports on Blocknews. For SSL connections on either server, you may use either port 443, 563, 5563.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Thansk danterner. I figured it out not long after I posted.
> 
> Still not sure what I'm doing with this. In the old days I would get a list of newsgroups and click on it to see the individual files posted under that group. Is that not how it works anymore or at least not how SABnzbd works? I see the ADD nzb button (which one of the posters here mentioned how to get this file) but I don't really have anything in mind. I just want to load up the groups and then decide where i want to go from there. Possible?


SABnzbd only handles NZB files. It isn't able to download headers to allow you to browse the groups like you wish.

To handle NZB and download headers you can use the free client 'GrabIt'. It's been a couple of years since it was last updated but it should work ok.

http://www.shemes.com/

For a paid alternative there is 'Newsleecher'and 'Newsbin'. It will handle both NZB and headers. I believe they both have free trial periods.

http://newsleecher.com/

http://newsbin.com/

For a super simple NZB only client (easier then Sabnzbd) there is 'Unzbin'. It's a free and super easy client that will do everything for you. But not headers.

http://www.unzbin.com/


----------



## danterner

On the other hand, if you don't want to browse, I've found the combination of Snbnzb and Sick Beard to be phenomenal. Enter a show name in Sick Beard and it takes over from there - coordinating with Snbnzb and even post-processing.


----------



## orangeboy

2004raptor said:


> Thansk danterner. I figured it out not long after I posted.
> 
> Still not sure what I'm doing with this. In the old days I would get a list of newsgroups and click on it to see the individual files posted under that group. Is that not how it works anymore or at least not how SABnzbd works? I see the ADD nzb button (which one of the posters here mentioned how to get this file) but I don't really have anything in mind. I just want to load up the groups and then decide where i want to go from there. Possible?


There are usenet indexing websites. I use http://nzbindex.nl/, which will create (and save) an nzb file if one isn't provided by the original poster. Nzbindex can also create an RSS feed of search terms for use with SABnzbd's RSS feature, which makes it a nice "lights out" operation. Nzbindex has a limited number of groups that it indexes, but you can request to add a group in it's forum. There are other indexing sites, but a lot of them require registering to access them. I've got enough user IDs and passwords to remember, so I tend to avoid those.


----------



## 2004raptor

Alright, I''m giving sabnzbd go. Apparently PeerBlock doesn't get along with it. When I disable peerblock I can download. can anyone tell me how to allow blocknews without disabling peerblock?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Alright, I''m giving sabnzbd go. Apparently PeerBlock doesn't get along with it. When I disable peerblock I can download. can anyone tell me how to allow blocknews without disabling peerblock?


In my opinion peerblock is like a placebo.

People have reported getting busted for using torrents while using peerblock.

You don't need peerblock while using usenet. The only one who see's your IP address while downloading from Blocknews is Blocknews. They don't monitor what you download just how much you download. If you use SSL encryption, it's even more secure.

Another simple and free usenet client is "Unzibin".

http://www.unzbin.com/


----------



## cditty

Can someone explain to me how to setup a RSS feed using NZBMatrix? Using torrents, I would just subscribe to the rss feed for shows and filter accordingly. Using NZBMatrix, I see those same RSS feeds, but it's only limited to 25 results, has foreign languages and also contains older stuff. 

Any examples would be appreciated.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Can someone explain to me how to setup a RSS feed using NZBMatrix? Using torrents, I would just subscribe to the rss feed for shows and filter accordingly. Using NZBMatrix, I see those same RSS feeds, but it's only limited to 25 results, has foreign languages and also contains older stuff.
> 
> Any examples would be appreciated.


Are you a VIP member? Feeds are limited to 50 results only.

http://rss.nzbmatrix.com/

NZBMatrix API / RSS Forum:

http://nzbmatrix.com/forums.php?action=viewforum&forumid=46


----------



## cditty

Malcontent said:


> Are you a VIP member? Feeds are limited to 50 results only.
> 
> http://rss.nzbmatrix.com/
> 
> NZBMatrix API / RSS Forum:
> 
> http://nzbmatrix.com/forums.php?action=viewforum&forumid=46


Yes I am. I was actually using the RSS feed from the given categories. (Clicking on the RSS icon). I got the right RSS now, but SABnzdb won't download from the RSS. I setup the RSS and it's reading it. When I create a filter, ie...In.Plain.Site, it ignores it and won't download.

Should I be using some other RSS reader?


----------



## cditty

I think I got my filter figured out. How do you handle the duplicates?


----------



## innocentfreak

I think most just use programs like Sickbeard and Couchpotato to handle all of it.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I think I got my filter figured out. How do you handle the duplicates?


In Sabnzb configuration, under switches,

Queue: *Detect Duplicate Downloads* should be enabled.


----------



## tigercat74

Anybody else having problems accessing unzbin?


----------



## Malcontent

tigercat74 said:


> Anybody else having problems accessing unzbin?


Yeah, their website is unreachable right now. Try again later.


----------



## tigercat74

Malcontent said:


> Yeah, their website is unreachable right now. Try again later.


thank you


----------



## Malcontent

tigercat74 said:


> Anybody else having problems accessing unzbin?


The website is back up.


----------



## tigercat74

Malcontent said:


> The website is back up.


thank you


----------



## 2004raptor

Finally getting the hang of sabnbzb and nzb files. What's the deal with the "connections"? Blocknews says something about 50 connections. What exactly does that mean? I would think it means getting the files faster but I am already downloading at 1.5MB/sec. Can't imagine I can get stuff faster than that.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Finally getting the hang of sabnbzb and nzb files. What's the deal with the "connections"? Blocknews says something about 50 connections. What exactly does that mean? I would think it means getting the files faster but I am already downloading at 1.5MB/sec. Can't imagine I can get stuff faster than that.


It means the individual number connections to their server. Sometimes users need more connections in order to max out their speed. But nobody needs 50 connections. That number is just marketing.

Ideally you want to use the least amount of connections that allow you to max out your speed. On average it can run anywhere from 8-12 will allow you to max out your speed. The number can be different for everyone though. Add or subtract the number of connections that work best for you. Try to figure the minimum needed that allow you to max out your speed.

To many connections can affect your computer/internet performance.


----------



## Ment

2004raptor said:


> Finally getting the hang of sabnbzb and nzb files. What's the deal with the "connections"? Blocknews says something about 50 connections. What exactly does that mean? I would think it means getting the files faster but I am already downloading at 1.5MB/sec. Can't imagine I can get stuff faster than that.


Blocknews, since you are buying a fixed number of GB doesn't care if multiple people from multiple IPs use the acct at the same time. That may be one situation where a larger number of allowed connections would help.

My rule of thumb is start at 2 connections and add 1 connection per additional 2 MB of max speed allowed by your broadband plan.


----------



## gsorel

> I use easynews which is pretty expensive


Easynews has launched a Summer Special !

The Easynews Summer Special includes up to 100 gig of free downloads over 14 days


----------



## orangeboy

2004raptor said:


> Finally getting the hang of sabnbzb and nzb files. What's the deal with the "connections"? Blocknews says something about 50 connections. What exactly does that mean? I would think it means getting the files faster but I am already downloading at 1.5MB/sec. Can't imagine I can get stuff faster than that.


My ISP's provider of choice (NewsHosting) limits the total number of connections to 4. I've had occasion where SABnzbd tries to open a new connection to get an article before an old connection completely closes. As a result, I get "Too many connection" messages in SABnzbd. About a month ago, NewsHosting restricted my account. The following is the support correspondence with NewsHosting:



> Thank you for the information. The service you are using allows for 4 connections to be established at any given time. Opening more than the allotted 4 connections can result in our system temporarily restricting the excessive connection attempts. We have made sure the restriction for your IP have been removed, however you will want to check your newsreader and make sure you have ONLY 4 connections configured. Having more than 4 connections may result in the same scenario you just experienced.


and my reply:


> Anecdotally, I have found that these and similar problems can arise when a connection doesn't close in a timely manner. So even with a limit of four connections set in the client, the server may still see greater than four connections, including the still to be closed/closing connections on the server side. It is not uncommon for me to receive an error indicating "Too many connections" from my client, despite the server connection configuration is and has always been set to four. I would believe these to be errors on the client-side with not waiting for an acknowledgement from the server that a connection has successfully closed before attempting to open a new connection. Unless of course the server doesn't (by design) send an acknowledgment? Being merely a user, I'm not very knowledgeable with the technical details of the nntp protocol.


No further replies came from NewsHosting regarding Server-side acknowledgements...


----------



## The Spud

Am I SOL if a file is too damaged to be repaired, short of resorting to torrents?


----------



## orangeboy

The Spud said:


> Am I SOL if a file is too damaged to be repaired, short of resorting to torrents?


Not enough PAR files? More than likely, yep, SOL. I've had found (but damaged) files, not enough PARs for repair, and switched my "backup" (read: paid) and "primary" (read: free) servers, then redownloaded and replaced the damaged file with success. Is that an option you could try?


----------



## IndyJones1023

The Spud said:


> Am I SOL if a file is too damaged to be repaired, short of resorting to torrents?


Yeah, _Game of Thrones_ episode 2 is corrupt.


----------



## Malcontent

The Spud said:


> Am I SOL if a file is too damaged to be repaired, short of resorting to torrents?


Many usenet users buy a usenet block to use as a backup. They configure their usenet client to use the usenet block account as a backup server. The client will try downloading the missing/damaged parts from the backup server in hopes of getting the complete file. If the file was corrupted while being uploaded then it most likely is damaged on all usenet servers. Other times using the backup server will allow you to get the file intact. But it's no guarantee.

*The important thing is to choose a back up usenet provider that is different then your primary usenet provider. * In other words, if your using a Highwinds provider don't use a backup that is a Highwinds reseller. Newshosting, Usenetserver, Newsdemon, Thundernews, ect. are all Highwinds. Use two of these providers won't give you an independent backup.

Reliable backup providers are Blocknews.net and Astraweb.com. Users generally buy a usenet block from either of these two. They have the best completion out there. Both are different providers and are not Highwinds.


----------



## Malcontent

IndyJones1023 said:


> Yeah, _Game of Thrones_ episode 2 is corrupt.


HBO, content is target by DMCA take down notices on Highwinds and Giganews usenet providers. If you download new HBO stuff quickly then it's no problem. But if you try downloading at a later date, then it can be an issue.

Blocknews.net, Usenetnow.net and Astaweb.com currently don't have much if any trouble with DMCA take downs.

Buying a block account to use a backup when you run into DMCA problems can help. Blocknews.net and Astraweb.com sell block accounts. Most usenet clients allow you to set up a second usenet account as a backup server. The client will try downloading the missing parts from the backup server automatically. Many times this allows you to get the file successfully.


----------



## The Spud

Malcontent said:


> Many usenet users buy a usenet block to use as a backup. They configure their usenet client to use the usenet block account as a backup server. The client will try downloading the missing/damaged parts from the backup server in hopes of getting the complete file. If the file was corrupted while being uploaded then it most likely is damaged on all usenet servers. Other times using the backup server will allow you to get the file intact. But it's no guarantee.
> 
> *The important thing is to choose a back up usenet provider that is different then your primary usenet provider. * In other words, if your using a Highwinds provider don't use a backup that is a Highwinds reseller. Newshosting, Usenetserver, Newsdemon, Thundernews, ect. are all Highwinds. Use two of these providers won't give you an independent backup.
> 
> Reliable backup providers are Blocknews.net and Astraweb.com. Users generally buy a usenet block from either of these two. They have the best completion out there. Both are different providers and are not Highwinds.


I've tried a Highwinds reseller and Blocknews, same result.

TVTorrents has the same show available, is there a way to just download the missing stuff from TVTorrents and combine it with what I have already downloaded?


----------



## Malcontent

The Spud said:


> I've tried a Highwinds reseller and Blocknews, same result.
> 
> TVTorrents has the same show available, is there a way to just download the missing stuff from TVTorrents and combine it with what I have already downloaded?


I'm afraid that you can't do that. Torrents and Usenet kind of like apples and oranges.

Have you tried maybe downloading a different version of the show? Say if the standard definition version is damaged then try downloading the HD version. Or vice/versa. Maybe try searching for different releases of the same episode.

Out of curiosity what is the show your trying to get? If it's damaged on Blocknews, then most likely it was a bad posting in the first place.


----------



## The Spud

Malcontent said:


> I'm afraid that you can't do that. Torrents and Usenet kind of like apples and oranges.
> 
> Have you tried maybe downloading a different version of the show? Say if the standard definition version is damaged then try downloading the HD version. Or vice/versa. Maybe try searching for different releases of the same episode.
> 
> Out of curiosity what is the show your trying to get? If it's damaged on Blocknews, then most likely it was a bad posting in the first place.


Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. It's a series that aired from 1998-2001. It was posted to Usenet 726 days ago. I'll probably just get it from torrents, I've already wasted enough time (and bandwidth) for a show that probably isn't as good as I remember it.


----------



## Malcontent

The Spud said:


> Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. It's a series that aired from 1998-2001. It was posted to Usenet 726 days ago. I'll probably just get it from torrents, I've already wasted enough time (and bandwidth) for a show that probably isn't as good as I remember it.


That is a rather obscure tv show from the 90's. Not really popular enough to get reposted on usenet. From what I remember of it, not that good of a show. But to each their own. 

I thought you were having trouble with a more recent/current show. I was a little puzzled when you said you had problems with it on Blocknews. Blocknews usually has the best completion.

After a quick check the original posting of this series was messed up to begin with. Who ever posted it never bothered to fix his upload of this series. Since the show isn't that popular it never got reposted.

In this situation, torrents my be the way to go to get this tv series.


----------



## Azlen

Malcontent said:


> That is a rather obscure tv show from the 90's. Not really popular enough to get reposted on usenet. From what I remember of it, not that good of a show. But to each their own.


Still maybe of interest because Ryan Reynolds was in it and it was Nathan Fillion's first regular prime time TV job. I also thought Jillan Bach was kinda cute.


----------



## Malcontent

Azlen said:


> Still maybe of interest because Ryan Reynolds was in it and it was Nathan Fillion's first regular prime time TV job. I also thought the Jillan Bach was kinda cute.


From what I can tell, this series hasn't been released on DVD yet. Any copies out there are recordings made by viewers.


----------



## The Spud

Azlen said:


> Still maybe of interest because Ryan Reynolds was in it and it was Nathan Fillion's first regular prime time TV job. I also thought Jillan Bach was kinda cute.


Not to mention Traylor Howard as the girl.



Malcontent said:


> From what I can tell, this series hasn't been released on DVD yet. Any copies out there are recordings made by viewers.


There seems to be 2 torrents out there for this show. One is 8gb (the same files as the one that didn't complete on usenet) and a 14gb one. The 14gb doesn't appear to be very well seeded as it would take 1-2 weeks to get. The 8gb one is at both TVTorrents and Demonoid and looks like I could get it within a day. I'll have to wait either way, since I'm getting close to my Comcast cap


----------



## cditty

Is there any way to get sabnbzb to better filter duplicates? So far, I've gotten the last ep of Game of Thrones 3 times now. I'm only using NZBMatrix as a source.


----------



## innocentfreak

cditty said:


> Is there any way to get sabnbzb to better filter duplicates? So far, I've gotten the last ep of Game of Thrones 3 times now. I'm only using NZBMatrix as a source.


Any reason you just don't use Sickbeard? It seems like it would be 100x simpler.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Is there any way to get sabnbzb to better filter duplicates? So far, I've gotten the last ep of Game of Thrones 3 times now. I'm only using NZBMatrix as a source.


Are you using RSS feeds?

Might try and tweak your filters on your feed. Maybe be more specific on show names/releases.

Under SABnzbd Configuration:

Switches / Queue / "Detect Duplicate Downloads" - Discard

Another shout out for "Sickbeard". It's the closest you can get to Tivo like functionality.


----------



## danterner

+1 for Sickbeard.


----------



## HellFish

This thread is full of great info. I've setup SABnzbd & Sickbeard with great success. Thanks for everyone who has contributed.



Malcontent said:


> The client will try downloading the missing/damaged parts from the backup server in hopes of getting the complete file.


Are you saying you can setup SABnzbd to do this automatically? If so,how? The only manual interaction I have to do is if the download isn't successful. I think this is the first I heard of setting up a different provider as a backup. It's a great idea.


----------



## innocentfreak

HellFish said:


> This thread is full of great info. I've setup SABnzbd & Sickbeard with great success. Thanks for everyone who has contributed.
> 
> Are you saying you can setup SABnzbd to do this automatically? If so,how? The only manual interaction I have to do is if the download isn't successful. I think this is the first I heard of setting up a different provider as a backup. It's a great idea.


Yeah just mark those servers as backup servers. This way it will only use those servers when a piece is missing.


----------



## Malcontent

HellFish said:


> This thread is full of great info. I've setup SABnzbd & Sickbeard with great success. Thanks for everyone who has contributed.
> 
> Are you saying you can setup SABnzbd to do this automatically? If so,how? The only manual interaction I have to do is if the download isn't successful. I think this is the first I heard of setting up a different provider as a backup. It's a great idea.


In Sabnzbd Configuration:

Servers:

Under the specific server:

Enable as "BackUp Server"

The usenet provider you configure as a backup server will automatically be used to download missing or damaged parts when your primary provider has problems with downloads.


----------



## Gromit

I never noticed that option. This thread has made me realize the benefit to buying a block account from another usenet provider. :up:


----------



## innocentfreak

Gromit said:


> I never noticed that option. This thread has made me realize the benefit to buying a block account from another usenet provider. :up:


Yeah I am thinking I may need to grab one since lately I have had some issues with completion on astraweb.

Anyone have recommendations or know of a deal from another reseller?


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> Yeah I am thinking I may need to grab one since lately I have had some issues with completion on astraweb.
> 
> Anyone have recommendations or know of a deal from another reseller?


Blocknews.net has the best prices and completion. I use and recommend them.

http://www.blocknews.net


----------



## innocentfreak

Malcontent said:


> Blocknews.net has the best prices and completion. I use and recommend them.
> 
> http://www.blocknews.net


Thanks, for some reason I was thinking they were just a reseller of the same provider that astraweb uses.


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> Thanks, for some reason I was thinking they were just a reseller of the same provider that astraweb uses.


No, Blocknews is a different reseller then Astraweb. Isn't a Highwinds reseller either.


----------



## 2004raptor

I'll skim back through the thread but any other recommended nzb sites beside FST?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> I'll skim back through the thread but any other recommended nzb sites beside FST?


NZBMatrix is probably the best indexer. It has a lot of user particiaption. For a one off $10 cost you can get VIP membership.

http://nzbmatrix.com/


----------



## Fofer

I use and like http://www.newzbin.com/


----------



## cditty

innocentfreak said:


> Any reason you just don't use Sickbeard? It seems like it would be 100x simpler.


I tried it, but when I searched for "The Daily Show" it only found the first 4 seasons and not the whole 16 seasons. Didn't give me great faith. I'll try it again though.


----------



## innocentfreak

cditty said:


> I tried it, but when I searched for "The Daily Show" it only found the first 4 seasons and not the whole 16 seasons. Didn't give me great faith. I'll try it again though.


Make sure you setup the various providers you have an account with and the free ones that don't require an account. Some providers only do current RSS while others allow you to search old postings.

Also one thing to note even if you don't use SB to grab what you won't it can post process the files if you have your usenet program dump the shows into the watched folder.

I even use it to track shows I am watching on Netflix and TiVo recordings. Skipped are episodes I haven't watched and ignored are ones I have.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I tried it, but when I searched for "The Daily Show" it only found the first 4 seasons and not the whole 16 seasons. Didn't give me great faith. I'll try it again though.


You have to give Sickbeard time to process the Daily Show when you first add it. It's 16 seasons after all.

I just added the Daily Show to Sickbeard and after waiting awhile it's up to season 10. Restart Sickbeard and let it run for an hour and it will process the Daily show.

This is not typical behavior for Sickbeard. Processing 16 seasons of a show that airs multiple time a week takes time. Over a hundred shows a season.


----------



## mrdbdigital

Anyone know what has happened to nzbmatrix.com? I got the "server not found" message last night and this afternoon.


----------



## Malcontent

mrdbdigital said:


> Anyone know what has happened to nzbmatrix.com? I got the "server not found" message last night and this afternoon.


http://nzbmatrix.info/

Main router has died at the hosts, ETA to fix 1hr. Still not fixed, awaiting update from hosts....


----------



## cditty

Malcontent said:


> You have to give Sickbeard time to process the Daily Show when you first add it. It's 16 seasons after all.
> 
> I just added the Daily Show to Sickbeard and after waiting awhile it's up to season 10. Restart Sickbeard and let it run for an hour and it will process the Daily show.
> 
> This is not typical behavior for Sickbeard. Processing 16 seasons of a show that airs multiple time a week takes time.


yeah. I see that now. I guess I was a little impatient that day. 

So sickbeard finds the stuff and sab downloads it for me. Any suggestion on how to get rid of all the folders that are left behind? So far, I have folders for game of thrones(last week and this week) and Daily show(every episode) and so on and so on.


----------



## innocentfreak

cditty said:


> yeah. I see that now. I guess I was a little impatient that day.
> 
> So sickbeard finds the stuff and sab downloads it for me. Any suggestion on how to get rid of all the folders that are left behind? So far, I have folders for game of thrones(last week and this week) and Daily show(every episode) and so on and so on.


Wow completely miss read your problem lol.

There should be an option in SB under post processing I believe that lets you pick whether or not you leave the folder contents. The options vary though depending on what version you are running.


----------



## cditty

Thanks for the answer. I'll let this run for a day or two and see what it actually does and report back. I'm a little under the weather today, so it is prob not a good day to be screwing with technical stuffs. 

Thanks again.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> yeah. I see that now. I guess I was a little impatient that day.
> 
> So sickbeard finds the stuff and sab downloads it for me. Any suggestion on how to get rid of all the folders that are left behind? So far, I have folders for game of thrones(last week and this week) and Daily show(every episode) and so on and so on.


As innocentfreak mentioned look in the Post Processing configuration of Sickbeard. I think you have to *uncheck*, "Keep Original Files" option.


----------



## 2004raptor

Regarding BlockNews. Can I find out the files I have downloaded by logging into my account? I can't seem to find if they store that or not.


----------



## cditty

One last question. How does the backlog work? I add shows I want to it and every x seconds, sickbeard queries the nzb servers looking for it? Is that correct?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Regarding BlockNews. Can I find out the files I have downloaded by logging into my account? I can't seem to find if they store that or not.


No, they only record the amount of traffic you download, not what you download. That's a good thing. It protects you and them.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> One last question. How does the backlog work? I add shows I want to it and every x seconds, sickbeard queries the nzb servers looking for it? Is that correct?


Under 'Search Options' for Sickbeard, what ever you filled in for "Search Frequency" in minutes.

I wouldn't put in anything under 10 minutes. The NZB indexing sites don't like it if you hammer them every 1 minute. It's considered bad form to do so. Average is 15 minutes for most users.


----------



## cditty

Thanks again. That was it. Ofcourse it doesn't help that the nzbmatrix is down at the moment either.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Thanks again. That was it. Ofcourse it doesn't help that the nzbmatrix is down at the moment either.


Under 'Search Providers' in Sickbeard, set 'Sick Beard Index" to be the primary search provider. You drag and drop to the first position. Make NzbMatrix secondary. Make sure to save changes.


----------



## mrdbdigital

Malcontent said:


> http://nzbmatrix.info/
> 
> Main router has died at the hosts, ETA to fix 1hr. Still not fixed, awaiting update from hosts....


Thanks! Good to know I'm not pulling a "stoopid".


----------



## Malcontent

mrdbdigital said:


> Thanks! Good to know I'm not pulling a "stoopid".


NZBMatrix is backup.


----------



## cditty

After running for a few days, here is something that I have noticed. 

I set everything up in Sick Beard and tied it into sab. In Sick Beard, I told it to use the folders as season folders. I've noticed that some of the downloads are created within different folders. ie...Franklin and Bash. It got the current one last night, but instead of putting it inside the season folder, it created a new one. Same for Hot in Cleveland and The Daily Show. Sick Beard shows that the shows were gotten, but doesn't show in the XX/XXX listings under downloads.

Any thoughts?


----------



## brettatk

cditty said:


> Is there any way to get sabnbzb to better filter duplicates? So far, I've gotten the last ep of Game of Thrones 3 times now. I'm only using NZBMatrix as a source.


You have to set multiple filters within your RSS feeds. You also have to know what order to put in the "Types". This is the proper order: RequiresCat, Requires, Reject, and Accept. All Rejects have to come before any Accepts. I start off all my RSS feeds with: RequiresCat = HD, Requires = 720p. That way it will never download the SD version and only download files that contain 720p (and not 1080). If you are getting duplicates look at all the file names. Then set Reject filters for DD5, FRENCH, REPACK, etc. I rarely get a duplicate any more and if I do I'll go in and add another filter so I will not get it next time.


----------



## Gromit

Although it's for Ubuntu, I used this guide to help with my Sick Beard config (OS X). It helps with some of those more confusing configuration options.


----------



## cditty

I see that I need to setup post-processing, but following the directions on SickBeards site, only made it more confusing. I now see post-processing dropdown boxes, but I have to manually configure it for each download. I can't get it to be a all or none option. 

Hopefully all my stupid mistakes will be good for someone else.


----------



## cditty

Looks like I might have it now. I think I went in and tried to do the post-processing setup under categories before I set it up in the folders section. 

So far, 2/2 tests look like they are working correctly.


----------



## TiVoJedi

The most aggravating part of USENET is when A-holes post password-protected RAR archives within a RAR file that also contains a shortcut URL to some malware-infested lure website one 'has' to visit to get the password to unRAR the show downloaded. More frustratingly is that if you play along, you still don't get the password.. just signed up for a bunch of crap you don't need anyway. Sometimes binsearch.info will label these types of posts as 'password needed', but oftentimes not. Nothing gets my goat more than spending 25 minutes maxed on my 'premium' (highest level available in my area) $64/month Time-Warner 'turbo' 10mbit connection for a ~1GB file and then can't open the stinking thing because some jerkwad posted it in a password-protected RAR file. 

Does that Sickbeard program automatically exclude password-protected posts from its download consideration? I hate wasting bandwidth, even though TW isn't metering it in my area, as they have been testing in others.


----------



## innocentfreak

For the most part yes since it is pulling from indexing sites where people tend not to reference the password protected ones. Also if you get to learn the poster names on binsearch you can generally avoid the password ones also.


----------



## Malcontent

TiVoJedi said:


> The most aggravating part of USENET is when A-holes post password-protected RAR archives within a RAR file that also contains a shortcut URL to some malware-infested lure website one 'has' to visit to get the password to unRAR the show downloaded.
> 
> Does that Sickbeard program automatically exclude password-protected posts from its download consideration? I hate wasting bandwidth, even though TW isn't metering it in my area, as they have been testing in others.


To minimize your chance of coming across these types of files is to use good usenet indexing sites. One where users and mods give feedback and these types of files are removed by editors.

Usenet search engines are very powerful but you get the bad with the good in the search results. You have to be more careful using them.

Sickbeard generally uses usenet indexing sites that do their best to remove pass worded stuff. I've never had a problem with password stuff via Sickbeard. No problem using NZBMartix or any of the other indexing sites below.

Some good usenet sites are:

http://nzbmatrix.com/

http://filesharingtalk.com/content/?

http://www.nzbsrus.com/nzbbrowse.php

http://www.nzb.su/


----------



## 2004raptor

For some reason I am getting dreadfully slow speeds today. I have only downloaded a few things but normally I am getting 1.5MB/s average. Today I was dropping out to 186k.

Not sure if comcast is having issues. Anything I can do to see where the issue is? I never did open any ports on my router, would that help?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> For some reason I am getting dreadfully slow speeds today. I have only downloaded a few things but normally I am getting 1.5MB/s average. Today I was dropping out to 186k.
> 
> Not sure if comcast is having issues. Anything I can do to see where the issue is? I never did open any ports on my router, would that help?


What usenet provider are you using? It could just be a temporary issue with your usenet provider. In other words, try again later.

You can try switching servers. Your provider most likely offers more then one server. Usually a server in Europe and the U.S.A. If your using the U.S. one try the European server. Also you can try switching ports. Your provider most likely offers different ports to use, try using another one.

Opening ports in your router won't have any affect. That only works for torrents.


----------



## 2004raptor

Thanks. changing ports seems to have helped a bit. Still kinda early to tell. Hopefully it will be stable.

Blocknews is who I went with. 

I also did a speedtest on my comcast line and it was ~8MB/s so I don't think it's on their end.


----------



## vertigo235

I use http://www.nzbs.org/


----------



## markz

I signed up with Newsdemon.com on Black Friday for $9.99/month for life.

I use the SABMonitor extension for Chrome.

I search for NZBs at www.nzbclub.com

The cool part is I can drop an NZB file in the NZB sub-folder of Dropbox on my work PC, it gets replicated via Dropbox to the NZB folder on my home PC, SABMonitor watches that folder and then downloads the file on my home PC, and it is ready for me when I get home. The NZB file is then deleted by SABMonitor. I could even log into Dropbox on any PC and upload an NZB file to my account and kick the whole process off automatically!


----------



## DUDE_NJX

markz said:


> I signed up with Newsdemon.com on Black Friday for $9.99/month for life.
> 
> I use the SABMonitor extension for Chrome.
> 
> I search for NZBs at www.nzbclub.com
> 
> The cool part is I can drop an NZB file in the NZB sub-folder of Dropbox on my work PC, it gets replicated via Dropbox to the NZB folder on my home PC, SABMonitor watches that folder and then downloads the file on my home PC, and it is ready for me when I get home. The NZB file is then deleted by SABMonitor. I could even log into Dropbox on any PC and upload an NZB file to my account and kick the whole process off automatically!


Sickbeard makes this even more automated.


----------



## vertigo235

Sickbeard is just plain sick.


----------



## brettatk

I have everything pretty much automated using SABnzbd but have wanted to look at Sickbeard. Sickbeard isn't a replacement, I'd use it along with SABnzbd, correct? So instead of using RSS Feeds within SABnzbd, I'd let Sickbeard download all my nzb files and SABnzbd would download the actual files. Just wanted to make sure I was understanding it correctly before I screwed something up. Perfect time to play around with it right now before most shows return in a few weeks.


----------



## danterner

brettatk said:


> I have everything pretty much automated using SABnzbd but have wanted to look at Sickbeard. Sickbeard isn't a replacement, I'd use it along with SABnzbd, correct? So instead of using RSS Feeds within SABnzbd, I'd let Sickbeard download all my nzb files and SABnzbd would download the actual files. Just wanted to make sure I was understanding it correctly before I screwed something up. Perfect time to play around with it right now before most shows return in a few weeks.


That's pretty much right. Look up "SABtosickbeard" and you'll discover ways to further automate and post-process. The two programs complement each other incredibly well. Sickbeard basically gives you season passes for your nzb files. SABnzb is used for the actual downloading. Or, at least I think that's how it works.


----------



## 2004raptor

So, sickbeard is primarily used for tv shows?


----------



## brettatk

danterner said:


> That's pretty much right. Look up "SABtosickbeard" and you'll discover ways to further automate and post-process. The two programs complement each other incredibly well. Sickbeard basically gives you season passes for your nzb files. SABnzb is used for the actual downloading. Or, at least I think that's how it works. I've got it set up right, but hopefully I never need to replicate it on a new system because I'm not really sure I understand it enough to do it again.


Thanks. I've got it setup and will test it tonight with one show. I'm going to let SABnzbd continue to do all the post processing as it does everything I need it to. I was mainly interested in the interface of Sickbeard.

How does Sickbeard handle duplicate nzb files? Say if it finds 2 nzb files for a particular show. Will it download both of them? From time to time with SABnzbd i'll have duplicates download and I have to go in and edit the RSS feed so next time it will not happen.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> How does Sickbeard handle duplicate nzb files? Say if it finds 2 nzb files for a particular show. Will it download both of them? From time to time with SABnzbd i'll have duplicates download and I have to go in and edit the RSS feed so next time it will not happen.


Sickbeard is smart enough to not download duplicates. There is a Sickbeard option to re-down an episode if a "Proper" release is posted later. For example, if there was something wrong with the original episode, usually the release groups will post a fixed copy. Sickbeard will download the "proper" and replace the original version. This is an optional feature that needs to be enabled in Sickbeard.


----------



## brettatk

Malcontent said:


> Sickbeard is smart enough to not download duplicates. There is a Sickbeard option to re-down an episode if a "Proper" release is posted later. For example, if there was something wrong with the original episode, usually the release groups will post a fixed copy. Sickbeard will download the "proper" and replace the original version. This is an optional feature that needs to be enabled in Sickbeard.


Nice. I saw that option and figured that duplicates must not be a problem. It doesn't happen a lot with SABnzbd, but it does happen. I wouldn't care if AT&T didn't cap my bandwidth. The interface is as good as advertised. I love how easy it is to set up a TV show. I went ahead and set up everything I had in SABnzbd. I'm debating whether or not to enable the option listed above. I'll probably leave it unchecked and if something is wrong with the original I'll manually go in and download the fixed one.


----------



## brettatk

2004raptor said:


> So, sickbeard is primarily used for tv shows?


From my limited use so far, yes.


----------



## 2004raptor

brettatk said:


> From my limited use so far, yes.


thanks.

I haven't tried sickbeard yet but I guess everything I watch is caught on my comcast DVR or my series 2 tivo.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> thanks.
> 
> I haven't tried sickbeard yet but I guess everything I watch is caught on my comcast DVR or my series 2 tivo.


You might consider having Sickbeard download the shows that your series 2 records so that you can get the HD captures of each episode.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

No commercials to FF through!


----------



## brettatk

Sickbeard worked flawlessly last night. Makes me wonder why I haven't tried it before now. I guess I was confused thinking it was a replacement and not an addition to SABnzbd. I love being able to see exactly when shows will be recorded and whether I missed a show for some reason. Very happy with the way these two programs work together.


----------



## 2004raptor

Malcontent said:


> You might consider having Sickbeard download the shows that your series 2 records so that you can get the HD captures of each episode.


I may try this. So, it will download a show automatically as soon as it shows up anywhere on newsgroups or only certain groups?

After it's downloaded can it (or another program) transfer the finished file through my network to another device?


----------



## brettatk

2004raptor said:


> I may try this. So, it will download a show automatically as soon as it shows up anywhere on newsgroups or only certain groups?
> 
> After it's downloaded can it (or another program) transfer the finished file through my network to another device?


You can set for each show what version you want (SD or HD) so depending on that it will download as soon as that version shows up on whatever search provider(s) you have set in the configuration.

With my configuration, as soon as a show is downloaded to my computer, it is automatically transferred to my Tivo HD. In order to do this I utilize "pytivo-auto-push". If you are talking about to another device other than a Tivo then I'm afraid I can't help you but perhaps someone else can.


----------



## danterner

I have the files post-processed (by Sickbeard) so that they are renamed to a format recognizable by my Boxee Box, and then transferred into a directory on my PC that my Boxee wirelessly reads from. In this way, the finished files are transferred through my network to another device. Not sure if that's quite what you mean, though.


----------



## harrinpj

brettatk said:


> With my configuration, as soon as a show is downloaded to my computer, it is automatically transferred to my Tivo HD. In order to do this I utilize "pytivo-auto-push". If you are talking about to another device other than a Tivo then I'm afraid I can't help you but perhaps someone else can.


I built a whole separate computer to play my downloaded files mainly because I couldn't for the life of me get MKV files to play correctly on the TiVo. Did you have to do any tricks to make this work?

I also couldn't stand the lack of folders and metadata with each of the pushed files. I haven't used pytivo in a while so maybe this is fixed by now.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

harrinpj said:


> I built a whole separate computer to play my downloaded files mainly because I couldn't for the life of me get MKV files to play correctly on the TiVo. Did you have to do any tricks to make this work?
> 
> I also couldn't stand the lack of folders and metadata with each of the pushed files. I haven't used pytivo in a while so maybe this is fixed by now.


Yeah, Get a PS3


----------



## brettatk

harrinpj said:


> I built a whole separate computer to play my downloaded files mainly because I couldn't for the life of me get MKV files to play correctly on the TiVo. Did you have to do any tricks to make this work?
> 
> I also couldn't stand the lack of folders and metadata with each of the pushed files. I haven't used pytivo in a while so maybe this is fixed by now.


I've never had any issues with the MKV files that are pushed to my Tivo HD. Lack of Metadata doesn't really bother me but I also hated having all these files in the Now Playing folder on my Tivo. So I turned to "pyTivo_push_grouping" to solve this problem. Now all my downloaded episodes of Haven go into a Haven folder and so on. I know some people address meta data with "pyTivoMetaThis". I haven't really ever felt the need for it though.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> I may try this. So, it will download a show automatically as soon as it shows up anywhere on newsgroups or only certain groups?
> 
> After it's downloaded can it (or another program) transfer the finished file through my network to another device?


Sickbeard will check a number of NZB indexing sites at defined intervals (default is every 15 minutes but can be changed) and when a show appears on an index site it will download the NZB which Sabnzbd will use to download the show. After it's downloaded, Sickbeard will process the downloaded show.

Sickbeard can move the downloaded show after being processed to any folder that is shared on your network. If you can set up a shared folder on your device, Sickbeard can move the show to it.


----------



## innocentfreak

One of the Metadata options for Sickbeard is TiVo metadata so no need for a seperate tool. 

We use SB even for shows we record just to track in the house what people have and haven't watched by marking shows ignored if we have seen them and skipped if we haven't.


----------



## 2004raptor

Malcontent said:


> Sickbeard will check a number of NZB indexing sites at defined intervals (default is every 15 minutes but can be changed) and when a show appears on an index site it will download the NZB which Sabnzbd will use to download the show. After it's downloaded, Sickbeard will process the downloaded show.
> 
> Sickbeard can move the downloaded show after being processed to any folder that is shared on your network. If you can set up a shared folder on your device, Sickbeard can move the show to it.


Thanks. I have a Western Digital Live that I put files on to watch on my TV. So, I think I'll give sickbeard a go.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Thanks. I have a Western Digital Live that I put files on to watch on my TV. So, I think I'll give sickbeard a go.


FYI, Sickbeard can generate metadata for the WDTV.


----------



## 2004raptor

Malcontent said:


> FYI, Sickbeard can generate metadata for the WDTV.


That's cool. Now I just have to google metadata.


----------



## brettatk

innocentfreak said:


> One of the Metadata options for Sickbeard is TiVo metadata so no need for a seperate tool.


Only if you are letting Sickbeard do the post processing I assume? I was planning on letting SABnzbd do the post processing but I might do a test and see what happens with letting Sickbeard do it using the Tivo metadata option.

Edit: Doesn't look like post processing with Sickbeard is going to work for me. Take the show Chopped for example. With SABnzbd the download will be put in D:\TV\Chopped\Season 7\chopped.s07e01.hdtv.xvid-crimson.avi. With Sickbeard it's D:\TV\Chopped.S07E01.HDTV.XviD-CRiMSON\chopped.s07e01.hdtv.xvid-crimson.avi. With the series folders I create on my Tivo to put the shows in, I need it to do like SABnzbd does and keep all episodes from a show in one folder. Sickbeard is going to create a new folder every time. Oh well, like I said before Metadata isn't very important to me. All I need to know is the show and episode number and I'm good.


----------



## 2004raptor

OK. i downloaded it and configured it for one show tonight so I can see how it goes. 

Do you have to keep it open in a browser (sickbeard and/or sabnzbd)? 

Sickbeard didn't actually "install" it was just an .exe inside of a rar file.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> OK. i downloaded it and configured it for one show tonight so I can see how it goes.
> 
> Do you have to keep it open in a browser (sickbeard and/or sabnzbd)?
> 
> Sickbeard didn't actually "install" it was just an .exe inside of a rar file.


No, you don't need to keep either open in a browser. As long as both are running in the background you should be fine.

Did you download Sickbeard from the official website?

http://sickbeard.com/downloads.html


----------



## innocentfreak

brettatk said:


> Only if you are letting Sickbeard do the post processing I assume? I was planning on letting SABnzbd do the post processing but I might do a test and see what happens with letting Sickbeard do it using the Tivo metadata option.
> 
> Edit: Doesn't look like post processing with Sickbeard is going to work for me. Take the show Chopped for example. With SABnzbd the download will be put in D:\TV\Chopped\Season 7\chopped.s07e01.hdtv.xvid-crimson.avi. With Sickbeard it's D:\TV\Chopped.S07E01.HDTV.XviD-CRiMSON\chopped.s07e01.hdtv.xvid-crimson.avi. With the series folders I create on my Tivo to put the shows in, I need it to do like SABnzbd does and keep all episodes from a show in one folder. Sickbeard is going to create a new folder every time. Oh well, like I said before Metadata isn't very important to me. All I need to know is the show and episode number and I'm good.


Sickbeard will do this if you check season folders under options, but yeah you will need to have SB do post processing.

Under Post Processing you can change the naming scheme and under the shows themselves there should be an option to use season folders.

This will result in TV\Chopped\Season 7\ and then all your videos and a folder for the TiVo Metadata.


----------



## 2004raptor

Malcontent said:


> No, you don't need to keep either open in a browser. As long as both are running in the background you should be fine.
> 
> Did you download Sickbeard from the official website?
> 
> http://sickbeard.com/downloads.html


Yes, the donwload link is here.
http://code.google.com/p/sickbeard/downloads/list

I downloaded the first one, Alpha build 488. It may be installed but it's not listed in under All Programs. It's just a winrar file on my desktop that has the .exe in it and some other files. clicking on the .exe opens up Chrome and the Sickbeard main page. So, I don't know how it will run iin the background or even how sabnzbd can. I don't see anything in the systray regarding either one.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Yes, the donwload link is here.
> http://code.google.com/p/sickbeard/downloads/list
> 
> So, I don't know how it will run iin the background or even how sabnzbd can. I don't see anything in the systray regarding either one.


Open 'Task Manager' and you should see Sickbeard and Sabnzbd running. You don't need your browser running for them to do their jobs.


----------



## 2004raptor

Cool. They are both running. Thanks. 

I just figured there would be an option somewhere to check whether or not you wanted them to run. Didn't see it in Sickbeard anywhere. 

Guess I'll see how it does its job tomorrow.


----------



## brettatk

innocentfreak said:


> Sickbeard will do this if you check season folders under options, but yeah you will need to have SB do post processing.
> 
> Under Post Processing you can change the naming scheme and under the shows themselves there should be an option to use season folders.
> 
> This will result in TV\Chopped\Season 7\ and then all your videos and a folder for the TiVo Metadata.


Thanks for the info. I'll give it another test run on a slow night.


----------



## 2004raptor

ell, it didn't download the show I set up. I set up late show with david letterman becaus ei figured it would be available easily. 

So, where do I go to manually check if it's been uploaded? 

BTW I left everything at default as far as the other settings.


----------



## brettatk

2004raptor said:


> ell, it didn't download the show I set up. I set up late show with david letterman becaus ei figured it would be available easily.
> 
> So, where do I go to manually check if it's been uploaded?
> 
> BTW I left everything at default as far as the other settings.


HD or SD version?

It looks like there was a SD version uploaded but I don't see an HD version for last night. I search for everything on NZBmatrix, but any search provider site would work (NZBs.org, Newsbin, etc).


----------



## 2004raptor

Hd


----------



## brettatk

2004raptor said:


> Hd


See my edited post above. There is no HD version for last night available yet. When it does show up it should download.


----------



## 2004raptor

Oh, OK. Wow, kinda surprised. I would think that would be a show that gets uploaded pretty quick even in HD.


----------



## brettatk

The last HD feed uploaded was for the September 2 airing so it looks like they are a little behind.


----------



## 2004raptor

brettatk said:


> The last HD feed uploaded was for the September 2 airing so it looks like they are a little behind.


Thanks. So, where can I go to check what the latest things out are? I'd like to test it out again with something over the weekend that is typically uploaded pretty fast.


----------



## 2004raptor

Still curious about manually checking waht files are uploaded so I can make sure my set up is working.

Also, in Sabnzbd after something is downloaded it says Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (1351 short). But the file plays fine. hat does this mean exactly?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Still curious about manually checking waht files are uploaded so I can make sure my set up is working.
> 
> Also, in Sabnzbd after something is downloaded it says Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (1351 short). But the file plays fine. hat does this mean exactly?


There are NZB indexing sites that you can check to see what files have been posted to usenet. You can manually download NZB's from the sites. These indexing sites don't list EVERYTHING that is posted to usenet but they get a great deal.

http://nzbmatrix.com/

http://www.nzb.su/

http://filesharingtalk.com/nzbs/

Usually when you get error messages like your getting usually means the files your downloading are incomplete or damaged on your usenet providers servers.

Who is your usenet provider? What files are you getting these error messages with? Can you give examples of the files?

Also, some usenet search engines can be used to do a raw search of the files posted to usenet. Sometimes you can find stuff that doesn't get indexed on other sites.

http://www.binsearch.info/

http://www.nzbindex.nl/

http://www.mysterbin.com/


----------



## 2004raptor

Thanks. So, sickbeard uses all of the sites you listed? Just trying to figure out exactly waht sickbeard uses. 

I have blocknews as a provider.

It was the Strikeforce fights from last night that gave me the failed error but the file plays fine.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> Thanks. So, sickbeard uses all of the sites you listed? Just trying to figure out exactly waht sickbeard uses.
> 
> I have blocknews as a provider.
> 
> It was the Strikeforce fights from last night that gave me the failed error but the file plays fine.


Sickbeard uses the search providers you have configured in Sickbeard. Sickbeard has it's own search provider usually set as default. Look in the Sickbeard configuration under "Search Providers". There you can select predefined providers or enter new ones. Choose their search order. With some of them you have to sign up for an account with the provider. Often you have to enter a unique API string associated with your user account with the search provider into the Sickbeard configuration.

Blocknews is very reliable provider that has a good rep. for completion. I have an account with Blocknews and did a very quick check on a couple of Strikeforce videos uploaded last night. I didn't have any problems with them from Blocknews.

I don't know why you got an error message. Do you have the same problem with other downloaded files? Double check you server settings in Sabnzbd. Could be a fluke of some kind.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Sometimes the PAR check is still running after RARs are deleted = files are complete, but PAR thinks chunks are missing. Just ignore it.


----------



## TheMerk

I really don't understand how these usenet providers can stay in business. There must be tons of users with Sickbeard and the like constantly hammering the servers, and then downloading files more or less at the same time, at high speed. How on earth can they pay for all the bandwidth and storage on my measly $10 a month?


----------



## Mike_TV

This thread inspired me to try this out and I'm not sure if I have everything 100% configured or working yet. Maybe I'm missing a step someone can point out? All of this is on Win 7 x64.

1) Downloaded and installed both Sick Beard and SABnzbd
2) Using the API key from SABnzbd did a copy/paste into Sick Beard's Config-Search Settings page
3) Configured SABnzbdb to use my ISP's Usenet server
4) In Sick Beard, I added a couple of shows, both statuses show "Continuing"
5) Changed the status of an episode, as a test, to "Wanted" thinking it would download it

and nothing is downloading in SABnzdb. Couple of questions...

A) Did a miss a step?
B) Do I need a paid Usenet provider in addition to my ISP's Usenet server?
C) Do I need to sign up for search providers? I'm using "Womble's Index" and "Sick Beard Index" both are checked in Sick Beard.

Checking the Sick Beard logs I see..."No needed episodes found on the RSS feeds" so maybe I do need to sign up for other search providers.

Thoughts?


----------



## brettatk

I'm betting your configuration is fine. The problem is probably your ISP's usenet server. Many ISP usenet servers are censored and incomplete. As for needing a paid usenet server, I'm not sure. I use Astraweb and it does cost me $96 a year but it's well worth it for myself. I don't know if there are any free usenet severs that would be complete and uncensored, I've never researched it. Perhaps someone here knows that answer.


----------



## TheMerk

99% positive your ISP doesn't index the binary usenet groups, most don't. You'll have to subscribe to an independent usenet provider.


----------



## markz

I too am having issues.

I have SickBeard d/l the nzb into my folder that is being watched by SABnzbd. However, SABnzbd is not then downloading the show.

If I try to open that nzb with SABnzbd manually, it tells me it is not a valid nzb.

If I go search for the nzb myself the way I always did and drop it into the watched folder, SABnzbd downloads the show just fine.

I have had this problem for two shows now.


----------



## brettatk

I had an issue last night with Eureka. The first one that hit the feeds apparently had some kind of problem with sabnzbd. I had to manually download an alternate feed this morning. First time I've ever seen that problem before and I'm guessing it had something to do with the sabnzbd link being broken.


----------



## Mike_TV

TheMerk said:


> 99% positive your ISP doesn't index the binary usenet groups, most don't. You'll have to subscribe to an independent usenet provider.


You are probably correct as I just switched ISPs recently and haven't spent much time poking around their Usenet server. My last ISP dropped Usenet access a while back.

Can you give me an newsgroup or two that I can check and seeing if they are indexing? I'm assuming if I can see them and subscribe to them in Thunderbird that they are being indexed.


----------



## TheMerk

Mike_TV said:


> Can you give me an newsgroup or two that I can check and seeing if they are indexing? I'm assuming if I can see them and subscribe to them in Thunderbird that they are being indexed.


alt.binaries.multimedia
alt.binaries.teevee


----------



## Malcontent

markz said:


> I too am having issues.
> 
> I have SickBeard d/l the nzb into my folder that is being watched by SABnzbd. However, SABnzbd is not then downloading the show.
> 
> If I try to open that nzb with SABnzbd manually, it tells me it is not a valid nzb.
> 
> If I go search for the nzb myself the way I always did and drop it into the watched folder, SABnzbd downloads the show just fine.
> 
> I have had this problem for two shows now.


Can you go into Sickbeard 'History' and see from which NZB search provider those problem NZB's where snatched from? It's possible there were problems with the NZB's. If they came from the same search provider, you could try using an alternative one.


----------



## Mike_TV

TheMerk said:


> alt.binaries.multimedia
> alt.binaries.teevee


I can see and subscribe to both of those newsgroups through Thunderbird, so I'm guessing my ISP is indexing them.

I'll attach a screenshot.

Maybe I need to sign up for other search providers?


----------



## Mike_TV

And a log snippet...

Sep-14 17:47:04 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: No needed episodes found on the RSS feeds
Sep-14 17:46:41 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Clearing Sick Beard Index cache and updating with new information
Sep-14 17:46:20 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Clearing Womble's Index cache and updating with new information
Sep-14 17:46:19 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Searching all providers for any needed episodes
Sep-14 17:46:19 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Beginning search for new episodes on RSS
Sep-14 17:46:19 INFO SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Changing all old missing episodes to status WANTED


----------



## 2004raptor

This sickbeard is killing me. So, it never downloaded any of the david letterman shows but I figured no one uploaded any so I deleted it. Now, I'm trying to add a show (any other show) and it won't even let me add one. After I get to step 3 in the Add Show it goes to the show list. It says "(loading)" under Next Ep and says "Loading...(path:/name of show) under Show. And I've left it alone for 15 - 20 minutes, nothing changes. I'm using alpha build 488. Is this what everyone is using? Is it stable? My PC is plenty powerful enough but something is not working. I need to get past this before I can figure out if it will even download. I know I need to adjust some settings from what I had before but I can't even get past this.


----------



## danterner

Try just reloading the page (F5 it).


----------



## markz

Malcontent said:


> Can you go into Sickbeard 'History' and see from which NZB search provider those problem NZB's where snatched from? It's possible there were problems with the NZB's. If they came from the same search provider, you could try using an alternative one.


Looks like they both came from NZBs'R'US. I have disabled that provider. I will see what that does.

Thanks!


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> This sickbeard is killing me. So, it never downloaded any of the david letterman shows but I figured no one uploaded any so I deleted it. Now, I'm trying to add a show (any other show) and it won't even let me add one. After I get to step 3 in the Add Show it goes to the show list. It says "(loading)" under Next Ep and says "Loading...(path:/name of show) under Show. And I've left it alone for 15 - 20 minutes, nothing changes. I'm using alpha build 488. Is this what everyone is using? Is it stable? My PC is plenty powerful enough but something is not working. I need to get past this before I can figure out if it will even download. I know I need to adjust some settings from what I had before but I can't even get past this.


Yeah, you have to refresh the page in your browser after you add a show to see the results in Sickbeard. Even though Sickbeard is listed being in Alpha, it's very stable and is reliable once configured. Once Sickbeard is tweaked for your system, the only time you need to touch it is to add or remove tv shows.


----------



## Malcontent

markz said:


> Looks like they both came from NZBs'R'US. I have disabled that provider. I will see what that does.
> 
> Thanks!


NZBs'R'US doesn't work the best with Sickbeard. I would suggest using 'Sickbeard Index' as primary search provider (free). I would suggest signing up with Nzbmatrix and/or nzb.su as a secondary search provider. Lifetime accounts with those search providers are cheap.


----------



## Wil

Is this the appropriate thread on Tivo Community Forum for discussing various techniques for knocking over convenience stores? Or should we start a new, more specific thread for that particular illegal activity?

What's the thinking here about weapons, pro or con? Do clerks tend to regard the mere _threat_ of a weapon seriously enough or do you actually have to show you mean business?

How do you deal with the surveillance cameras?

Is there any computer program available that tracks the amount of cash likely to be on hand, by zip code, time of day, Chain?

How often do you schedule your robberies? Weekly? Monthly? Can you make it work on a less frequent basis?

Do you report your robbery income for tax purposes? All, or just some of it?

Thanks.


----------



## BrettStah

Wil said:


> Is this the appropriate thread on Tivo Community Forum for discussing various techniques for knocking over convenience stores?


Here is the link you need since you apparently don't like this thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/profile.php?do=ignorethread&threadid=468788&forumid=31


----------



## Wil

BrettStah said:


> Here is the link you need since you apparently don't like this thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/profile.php?do=ignorethread&threadid=468788&forumid=31


I tend not to click on links from suspect sources, so I'm not sure where that link goes. If you're suggesting I report to Tivo Community Forum moderators the turn this thread has taken toward discussing illegal activities, I'd prefer to see us police ourselves. I think this thread has slid into illegality without our really thinking about it.

Let's just stop.

[EDITED TO ADD: NOT stop the thread itself, which is completely legitimate for most of its life; just stop the recent foray into specific and detailed instructions for breaking the law via sickbeard, etc..]

Not stop because the thread is shut down by moderators (usenet is a totally legitimate subject) but stop because we're responsible adults and we don't need to be treated like misbehaving children; we know what's appropriate here (TV shows) and we've just gone a little too far.


----------



## Ment

Thread is months long so its not going to stop. So do your worst or better make a debate thread of your own to be topical. Or rant on a hacking TIVO thread to be consistent.

So did anyone get in on the Terabyte Tuesday 1TB for $50 block acct from Newsgroupdirect ? That's insane prices and apparently they do this every month pretty much.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> I tend not to click on links from suspect sources, so I'm not sure where that link goes. If you're suggesting I report to Tivo Community Forum moderators the turn this thread has taken toward discussing illegal activities, I'd prefer to see us police ourselves. I think this thread has slid into illegality without our really thinking about it.


Why don't you do everyone a favor and make use of the "Ignore this thread" option available on this site?


----------



## 2004raptor

danterner said:


> Try just reloading the page (F5 it).


I've refreshed, relaoded, restarted. Everything. Nothing ever shows up. I know it worked before because I added one before. It just never downloaded so I was starting over.


----------



## Mike_TV

Did a test last night for "Survivor" and it ended up working. SABnzdb did download it after Sick Beard found it during it's regular search cycle. Now I need to play around with the post processing stuff to get it into the right folder. I didn't change anything in the configuration from my earlier post.

So using my own ISP's Usenet server and the Sick Beard Index (both "free") it appears that I'm able to grab the recent and/or popular stuff without the need to subscribe to a premium Usenet server or pay for a Usenet search provider.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.


----------



## BrettStah

Wil said:


> I tend not to click on links from suspect sources, so I'm not sure where that link goes. If you're suggesting I report to Tivo Community Forum moderators the turn this thread has taken toward discussing illegal activities, I'd prefer to see us police ourselves. I think this thread has slid into illegality without our really thinking about it.
> 
> Let's just stop.
> 
> [EDITED TO ADD: NOT stop the thread itself, which is completely legitimate for most of its life; just stop the recent foray into specific and detailed instructions for breaking the law via sickbeard, etc..]
> 
> Not stop because the thread is shut down by moderators (usenet is a totally legitimate subject) but stop because we're responsible adults and we don't need to be treated like misbehaving children; we know what's appropriate here (TV shows) and we've just gone a little too far.


The link will add this thread to your list of ignored threads.

I don't read every post in this thread, but I scrolled up a bit and I see people talking about Letterman and Eureka.


----------



## brettatk

Mike_TV said:


> Did a test last night for "Survivor" and it ended up working. SABnzdb did download it after Sick Beard found it during it's regular search cycle. Now I need to play around with the post processing stuff to get it into the right folder. I didn't change anything in the configuration from my earlier post.
> 
> So using my own ISP's Usenet server and the Sick Beard Index (both "free") it appears that I'm able to grab the recent and/or popular stuff without the need to subscribe to a premium Usenet server or pay for a Usenet search provider.
> 
> Thanks for the help and suggestions.


Glad you got it working. I was thinking about what led me to pay for Astraweb and remembered it was to access other types of files besides just tv shows which I won't get into. I think a VIP membership at nzbmatrix was only like $10 one time. To me it was worth paying that to have a site index all the different files that are available. For what you are doing you could sign up at Nzbmatrix for free. The only difference in a free account and a VIP account is the number of retention days. I think free accounts can download shows back a couple hundred of days and VIP can go back 1200 days. Newsbin is another one that I've heard good things about but I believe you have to pay a monthly fee for it. I guess it just depends on how you are going to use it on whether it's worth it or not.


----------



## Mike_TV

@Malcontent and @brettatk

I signed up for a lifetime VIP account at Nzbmatrix for just over $11 which, I agree, is cheap. I added my details (user ID and API string) into Sick Beard and we'll see if "wanted" back cataloged / older shows pop up.

Now onto the whole post-processing thing and maybe a short document to keep track of all of the changes I made to get it set up. Like others have said, it could be a bear to get this up and running again if you had to reconfigure everything like on a new PC.


----------



## Malcontent

Mike_TV said:


> So using my own ISP's Usenet server and the Sick Beard Index (both "free") it appears that I'm able to grab the recent and/or popular stuff without the need to subscribe to a premium Usenet server or pay for a Usenet search provider.
> 
> Thanks for the help and suggestions.


Double check to see if your ISP has a limit on the amount of data your allowed to download a month from _their_ usenet servers. Some ISP's have download caps on _their_ usenet servers. Also find out what the retention is on their usenet servers. They may only have enough retention for newer stuff.

If there are limits and low retention on your ISP's usenet servers, then a paid usenet provider may be needed.


----------



## 2004raptor

So I added Survivor. There wasn't one that said South Pacific so I just chose Survivor. Not sure if that matters???

It still says (loading) under Next Episode. has a question mark under Downloads. A green check under Active. Status says Continuing.

Does all that look right?

Under Search Providers I have everything checked. NZBsRUs, NZB.org, etc.
I don't have a "VIP" membership anywhere so I just entered my username in NZBMatrix under the Configure Built In Provider. I don't have an API Key (I think that's what VIPs get??)

Just noticed in the Log file section I have all of this.


> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.303000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching NZBs'R'US, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.303000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching NZBs.org, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.304000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching Womble's Index, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.304000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching NZBMatrix, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.305000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching Newzbin, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.307000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: Error while searching Sick Beard Index, skipping: unable to open database file
> 2011-09-15 15:35:23.307000 SEARCHQUEUE-RSS-SEARCH :: No NZB/Torrent providers found or enabled in the sickbeard config. Please check your settings.


What exactly does that mean?


----------



## Mike_TV

Malcontent said:


> Double check to see if your ISP has a limit on the amount of data your allowed to download a month from _their_ usenet servers. Some ISP's have download caps on _their_ usenet servers. Also find out what the retention is on their usenet servers. They may only have enough retention for newer stuff.
> 
> If there are limits and low retention on your ISP's usenet servers, then a paid usenet provider may be needed.


Will do. It's a new ISP for me so I have limited details and will have to do some checking with them. Thanks!


----------



## 2004raptor

I did a restart to see if the status or anything would change. Now, nothing is even there.

Apparently Sickbeard hates me.


----------



## danterner

2004raptor said:


> I did a restart to see if the status or anything would change. Now, nothing is even there.
> 
> Apparently Sickbeard hates me.


Go to Config / General / Misc -- is the User Affinity toggle selected?


----------



## 2004raptor

danterner said:


> Go to Config / General / Misc -- is the User Affinity toggle selected?


I'll check when I get home. Thanks.


----------



## 2004raptor

danterner said:


> Go to Config / General / Misc -- is the User Affinity toggle selected?


Under Config/General/Misc I have Launch Browser and Check for Update. Both are checked. There's also a Logging Directory with "Logs" in it. Nothing about User Affinity????????


----------



## danterner

I'm sorry - I was just making a joke. I guess it wasn't that funny or obvious -- sorry if I got your hopes up that it was a real solution. (The joke was that you blamed the problem on Sickbeard hating you, so I told you to make sure "User Affinity" was selected). My earlier suggestion to refresh the page was serious though - that's what I always have to do (and it works) to progress from the interminable loading screen.


----------



## 2004raptor

danterner said:


> I'm sorry - I was just making a joke. I guess it wasn't that funny or obvious -- sorry if I got your hopes up that it was a real solution. .


----------



## brettatk

I just saw this on Slickdeals and figured I'd post it in case anyone is looking for a paid Usenet provider. Looks like they are limited slots available and once gone so is the deal:



> theCubeNet -
> Specials - Unlimited Monthly (456 Available)
> 1118+ days retention, No Expiration Date, 50 Connections, SSL Encryption, 24/7 Support, US and EU Servers.
> 
> Limited time offer, $6.99 every month for LIFE! No price hike


Word is they are a Highwind reseller and pretty reliable. If I hadn't just renewed my Astraweb last month I'd probably make the switch to save a few bucks.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> I just saw this on Slickdeals and figured I'd post it in case anyone is looking for a paid Usenet provider. Looks like they are limited slots available and once gone so is the deal:
> 
> Word is they are a Highwind reseller and pretty reliable. If I hadn't just renewed my Astraweb last month I'd probably make the switch to save a few bucks.


Highwinds + Reliable shouldn't go be together in the same sentence in my opinion. The owner of "TheCubenet" posted this deal on NZBMatrix. It's a new venture which just started and they resell Highwinds.

Highwinds is hit hard by DMCA take down notices. Also, their general completion can be spotty at times. They do have a good rep for being able to max out internet connections and being relatively cheap.

The only way I would recommend a Highwinds reseller is if you get a $5 a month unlimited Black Friday deal and buy a backup usenet block from Blocknews.net or Astraweb to use as a fill server. The block accounts would fill in the missing stuff from the Highwinds server. Otherwise go with or stick with Astraweb for unlimited. The cost savings and headaches are not worth it.

FYI,

Astraweb has an annual subscription option with will work out to $8 a month if you prepay $96 a year. Some people don't like to prepay a whole year or can't afford to, but it's an option. Astraweb still has their standard $11 a month sub.

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/voucher.cgi?t=zgufplhxfr2cwsw


----------



## brettatk

Thanks for the info. I know nothing about them but was going from what others were saying about them which all seemed to be pretty good. I've been with Astraweb for over a year now and have had no problems whatsoever.


----------



## jedispork

I'm surprised you guys still use a tivo if you have usenet. I've been trying to get away from usenet but not many options. Wasting gas to rent and return discs is not something I will go back to. Netflix is the main alternative but the streaming is limited and you wait a long time for newer titles to become available. Amazon is still to high with $4 rentals and $2 tv shows if you watch a lot. 

I'm not sure how much longer this free for all to everything will be around. Usenet providers and indexing sites are a major target now for the mafiaa. I'm in between on all this stuff. I don't think it should be free yet the prices they charge can be insane unless you wait it out.


----------



## cditty

brettatk said:


> I just saw this on Slickdeals and figured I'd post it in case anyone is looking for a paid Usenet provider. Looks like they are limited slots available and once gone so is the deal:
> 
> Word is they are a Highwind reseller and pretty reliable. If I hadn't just renewed my Astraweb last month I'd probably make the switch to save a few bucks.


I'm once and done with these guys. Had several problems connecting to them this weekend. 1st - url was incorrect. 2nd - url fixed then it was too many connections. 3rd - userid/password was wrong. 4th - Possible sharing of accounts. 5th - They said they were gonna throttle, then clarified, then said they weren't.

All this was within 3 days and none of it on my end. I'm glad I'm only out $7 and not more.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I'm once and done with these guys. Had several problems connecting to them this weekend. 1st - url was incorrect. 2nd - url fixed then it was too many connections. 3rd - userid/password was wrong. 4th - Possible sharing of accounts. 5th - They said they were gonna throttle, then clarified, then said they weren't.
> 
> All this was within 3 days and none of it on my end. I'm glad I'm only out $7 and not more.


The owner got a wake up call when a few heavy hitters started downloading this weekend. This is new service and is experiencing growing pains.

http://www.thecubenet.com/support/announcements.php?id=4

Still wouldn't recommend Highwinds because of DMCA (they get a lot) take downs and spotty completion at times. The one thing Highwinds can do is max out internet connections consistently.

For unlimited usenet without DMCA take down issues and very good completion I would would recommend Astraweb.com and Usenetnow.net.

Usenetnow has fantastic customer service that can be reached 7 days a week. They respond quickly.

Astraweb has a good service but their customer support doesn't work on weekends. They can only be reached on weekdays.


----------



## cditty

To add to my previous post, last night, they changed my password saying too many attempts from various ip addresses.


----------



## Malcontent

Blocknews.net is running a special deal. They are selling 100 gig non expiring usenet blocks for $8.99.

http://twitter.com/#!/usenetnow

http://billing.blocknews.net/signup.php?price_group=-2

For those that are using an unlimited usenet provider, Blocknews.net makes an excellent back up usenet server. Perfect for downloading missing stuff from your primary usenet provider because of DMCA take downs or missing articles.

Existing Blocknews customers can take advantage of this offer by going into their account center and buying from there.


----------



## crspyjohn

cditty said:


> I'm once and done with these guys. Had several problems connecting to them this weekend. 1st - url was incorrect. 2nd - url fixed then it was too many connections. 3rd - userid/password was wrong. 4th - Possible sharing of accounts. 5th - They said they were gonna throttle, then clarified, then said they weren't.
> 
> All this was within 3 days and none of it on my end. I'm glad I'm only out $7 and not more.


We admit we didn't handle the situation in the best manner.

All of the issues you listed were resolved. It was an issue with Highwind servers causing issues 1 to 4.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about us, I'll be glad to answer them.

We're also offering a special 1TB Block account @ $50 right now.


----------



## cditty

crspyjohn said:


> We admit we didn't handle the situation in the best manner.
> 
> All of the issues you listed were resolved. It was an issue with Highwind servers causing issues 1 to 4.
> 
> If anyone has any questions or concerns about us, I'll be glad to answer them.
> 
> We're also offering a special 1TB Block account @ $50 right now.


Thanks for posting a response, but for me, I'm once and done.


----------



## crowfan

I'm very new to Usenet and I have a question.

I'm all set up (using SABnzbdPlus on my Linux server (Fedora 14 with Amahi), with a block account from Blocknews.net and NZBmatrix as my index site) and things seem to be working fine.

Two questions though:

1) The speed doesn't seem to be that much greater that torrenting, in some cases much slower. I know speed can vary, but on the average it hasn't been all that great so far. I don't know if there are additional things I need to do. Any port forwarding needed? What about the number of connections? I've tried anywhere from 5 to 20 and it didn't seem to make a difference.

2) I've only tried a few downloads but had many problems. I thought most of the content up there was in good shape? I've wasted a bunch of gigs so far watching something download, only to have it say "repair failed" a bunch of times. Having a block account, I'm watching my gigs. Am I just having bad luck with the NZBs I'm picking, or is this just how it is?

Thanks!


----------



## leahsguide

Their ordering system broke in between the transfer process from Paypal back to them so the money left my account, went floating around in never, never land and they said they never got it. Between about 50 emails and 3 calls to Paypal and 4 calls to UsenetServer, I think we're finally straight. I went ahead and paid for a year. At $7.50 a month, its hard to argue with that price.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> 1) The speed doesn't seem to be that much greater that torrenting, in some cases much slower.
> 
> 2) I've only tried a few downloads but had many problems. I thought most of the content up there was in good shape?
> 
> Thanks!


You should be maxing out your internet connection when downloading from usenet (immediately). How old are the files your downloading? What port and which server are you using? You don't need to forward any ports. At least you don't on a Windows set up. I don't know about Linux.

Double check your server settings in Sabnzbd. I would recommend using SSL port 443, USA server. How fast is your internet connection? 8-10 connections should be enough on average. Make sure you have the SSL box checked in Sabnzbd set up under Blocknews server settings.

Check your Post processing settings in Sabnzbd. Pretty much everything should be checked marked.

I don't have any experience with Linux. It could be something with how it's set up on your Linux server.

Have you tried downloading from a Windows set up? Try it. If you have no problem downloading from Windows then you know it's your Linux set up.

Blocknews has one of the best article completion of all the usenet providers. You shouldn't be getting that many failed downloads.

If all else fails contact Blocknews support. They are VERY helpful. They have the best customer service.


----------



## crowfan

Here are my server settings:










I have FIOS, here is my speed test:










But I am not seeing those speeds. {ETA: The server is a HP MediaSmart EX495, not the most powerful machine. Intel Pentium Processor Dual Core 2.5 GHZ 64-bit ; 2GB of DDR2 DRAM. Could that be bottlenecking things?}

The files I am attempting to download are on the older side. The one that failed most recently is 1235 days.

I don't have a Windows machine here but I can try on a Mac.

I don't know that much about Linux myself, but I read up on everything before doing it, and it seemed simple enough. And it is working, just not as fast as I'd have thought.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> The files I am attempting to download are on the older side. The one that failed most recently is 1235 days.
> 
> I don't have a Windows machine here but I can try on a Mac.


Yeah, 1235 days is at the extreme end of current retention. I think that is the problem with your speed. Blocknews resells Readnews usenet service. Readnews puts files that old on slower servers.

No one usenet service is perfect. Giganews and Highwinds take down content like HBO, XBOX games, ect. because of DMCA notices. *If you download targeted content quickly there is no problem.* If you wait to long it will be gone. Highwinds has some general completion issues unrelated to DMCA. Blocknews and Astraweb generally don't have as many issues with DMCA. Both have the best completion of the lot.

What many usenet users do is get a back up usenet provider. The back up provider ideally would be used to get the missing/slow stuff.

You won't find one usenet provider that is perfect. I don't like that Blocknews/Readnews puts *extremely* old stuff on slower servers. But I accept it because Blocknews has superior completion (and customer support) and I rarely need to download files that old. When I do, I use a back up provider.

Depending on the content your downloading I would recommend Astraweb.com as a back up to Blocknews. Both have great completion. You shouldn't have the speed problem with those extremely old files. Normally you would configure Astraweb as a "back Up" server in Sabnzbd. But to get the extremely old files, configure Astraweb as primary server and download the old files from Astraweb. To get younger stuff configure Blocknews as primary and Astraweb as back up.

FYI, Astraweb does have a known completion problem around the 200-300 day range. It was due to a technical glitch awhile back. It's completion is better then Highwinds and Giganews in regard to DMCA take down notices.

Again, I stress that no ONE usenet provider will provide perfect service. Experienced usenet users use at least 2 usenet providers. They leverage the strength of each to compensate for any weakness that a solitary provider may have.


----------



## crowfan

I appreciate all the help.

I tried it on my Mac and had the same issue.

I am now trying a newer file, and it's faster. Still not as fast as I would have thought, but not the glacial pace I was seeing before. The downloads screen on SAB is reporting about 374 KB/s (it fluctuates, of course). Still nowhere near my download speed on FIOS though.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> I appreciate all the help.
> 
> I tried it on my Mac and had the same issue.
> 
> I am now trying a newer file, and it's faster. Still not as fast as I would have thought, but not the glacial pace I was seeing before. The downloads screen on SAB is reporting about 374 KB/s (it fluctuates, of course). Still nowhere near my download speed on FIOS though.


Blocknews may not be the best provider for you. I don't have a super fast internet connection, so I don't encounter problems like this.

I would suggest buying a small block from Astraweb and see if you get better results. If you do, then go with Astaweb and use Blocknews as back up. It's a matter of finding the right provider(s) for you.

Once you get things smoothed out, you have to make sure which usenet plan is right for you. A block account or an unlimited account. Depending on how much you download, one or the other will be more economical.

Blocknews does have a cost/savings calculator you can use to figure out if usenet blocks or unlimited is cheaper for you.

http://blocknews.net/calc/calc.html


----------



## crowfan

Thanks.

I may try a small block from Astraweb. I am trying to do it as cheaply as possible, and I don't download that much, so I went for a block account.

It's been about a half hour since I started, and it's downloaded about 1 GB.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I may try a small block from Astraweb. I am trying to do it as cheaply as possible, and I don't download that much, so I went for a block account.
> 
> It's been about a half hour since I started, and it's downloaded about 1 GB.


I hope it works out for you.

I see from your alias you are a fan of the movie "The Crow". Or does it mean something else? It's one of my favorite movies.


----------



## dilorc

crowfan said:


> I'm very new to Usenet and I have a question.
> 
> I'm all set up (using SABnzbdPlus on my Linux server (Fedora 14 with Amahi), with a block account from Blocknews.net and NZBmatrix as my index site) and things seem to be working fine.
> 
> Two questions though:
> 
> 1) The speed doesn't seem to be that much greater that torrenting, in some cases much slower. I know speed can vary, but on the average it hasn't been all that great so far. I don't know if there are additional things I need to do. Any port forwarding needed? What about the number of connections? I've tried anywhere from 5 to 20 and it didn't seem to make a difference.
> 
> 2) I've only tried a few downloads but had many problems. I thought most of the content up there was in good shape? I've wasted a bunch of gigs so far watching something download, only to have it say "repair failed" a bunch of times. Having a block account, I'm watching my gigs. Am I just having bad luck with the NZBs I'm picking, or is this just how it is?
> 
> Thanks!


The download speed should be maxing out your internet connection, or at least close to it. You seem to have pretty fast internet. I can consistently download at about 1.5 MB (Megabytes, not bits) / sec. I normally throttle it to 1.2 MB/sec to leave some overhead for web surfing.

There should be no additional linux or network setup. This is not like bittorrent...your computer is not acting like a server that others connect to. It's acting as a client, so no port forwarding is necessary.

Downloading from newgroups is a little more CPU intensive than bittorrent. With bittorrent, you download the data. With newgroups, you are downloading ASCII encoded binary data. One file is hundreds of messages. SABnzbd has to put those messages back together. In effect, instead of downloading a continuous stream you are downloading thousands of tiny files. This can cause more stress on a computer. What kind of hardware are you running SABnzbd on? I run it in a 2 core VM with 4GB of memory.

1200+ days is definitely on the old side for a successful download. I totally understand how frustrating it can be to download a file and not have it repair! Something that old, you might be better off using torrents.

For recent files, I almost never have a problem. I can't remember the last time I tried to download a currently running TV show and it failed.

Edit: reread your post and I see you posted specs. That should be fine. Try throttling to 1500 KB/s in SAB and see if you get a more consistent experience. Your internet speed may actually be too fast for the server.


----------



## dilorc

...and when you are downloading, log into the server and run the top command. You'll see a like near the top that looks like this:

Cpu(s): 1.5%us, 0.2%sy, 0.0%ni, 98.3%id, 0.0%wa, 0.0%hi, 0.0%si, 0.0%st

See if the "wa" number gets high. That means that the CPU is waiting on something, usually Disk IO.


----------



## innocentfreak

Thundernews and thecubenet both have special limited promotions today.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=48910310


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> Thundernews and thecubenet both have special limited promotions today.
> 
> http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=48910310


Just a FYI, both resell Highwinds usenet service. Highwinds does remove content because of DMCA take down requests. HBO, XBOX games, ect. are targeted. If you download targeted content quickly then you shouldn't have a problem. But if you wait to long or try to download old targeted content, you will run into problems.

What some people do is get these cheap $5 unlimited Highwinds deals and then buy non expiring (one off) usenet blocks from Astraweb or Blocknews as back up servers. When they try downloading missing content from Highwinds, your usenet client downloads the missing pieces from your back up server(s) automatically.


----------



## Hoffer

I recently downloaded like 7GB for a movie that was posted over 2 years ago. This was RAR and PAR files. I had something like 99.8% of the parts needed to repair/extract the file. Such a let down.


----------



## ScottE22

I am relatively new to Usenet and -- since it's kinda like Fight Club -- I'm glad I found this thread... 

I'm using SuperNews which, I believe, re-sells Giganews for a significantly lower rate. I'm still paying monthly at $10 because I haven't been 100% convinced I want to keep it. I'm using SABnzbd, Sick Beard, and Couch Potato on an always-on iMac. I use the system as part of my cord-cutting set up to grab cable shows like "Storm Chasers" and "Covert Affairs." I then play the content back on my Roku via Plex.

For relatively recent content, I have never had any issues. The downloads are lightning fast. For older stuff, yeah, same problems as mentioned before.


----------



## Malcontent

Hoffer said:


> I recently downloaded like 7GB for a movie that was posted over 2 years ago. This was RAR and PAR files. I had something like 99.8% of the parts needed to repair/extract the file. Such a let down.


These programs are very useful if your using usenet blocks. It saves you from wasting them. Also useful in saving you time and bandwidth in general.

*NZB Download Checker*

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Other-Internet-Related/NZB-Download-Checker.shtml



> The NZB Download Checker application was designed to be a small freeware tool that checks an NZB for you, in order find out if the files you want to download from Usenet exist on the newsserver(s). This way you don't have to download large files, only to find out half way through, you won't be able to get the download complete and are wasting your time and bandwidth.
> 
> Every file on Usenet is split up into many separate parts and every part has its own unique number (Message ID). NZB Download Checker sends all the Message ID's listed in the NZB file to your newsserver(s) and checks which reply it gets back from the newsserver. This way it can determine how much of the data is available without actually downloading the files


*NZB Completion Checker*

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/NZB-Completion-Checker.shtml



> The NZB Completion Checker application was developed to be a small tool that will allow you to see if a file is available on a usenet / newsgroup server.


----------



## crowfan

Grr...another one, this time a newer one, got all the way through then crapped out on repair. "Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (1725 short)."

I'm gonna try out these tools linked above.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> Grr...another one, this time a newer one, got all the way through then crapped out on repair. "Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (1725 short)."
> 
> I'm gonna try out these tools linked above.


How old was the content?


----------



## crowfan

I just deleted it so I'm not sure, but I think it was ~400d. I'm trying yet another that's about 257d. It's much faster.


----------



## innocentfreak

Hoffer said:


> I recently downloaded like 7GB for a movie that was posted over 2 years ago. This was RAR and PAR files. I had something like 99.8% of the parts needed to repair/extract the file. Such a let down.


Not sure if you are using sbanzbd or not, but if so if you click on the title in history it will tell you what failed. Sometimes it is just the nfo or preview file or some extra file that you don't need.


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> I just deleted it so I'm not sure, but I think it was ~400d. I'm trying yet another that's about 257d. It's much faster.


I tried downloading a couple of random NZB'S around that age from Blocknews and didn't have any issues.

Try using SSL port 5563. Try switching to the European server. If no joy then test out non SSL ports 23, 2000, 880, 8080,9000 and see if anything changes.

Have you tried any other usenet clients besides Sabnzbd? I'm not familiar with any clients for Mac or Linux. Try to find another client and see if you get different results. Even if you have to use a free trial period.

You might consider shooting Blocknews support an email. They may be able to trouble shoot your problem. Their support is top notch. They answer emails on weekends.


----------



## crowfan

Holy crap. 

I switched SSL ports and tried a newer file and bam, it's much faster. Downloaded a gig in a couple minutes. Before it was about a half hour per gig. 

I'm going to keep playing around with the settings, but this is much better. I may still fire off a support email to check that everything is as it should be, but this is much better. 

Thanks everyone!


----------



## markz

crowfan said:


> Grr...another one, this time a newer one, got all the way through then crapped out on repair. "Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (1725 short)."
> 
> I'm gonna try out these tools linked above.


I was 1 block short on something the other day.


----------



## ScottE22

crowfan said:


> Holy crap.
> 
> I switched SSL ports and tried a newer file and bam, it's much faster. Downloaded a gig in a couple minutes. Before it was about a half hour per gig.
> 
> I'm going to keep playing around with the settings, but this is much better. I may still fire off a support email to check that everything is as it should be, but this is much better.
> 
> Thanks everyone!


:up: :up:

Enjoy! You'll be approaching your bandwidth cap in no time!


----------



## ScottE22

Have any NZBMatrix users noticed issues in the last few days with CouchPotato and SickBeard failing to "snatch" files that you know are out there?


----------



## Malcontent

ScottE22 said:


> Have any NZBMatrix users noticed issues in the last few days with CouchPotato and SickBeard failing to "snatch" files that you know are out there?


*API / RSS Server Issues (Updated 3.April)*

http://nzbmatrix.com/forums.php?action=viewtopic&topicid=47459&page=1



> Fist off, apologies I have been away a few days (typical eh). Well straight to the point now.
> 
> Friday AM we had a ddos attack on the main webserver for the site. Two tables corrupted in this, I fixed and checked the site was running (all this a 7am, 20 mins before I had to leave! ). Well it turns out this corruption screwed up with our DB mirror scripts on the API and RSS servers.
> 
> Now my only server access was via my android phone (typical again) well ssh and ftp etc are not so easy on the move with a stupid touch screens etc.
> 
> I have located the api issue and have resolved this, I am now working on the RSS system.


----------



## ScottE22

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. 

Two other questions...

What software/processes are folks using to add metadata and convert for Apple TV? Handbrake is great for conversion, but doesn't do metadata. iFlicks is great for both but it's $20. I am now trying iVi which is $3 but requires a little more hand-holding to get the correct metadata. 

I'm also curious if anyone has tried to run their own NZB tracker using Newznab (I think that's what it's called).


----------



## ewolfr

ScottE22 said:


> Have any NZBMatrix users noticed issues in the last few days with CouchPotato and SickBeard failing to "snatch" files that you know are out there?


nabmatrix also keeps a separate site for server/service updates here:

http://nzbmatrix.info/


----------



## crowfan

ScottE22 said:


> What software/processes are folks using to add metadata and convert for Apple TV? Handbrake is great for conversion, but doesn't do metadata. iFlicks is great for both but it's $20. I am now trying iVi which is $3 but requires a little more hand-holding to get the correct metadata.


I jailbroke my AppleTV, and I use aTV Flash (black) on it. That takes care of the metadata for me. I just point it toward the folder where the file is stored, and it identifies the file and shows me the correct metadata onscreen. It also has a Plex client that you can install.

Speaking of Plex, does anyone use it with files from usenet? It's not playing the files I got from usenet, but the built-in Firecore media player plays them fine. I'd rather use Plex, but it's not working. Anyone seen this?


----------



## ScottE22

crowfan said:


> I jailbroke my AppleTV, and I use aTV Flash (black) on it. That takes care of the metadata for me. I just point it toward the folder where the file is stored, and it identifies the file and shows me the correct metadata onscreen. It also has a Plex client that you can install.
> 
> Speaking of Plex, does anyone use it with files from usenet? It's not playing the files I got from usenet, but the built-in Firecore media player plays them fine. I'd rather use Plex, but it's not working. Anyone seen this?


I use Plex to stream to two Rokus (Roki?) an iPhone, and an iPad. No issues with (most) files from Usenet as long as it's set up to transcode.

Also looks like NZBMatrix is back in business. I woke up to a bunch of new content in my Usenet folder. :up:


----------



## Fofer

crowfan said:


> Speaking of Plex, does anyone use it with files from usenet? It's not playing the files I got from usenet, but the built-in Firecore media player plays them fine. I'd rather use Plex, but it's not working. Anyone seen this?


I have done this with Plex on the AppleTV, and haven't experienced any issues.


----------



## crowfan

It's strange. I can play the files (MKV and ISO) through Plex, and after about 2 minutes, I get the yellow exclamation point and it says there was an error reading the file (or something like that, not home at the moment to see). I can go out and then back in and it works for another two minutes, rinse, repeat, etc. Firecore's media player plays without a problem. I prefer Plex, though.

Maybe I'll just reboot the server and see if that helps. Thanks.


----------



## lodica1967

ScottE22 said:


> I use Plex to stream to two Rokus (Roki?) an iPhone, and an iPad. No issues with (most) files from Usenet as long as it's set up to transcode.
> 
> Also looks like NZBMatrix is back in business. I woke up to a bunch of new content in my Usenet folder. :up:


Can you explain how to stream to Roku? I bought one for MLB.tv but would love to use it for other things.

Can I stream .avi files from my computer or are you guys talking about something else? 90% of the last 10 posts were over my head!


----------



## ScottE22

lodica1967 said:


> Can you explain how to stream to Roku? I bought one for MLB.tv but would love to use it for other things.
> 
> Can I stream .avi files from my computer or are you guys talking about something else? 90% of the last 10 posts were over my head!


It's been a lot of reading and learning for me or the posts would have been over my head, too.

One of the cool things about Plex is that it can transcode almost any media type so it's playable on whatever device you're using. Check out this post about Plex for Roku. You download it in the channel store and it'll find your Plex server.

If you don't have a Plex Server running yet, that's another story. Do you have a computer in your house that's always on? I'm not one of those folks with a dedicated media server (yet!), but I have a circa 2007 iMac that the kids use and it works just great as a Plex Media Server. It's super-simple to set up. You download it, install it, and then point it to whatever folder holds your media.

Let me know how much help you need and I'll share more.


----------



## lodica1967

ScottE22 said:


> It's been a lot of reading and learning for me or the posts would have been over my head, too.
> 
> One of the cool things about Plex is that it can transcode almost any media type so it's playable on whatever device you're using. Check out this post about Plex for Roku. You download it in the channel store and it'll find your Plex server.
> 
> If you don't have a Plex Server running yet, that's another story. Do you have a computer in your house that's always on? I'm not one of those folks with a dedicated media server (yet!), but I have a circa 2007 iMac that the kids use and it works just great as a Plex Media Server. It's super-simple to set up. You download it, install it, and then point it to whatever folder holds your media.
> 
> Let me know how much help you need and I'll share more.


Thanks for the link. I will read up on Plex and ask any questions that pop up.


----------



## MikeMar

So I have SABnzbd and Sick Beard pretty setup. Got it downloading to my desktop then transfering to my NAS. The setup was awesome where you can have it scan you already downloaded shows and it marks them off as downloaded automatically.

I can't seem to get the cleanup to work though, the .nfo and others are still there. I added those to the cleanup list in SABnzbd but it didn't seem to work.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> So I have SABnzbd and Sick Beard pretty setup. Got it downloading to my desktop then transfering to my NAS. The setup was awesome where you can have it scan you already downloaded shows and it marks them off as downloaded automatically.
> 
> I can't seem to get the cleanup to work though, the .nfo and others are still there. I added those to the cleanup list in SABnzbd but it didn't seem to work.


This is how I have my cleanup list set up and it's been working well:

.sfv, .nzb, .jpg , .nfo , .srr

Make sure there is a comma and a space between each extension.


----------



## MikeMar

ahhhh a COMMA, thanks!!!


----------



## MikeMar

In sick beard what search providers do you guys use? Right now it's just the Sick Beard Index

Rather no pay, and it does seem to be pretty good, figured it couldn't hurt to have a few setup.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> In sick beard what search providers do you guys use? Right now it's just the Sick Beard Index
> 
> Rather no pay, and it does seem to be pretty good, figured it couldn't hurt to have a few setup.


Your most likely going to have to pay something to get a decent and reliable indexer to use with Sickbeard. Your going to want ones that allow you to download a lot of NZB's daily. The free ones usually have a daily NZB download limit.

You can do well with only Sickbeard Index. It doesn't have a NZB download limit that I know of. It uses an open sources auto indexer software. The same software is used by several other indexers, so there is little difference with those. I use 2 others in addition as backup. Every indexer has it's down time because of glitches. Nice to have at least one backup.

Nzbmatrix.com is a great indexer. For a one off $10 you get lifetime VIP. It uses custom indexing software. They sometimes get stuff that other auto indexers don't. Nzbmatrix has more of a human touch with it's NZB's. Users upload their own NZB's in addition to the auto indexer. It has active message forums.

The second backup I use is nzb.su

It uses the same software as Sickbeard Index. I got it because at the time they had a cheap lifetime subscription and it works very well with Sickbeard. But now they have a more structured subscription. But still pretty cheap.

I would recommend Nzbmatrix. It's a one off charge for lifetime and it will complement Sickbeard Index nicely. Between the 2 indexers, you shouldn't miss anything and you will have a nice backup.


----------



## Gromit

MikeMar said:


> So I have SABnzbd and Sick Beard pretty setup. Got it downloading to my desktop then transfering to my NAS. The setup was awesome where you can have it scan you already downloaded shows and it marks them off as downloaded automatically.
> 
> I can't seem to get the cleanup to work though, the .nfo and others are still there. I added those to the cleanup list in SABnzbd but it didn't seem to work.


Have you considered installing SABnzbd and Sick Beard on the NAS itself? I was running them on my MacBook Pro but having it all run on the NAS is kind of nice.


----------



## MikeMar

Gromit said:


> Have you considered installing SABnzbd and Sick Beard on the NAS itself? I was running them on my MacBook Pro but having it all run on the NAS is kind of nice.


Hmmm how does that work? So I don't need my desktop on at all?

How do you install it on there, and would that make my NAS run all the time (right now it goes into a semi-sleep mode and is woken by a computer or Boxee trying to access it)


----------



## MikeMar

Since I have a 200 gb blocknews account vs unlimited. When a download fails and I either retry w/ or w/o a supplemental source, does it download the whole thing again, or just the missing/failed blocks?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

If you set it up as slave server, it would only dl the missing blocks.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Since I have a 200 gb blocknews account vs unlimited. When a download fails and I either retry w/ or w/o a supplemental source, does it download the whole thing again, or just the missing/failed blocks?


If you don't have a secondary account, then it will try to download the whole thing again. If you still have the files from the failed download, you could set up a backup server in Sabnzbd and have Sabnzbd retry and it will look for the missing parts on your backup server.

If the download fails then most likely it couldn't be repaired with the .par recovery files that was posted with the file. Without a secondary usenet account set up as a back up server then the *missing parts* couldn't be downloaded to repair the file. Even with a backup server it's still possible that the file couldn't be repaired. Sometimes it's just a bad/damaged usenet post by the uploader. Most the of the time though a good backup server will be able to save the day.

No single usenet provider is perfect. That's why it's good practice to have at least 1 backup usenet server that is different then your primary. You don't need a large usenet block for a backup server since only the missing parts are going to be downloaded.

Astraweb is a good choice as a backup server for Blocknews. They offer a one off $10 for 25 gigs. That 25 gigs should last a very very long time when used as only a backup. At least a year or more with Blocknews as your primary.

Stay away from Highwinds usenet and it's resellers as a backup. They have problems with DMCA take downs.

Make sure you have your backup server correctly configured as a *BACKUP* server in Sabnzbd. If not you can accidently blow through your backup usenet blocks quickly.


----------



## MikeMar

Ok thanks, will look at setting up a backup or two


----------



## TheMerk

MikeMar said:


> Ok thanks, will look at setting up a backup or two


Also look into what provider your backup seller is getting its usenet from. No sense in having 2 backup servers if they both are just resellers of the same usenet provider.


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> Also look into what provider your backup seller is getting its usenet from. No sense in having 2 backup servers if they both are just resellers of the same usenet provider.


Very true. That's why I recommended Astraweb as a backup for Blocknews. They are both supplied by different usenet sources. Blocknews resells 'Readnews' and Astraweb is independent and only sells their own usenet service. Both are generally considered to have the best completion of the major usenet suppliers.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Very true. That's why I recommended Astraweb as a backup for Blocknews. They are both supplied by different usenet sources. Blocknews resells 'Readnews' and Astraweb is independent and only sells their own usenet service. Both are generally considered to have the best completion of the major usenet suppliers.


SOLD!!!


----------



## crowfan

Anybody use an iPad app for controlling SAB? I'm looking at myNZB but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I use nzbmatrix with SAB, so I'm looking for one that will work with those. 

Thanks!


----------



## Bighouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet

Pretty clear article for the history of usenet.

I remember when it was considered crass and rude to use the Internet for commercial use by many back in my usenet newsgroup days. That was, I believe, before there was a dotcom domain.

(Sheez I'm old AND ugly!!!)


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> Anybody use an iPad app for controlling SAB? I'm looking at myNZB but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I use nzbmatrix with SAB, so I'm looking for one that will work with those.
> 
> Thanks!


Another option that is not quite as sophisticated but dead simple and can be used from a smart phone, Ipad, computer, ect, with out the need of an installed APP:

While not exactly what your asking about but you can have Sabnzbd automatically download any files you 'bookmark' on Nzbmatrix. Not bookmarked in your browser but the bookmark option next to your desired file on Nzbmartix. As long as you can access the Nzbmatrix website and bookmark your desired files, Sabnzbd will automatically download those files from home.

In Sabnzbd configuration under 'Indexing Sites', enter your 'NzbMatrix Username' and 'NzbMatrix API key' (located in your Nzbmatrix account profile).

Now as long as Sabnzbd is running and has internet access, all the files you 'bookmark' on the Nzbmatrix website will automatically be download to your home computer.


----------



## crowfan

Cool - I did not realize that! I'll try that for a while and see how it goes. Thanks!


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> Cool - I did not realize that! I'll try that for a while and see how it goes. Thanks!


Sorry, forgot that you have to enter a Nzbmatrix RSS feed in Sabnzbd to make the bookmark auto download to work. I was pulling the details from memory from things I've read on forums. A simple Google search should give you the help you need with it.

http://rss.nzbmatrix.com/


----------



## bareyb

I decided to give EasyNews a try. They have a 20 Gig deal for ten bucks a month with a 10 Gig/14 day FREE TRIAL.

It's very easy to use obviously, but it didn't have the show I was looking for. Unfortunately, the only one they had was a month old...

I know this is available "out there" as I've seen Torrents for it. Does anyone know if EasyNews gives you ALL of the available videos or just a partial list? Am I missing something or is it simply "not available" on UseNet?


----------



## Ment

Can't believe Easynews is still in business with how simple setup it is to started on Usenet these days. Still outrageous prices I see. Bareyb, that particular show posts about 4 days after OTA so its not up yet.


----------



## bareyb

Ment said:


> Can't believe Easynews is still in business with how simple setup it is to started on Usenet these days. Still outrageous prices I see. Bareyb, that particular show posts about 4 days after OTA so its not up yet.


Yeah. I'll probably end up doing what most of you guys are doing, but I figured this would be a quick way for me to get an idea of what UseNet is all about. Plus they had a free trial. I get ten Gigs or 14 days free before I have to pay.

It sure as hell can't be much easier though, I will say that... All you do is plug in a search and the results come up with a Thumbnail and Link to the Video. You just right-click on the video and download it. Alternatively, if you click on the link it plays the video in your browser.

Question: How does the system you use differ from EasyNews? I assume you Search and Download. Does it compile all the bits together in one file for download too?


----------



## Ment

bareyb said:


> Question: How does the system you use differ from EasyNews? I assume you Search and Download. Does it compile all the bits together in one file for download too?


I use SabNZBd and then Newzbin for indexing. Once its setup its much the same: click on a link, downloads the .nzb, SabNZBd picks it up and few minutes later you have your file. If you find the setup more hassle for someone new to Usenet, you can subscribe to a Usenet provider like Newshosting which has a client/index tied to the Usenet service like Easynews but with better retention and no DL limits.


----------



## Malcontent

bareyb said:


> Question: How does the system you use differ from EasyNews? I assume you Search and Download. Does it compile all the bits together in one file for download too?


Here are some quick "how to usenet guides".

http://lifehacker.com/5601586/how-to-get-started-with-usenet-in-three-simple-steps

http://www.slyck.com/Newsgroups_Guide


----------



## KungFuCow

Im having an issue getting Sickbeard to post process my shows. All it does is move the whole directory to my destination directory. Even when I have subfolders for seasons set it, it doesnt work. Anyone got any ideas?


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Im having an issue getting Sickbeard to post process my shows. All it does is *move the whole directory to my destination directory.* Even when I have subfolders for seasons set it, it doesnt work. Anyone got any ideas?


Can you clarify the *Bold* part please?

This might help.

http://code.google.com/p/sickbeard/wiki/PostProcessing


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Can you clarify the *Bold* part please?
> 
> This might help.
> 
> http://code.google.com/p/sickbeard/wiki/PostProcessing


I already have mine set up like that. Lets say I download Free Public Domain TV Show Season 1 Episode 1. It comes in as Free.Public.Domain.Show.S01E01 into my /Downloads. I have my post processing folder as C:\Processed Shows. All that happens is it moves Free.Public.Domain.Show.S01E01 from \downloads to c:\process shows without actually processing it.


----------



## MikeMar

Ahh so yeah I think I do that. So for me it downloads it to a desktop, then when complete it moves it over to my NAS in the right folder and season folder.


----------



## KungFuCow

MikeMar said:


> Ahh so yeah I think I do that. So for me it downloads it to a desktop, then when complete it moves it over to my NAS in the right folder and season folder.


Yea.. I can only get the move to happen and not even into season folders. Im running the beta version of SAB.. maybe thats why. Im going to roll back and see if that helps.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Yea.. I can only get the move to happen and not even into season folders. Im running the beta version of SAB.. maybe thats why. Im going to roll back and see if that helps.


Also, go back and redo your Sabnzbd and Sickbeard integration setup. It could be that something isn't configured correctly.

Here is a simple guide. Just ignore the part about XBMC.

http://www.users.on.net/~dholmes66/sb_guide/


----------



## The Spud

KungFuCow said:


> Yea.. I can only get the move to happen and not even into season folders. Im running the beta version of SAB.. maybe thats why. Im going to roll back and see if that helps.


Did you rename autoProcessTV.cfg.sample to autoProcessTV.cfg in the script folder? If you are running windows and you have extensions hidden then you may not realize that the .sample is there.


----------



## bareyb

bareyb said:


> I decided to give EasyNews a try. They have a 20 Gig deal for ten bucks a month with a 10 Gig/14 day FREE TRIAL.
> 
> It's very easy to use obviously, but it didn't have the show I was looking for. Unfortunately, the only one they had was a month old...
> 
> I know this is available "out there" as I've seen Torrents for it. Does anyone know if EasyNews gives you ALL of the available videos or just a partial list? Am I missing something or is it simply "not available" on UseNet?


Well this is weird... I used Binsearch to search and it has both of the shows I'm looking for. They do NOT show up on EasyNews... Why is that?


----------



## bareyb

It seems as though EasyNews doesn't have all the files on their site. The cost of convenience I guess... I think I'm gonna venture out and look at the more standard options...

They have a Sabnzd+ that is supposedly compiled specifically for Mac. Is that the one to use?


----------



## Ment

bareyb said:


> Well this is weird... I used Binsearch to search and it has both of the shows I'm looking for. They do NOT show up on EasyNews... Why is that?


Easynews may not index less popular groups or perhaps you don't have a global search setup in your query? I'd just use Binsearch and import the nzb into Easynews in any case.


----------



## bareyb

Ment said:


> Easynews may not index less popular groups or perhaps you don't have a global search setup in your query? I'd just use Binsearch and import the nzb into Easynews in any case.


Oh. Cool. Didn't know I could do that. I'll have to give that a try when I get back. Thanks.


----------



## Malcontent

bareyb said:


> Well this is weird... I used Binsearch to search and it has both of the shows I'm looking for. They do NOT show up on EasyNews... Why is that?


It's because EasyNews has inferior indexing. As a result you will not find as much content as with the other dedicated indexing sites.


----------



## bareyb

Ment said:


> Easynews may not index less popular groups or perhaps you don't have a global search setup in your query? I'd just use Binsearch and import the nzb into Easynews in any case.





bareyb said:


> Oh. Cool. Didn't know I could do that. I'll have to give that a try when I get back. Thanks.





Malcontent said:


> It's because EasyNews has inferior indexing. As a result you will not find as much content as with the other dedicated indexing sites.


EasyNews doesn't seem to want to import the .nzb file... My queue keeps showing up empty...


----------



## vertigo235

I still have easy news because I can use their web service to stream tv shows etc to my iPad when I travel. 

Especially since the scene switched to .mp4 containers a month or 2 ago for sdtv shows.


----------



## bareyb

Alright. I think I'm finally happy with my setup now.

Premium Usenet Provider: Blocknews.net 
Usenet Client (Downloader App): Sabnzbd+ 
Usenet Search Engine: NZBmatrix


----------



## crowfan

I have the same setup. After some initial setup problems, I'm very happy with it.


----------



## MikeMar

bareyb said:


> Alright. I think I'm finally happy with my setup now.
> 
> Premium Usenet Provider: Blocknews.net
> Usenet Client (Downloader App): Sabnzbd+
> Usenet Search Engine: NZBmatrix





crowfan said:


> I have the same setup. After some initial setup problems, I'm very happy with it.


Same here, except I'm holding off on a nzbmatrix to see if I need it since I have sick beard.

I'll wait til my first problem to get a backup everything 

Just using for TV shows so it works for me.


----------



## crowfan

I did something stupid the other day and I had to uninstall/reinstall SABnzbd. I had to set it up again from scratch.

I thought I did everything right, but I just downloaded a couple things and they were just downloaded as folders full of files. They were not put back together. 

I don't remember having to set it up to do that last time. I thought it just did it by default. I looked at SAB and don't see any setting to turn that on. There are also no error messages related to it (I thought maybe it tried to put them together and failed, but there is no indication of that). Am I missing something simple?

Another issue I am having is, since I re-set it up, I keep getting this warning: 

Saving /var/hda/web-apps/sabnzbdplus/html/admin/rss_data.sab failed

I am not actively trying to use RSS at the moment (Malcontent, I set up your suggestion before my issue/reinstall, but after it I just bought the myNZB app and didn't set up the RSS feed again). Any ideas what this is about? I googled for it and didn't find anything helpful.

Thanks!


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> I thought I did everything right, but I just downloaded a couple things and they were just downloaded as folders full of files. They were not put back together.
> 
> I don't remember having to set it up to do that last time. I thought it just did it by default. I looked at SAB and don't see any setting to turn that on. There are also no error messages related to it (I thought maybe it tried to put them together and failed, but there is no indication of that). Am I missing something simple?


Double check your Sabnzbd settings under 'Switches', 'Post processing'. Every option box should be ticked.



crowfan said:


> Another issue I am having is, since I re-set it up, I keep getting this warning:
> 
> Saving /var/hda/web-apps/sabnzbdplus/html/admin/rss_data.sab failed
> 
> I am not actively trying to use RSS at the moment (Malcontent, I set up your suggestion before my issue/reinstall, but after it I just bought the myNZB app and didn't set up the RSS feed again). Any ideas what this is about? I googled for it and didn't find anything helpful.


Double check to see if anything is still entered in the RSS section of Sabnzbd. I'm not at all familiar with how software is uninstalled on Macs. It's possible there is stuff that was left behind from your previous installation of Sabnzbd.

If all else fails uninstall again and makes sure all the Sabnzd folders are deleted from your Mac. Search for any left overs from Sabnzd and delete. Then try reinstalling Sabnzbd.


----------



## bareyb

crowfan said:


> I did something stupid the other day and I had to uninstall/reinstall SABnzbd. I had to set it up again from scratch.
> 
> *I thought I did everything right, but I just downloaded a couple things and they were just downloaded as folders full of files. They were not put back together. *
> 
> I don't remember having to set it up to do that last time. I thought it just did it by default. I looked at SAB and don't see any setting to turn that on. There are also no error messages related to it (I thought maybe it tried to put them together and failed, but there is no indication of that). Am I missing something simple?
> 
> Another issue I am having is, since I re-set it up, I keep getting this warning:
> 
> Saving /var/hda/web-apps/sabnzbdplus/html/admin/rss_data.sab failed
> 
> I am not actively trying to use RSS at the moment (Malcontent, I set up your suggestion before my issue/reinstall, but after it I just bought the myNZB app and didn't set up the RSS feed again). Any ideas what this is about? I googled for it and didn't find anything helpful.
> 
> Thanks!


Probably a dumb question, but is it possible all the extra files you are seeing are just clean up files that aren't being automatically removed? You may have had all this set up before... Either way, I thought I'd post this because it's a nice feature. Basically removes most of the extraneous files that often come with downloads. I just copy and pasted in the following: .nfo, .sfv, .nzb and .srr. and now I just get the actual file I need.



> From Usenet Tutorial
> Go to: Sabnzbd/Config/General. All the way at the bottom you'll see a setting called "Cleanup List" with a couple of file extensions filled in. *Much of what you download will come with superfluous files* and SAB will automatically delete them during processing if their extensions are specific here. My list is .nfo, .sfv, .nzb and .srr. As you find files in your downloads that you don't need, you can add their extensions here.


----------



## crowfan

@Malcontent - I already have all of those checked. 

@bareyb - they are the actual files. There was no actual video file in there, just the pieces. I unrared them manually and got the actual video file. the cleanup list is actually one of the few things I remembered to set up the second time around. 

Thanks for the thoughts though! I appreciate it. 

I may have found the culprit - in the Categories screen, the one post-processing drop-down was set to Default. I changed it to +Delete. I think maybe that will do it, though I haven't had time to test it yet. I don't remember having to do that last time, but maybe I just forgot. 

As for the RSS thing - this is on a Linux server, and I'm kinda learning Linux as I go . I'm gonna play around with it a bit more and maybe post over at the SABnzbd forums. I'm sure you're right though - it must have something to do with the uninstall/reinstall. I so wish I had never started messing with it. 

I do have myNZB working though, and it's pretty cool. :up:


----------



## Gromit

I've used EasyNews for years and I don't have a problem finding stuff. But I say that having never used anything else.


----------



## Gromit

MikeMar said:


> Hmmm how does that work? So I don't need my desktop on at all?
> 
> How do you install it on there, and would that make my NAS run all the time (right now it goes into a semi-sleep mode and is woken by a computer or Boxee trying to access it)


I guess it depends on the NAS device, but my there are SickBeard and SABnzbd packages that made installing just a matter of clicking a button. I used the web interface to configure SB and SABnzbd and a shell login if I needed to look at config files directly.

The downside is that SickBeard keeps my NAS awake. But my Boxee seems to like the NAS share a lot more than it liked my SMB shares on my MacBook Pro. Everything just works now.


----------



## MikeMar

Best way to get older shows?

Trying to get a season of an older show, I used sickbeard and got all but 3 eps from the first season.

I have blocknewz and astraweb as my 2 providers. And nzbmatrix.com only has the full season files. 
I've already downloaded majority of the season and rather not have to scrap that and download the full season again.

Show is Six Feet Under Any ideas?


----------



## IndyJones1023

Bittorrent.


----------



## lodica1967

IndyJones1023 said:


> Bittorrent.


Let me know if you need a Demonoid invite. I see that they have all seasons.


----------



## MikeMar

Haha, trying to get away from bittorent!!  

But I have TVTorrents, maybe just use that for the few eps I guess.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Best way to get older shows?
> 
> Trying to get a season of an older show, I used sickbeard and got all but 3 eps from the first season.
> 
> I have blocknewz and astraweb as my 2 providers. And nzbmatrix.com only has the full season files.
> I've already downloaded majority of the season and rather not have to scrap that and download the full season again.
> 
> Show is Six Feet Under Any ideas?


You can do a raw usenet search for the missing episodes.

Here are a few usenet search engins. Make use of the advanced options to help narrow your search. The search engines are free.

http://www.mysterbin.com/

http://www.binsearch.info/

http://www.nzbindex.nl/


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> And nzbmatrix.com only has the full season files.
> I've already downloaded majority of the season and rather not have to scrap that and download the full season again.
> 
> Show is Six Feet Under Any ideas?


Also, click on the nzb for the season of Six Feet Under on Nzbmatrix and under the "*NZB File Details*" option. From there you should be able to manually select only the desired files for the missing episodes and generate a NZB just for those episodes. It's a little tedious but you should be able to get just those 3 episodes.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Also, click on the nzb for the season of Six Feet Under on Nzbmatrix and under the "*NZB File Details*" option. From there you should be able to manually select only the desired files for the missing episodes and generate a NZB just for those episodes. It's a little tedious but you should be able to get just those 3 episodes.


Ahhh I figured there was something like that.

Thanks


----------



## MikeMar

Anyway with Sickbeard to delay it?

Since I am using a pay-per-gig account, it sucks sometimes where an ep of something airs, then gets posted right away, then nuked/repacked a few hours later.

So I end up with both versions, where obviously I just need the 2nd one. I can manually not connect until a day after it airs to do this, but anyway to config Sickbeard or Sabnzbd to delay like 12 hours from airing?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Anyway with Sickbeard to delay it?
> 
> Since I am using a pay-per-gig account, it sucks sometimes where an ep of something airs, then gets posted right away, then nuked/repacked a few hours later.
> 
> So I end up with both versions, where obviously I just need the 2nd one. I can manually not connect until a day after it airs to do this, but anyway to config Sickbeard or Sabnzbd to delay like 12 hours from airing?


Yes, under Configuration - Search Settings - Search Frequency. The default is 15 minutes. You can set this to anything you wish. The default is to check for new shows every 15 minutes. If you wish, you can set this to any thing you want. Just convert it to minutes.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Yes, under Configuration - Search Settings - Search Frequency. The default is 15 minutes. You can set this to anything you wish. The default is to check for new shows every 15 minutes. If you wish, you can set this to any thing you want. Just convert it to minutes.


That MAY work. Let's say I set it for 6 hours. It COULD be that 6th hour right when the first file gets posted.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> That MAY work. Let's say I set it for 6 hours. It COULD be that 6th hour right when the first file gets posted.


I'm afraid that there isn't more granular level of control with Sickbeard. At least none that I'm aware of. There is just no way to know if or when a repack/proper is going to be released.

What you could do is set Sabnzbd to "Pause" all downloads. Then every NZB that Sickbeard downloads will be paused in Sabnzbd. You would have to manually un-pause the ones you want to download. And delete the ones that have propers/repacks. Kind of a pain in the ass but it would prevent you from downloading stuff twice.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> I'm afraid that there isn't more granular level of control with Sickbeard. At least none that I'm aware of. There is just no way to know if or when a repack/proper is going to be released.
> 
> What you could do is set Sabnzbd to "Pause" all downloads. Then every NZB that Sickbeard downloads will be paused in Sabnzbd. You would have to manually un-pause the ones you want to download. And delete the ones that have propers/repacks. Kind of a pain in the ass but it would prevent you from downloading stuff twice.


That's an idea.

I don't download too much, and would only take 2 min to flip them on.

Thanks


----------



## TheMerk

Does anyone know what happened to the Discovery shows over the past few days? Sunday's Mythbusters and last night's Deadliest Catch have yet to appear in the indexing sites that I use. They're not on TVTorrents either.

Have the release groups stopped capturing Discovery shows or something?


----------



## minimeh

TheMerk said:


> Does anyone know what happened to the Discovery shows over the past few days? Sunday's Mythbusters and last night's Deadliest Catch have yet to appear in the indexing sites that I use. They're not on TVTorrents either.
> 
> Have the release groups stopped capturing Discovery shows or something?


Nzbs(dot)org and NZBMatrix list MythBusters.S10E07.REPACK, but not the latest Deadliest Catch.

Could it be that you have an XVID filter on? There is no XVID version, as that has been supplanted by x264 SD.


----------



## TheMerk

minimeh said:


> Nzbs(dot)org and NZBMatrix list MythBusters.S10E07.REPACK, but not the latest Deadliest Catch.


That's not the latest one, at least according to Sickbeard/TheTVDB:



> 10x08 - Bouncing Bullet (2012-05-13).


----------



## minimeh

Yup, I misread the info at thetvdb. My bad.


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> Have the release groups stopped capturing Discovery shows or something?


Last weeks Deadliest Catch was a day or so late also. My guess is that there is some reorganization within the release group that is going on which is affecting some tv captures/release. Perhaps new members getting their feet wet.

There was a hiccup with last weeks release of Game of Thrones as well. Which was unusual.

These shows repeat multiple times, hopefully the missed episodes will eventually make it to usenet/torrents.


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> Does anyone know what happened to the Discovery shows over the past few days? Sunday's Mythbusters and last night's Deadliest Catch have yet to appear in the indexing sites that I use.


A standard def. release of this weeks Deadliest Catch was indexed on Nzbmatrix early this morning. Hopefully the HD version will follow.


----------



## tigercat74

Has anyone else have trouble downloading some shows and they are password protected? I don't like the idea of having to fill out surveys to get the word.


----------



## logic88

tigercat74 said:


> Has anyone else have trouble downloading some shows and they are password protected? I don't like the idea of having to fill out surveys to get the word.


All shows are initially available without passwords. It's after the scammers download the originals that the passwords are added. So look for the original post/NZB files. Use an indexing site if you're not sure.


----------



## Malcontent

tigercat74 said:


> Has anyone else have trouble downloading some shows and they are password protected? I don't like the idea of having to fill out surveys to get the word.


Stay away from them. All of them are scams. Use a good indexing site and you should be able to avoid this nonsense.


----------



## tigercat74

I use binsearch with astraweb as my provider. I have never had problems with either until lately.


----------



## Malcontent

tigercat74 said:


> I use binsearch with astraweb as my provider. I have never had problems with either until lately.


Binsearch is a raw usenet search engine. There is no human involvement in it's indexing. It will indexing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. The good stuff and the bad (passworded stuff).

A regular indexing site usually will have things in place to keep out the passworded stuff and other bogus things. Also usually there are human beings there making sure the stuff that isn't scams or viruses.

Nothing wrong with Binsearch or other usenet search engines but you have to be more careful about what you download from them.


----------



## tigercat74

Malcontent said:


> Binsearch is a raw usenet search engine. There is no human involvement in it's indexing. It will indexing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. The good stuff and the bad (passworded stuff).
> 
> A regular indexing site usually will have things in place to keep out the passworded stuff and other bogus things. Also usually there are human beings there making sure the stuff that isn't scams or viruses.
> 
> Nothing wrong with Binsearch or other usenet search engines but you have to be more careful about what you download from them.


Which indexing site would you recommend.


----------



## Malcontent

tigercat74 said:


> Which indexing site would you recommend.


Nzbmatrix.com is one of the most popular ones. It has a big user base and they leave comments about the quality of the indexed stuff on the site. They also have human "editors" that make sure passworded stuff, ect. get deleted from their site.


----------



## tigercat74

Thanks for all the help. NZBmatrix works great.


----------



## Peter000

tigercat74 said:


> Which indexing site would you recommend.


I use NZBsRUS.com. Never have run into a passworded NZB or download there.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABNzbd 0.7 .0 Final - Released*

Just a FYI,

Sabnzbd version 0.7.0 has been officially released.

Highlights:

Download quota management
Windows: simple system tray menu
Multi-platform Growl support
NotifyOSD support for Linux distros that have it
Option to set maximum number of retries for servers (prevents deadlock)
Pre-download check to estimate completeness (reliability is limited)
Prevent partial downloading of par2 files that are not needed yet
Config->Special for settings previously only available in the sabnzbd.ini file
For Usenet servers with multiple IP addresses, pick a random one per connection
Add pseudo-priority "Stop" that will send the job immediately to the post-processing queue
Allow jobs still waiting for post-processing to be deleted too


----------



## MikeMar

Is this possible in Sick Beard. I know you can select HD/SD

But let's say for Game of Thrones or True Blood in HD there are a few versions. One is 2.3 Gig while another is like 1.4 gig

It seems to default to the bigger one, anyway to select a size range or something like that? 

Or even if I pause a show and MANUALLY click Wanted for an episode, anyway to view a list of versions of that episode? Or is that all behind the scenes and can't edit it?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Is this possible in Sick Beard. I know you can select HD/SD
> 
> But let's say for Game of Thrones or True Blood in HD there are a few versions. One is 2.3 Gig while another is like 1.4 gig
> 
> It seems to default to the bigger one, anyway to select a size range or something like that?
> 
> Or even if I pause a show and MANUALLY click Wanted for an episode, anyway to view a list of versions of that episode? Or is that all behind the scenes and can't edit it?


There is no way to select size range. Only quality.

Sickbeard will download the first new HD episode it finds posted. It's first come first serve. It will also download repacks/propers if they are released later. Sickbeard doesn't look at file sizes.

There is no way to view files sizes of episodes in Sickbeard.


----------



## BradJW

Malcontent said:


> *SABNzbd 0.7 .0 Final - Released*


Thanks! updating now.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> There is no way to select size range. Only quality.
> 
> Sickbeard will download the first new HD episode it finds posted. It's first come first serve. It will also download repacks/propers if they are released later. Sickbeard doesn't look at file sizes.
> 
> There is no way to view files sizes of episodes in Sickbeard.


Figured. Yeah I have it set to download the repacks.

No biggie. Thanks


----------



## cditty

Does anyone here use the sickbeard config file for processing the movies? Mine will process shows fine, but for movies, it fails. Any suggestions?


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Does anyone here use the sickbeard config file for processing the movies? Mine will process shows fine, but for movies, it fails. Any suggestions?


Sickbeard is for TV shows only.

You might try software called "Couchpotato". It's like Sickbeard but for movies.

CouchPotato (CP) is an automatic NZB downloader. You can keep a "movies I want"-list and it will search for NZBs of these movies every X minutes. Once a movie is found, it will send it to SABnzbd.

Features:
Automatic downloading and sending of NZBs to SABnzbd
Automatic downloading of .torrent files to a specified folder
Easy adding movies via IMDB UserScript
Movie sorting & renaming
Trailer downloading
Quality options to download best available. Overwrite if better is found. (See settings)
Support for NZBs.org, NZBMatrix, Newznab.com and ThePirateBay

http://couchpota.to/

http://lifehacker.com/5844853/how-t...-as-soon-as-theyre-released-with-couch-potato


----------



## cditty

Sorry. Should have been more specific. I use couchpotato to find my movies, but use sickbeard for the moving of the files. That is what won't work.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Sorry. Should have been more specific. I use couchpotato to find my movies, but use sickbeard for the moving of the files. That is what won't work.


Sickbeard can only handle/move tv shows.


----------



## TheMerk

Correct. You configure CouchPotato to move the Movie files under Settings >> Renaming. Download Folder is where CouchPotato should expect to find your movie downloads, Destination Folder is where they should be moved to (your NAS for example).

Here is what my Renaming page looks like:


----------



## ewolfr

http://frugalusenet.com/bestsale.html

IMO a great deal from Frugalusenet, which is part of the usenetnow/blocknews family of resellers. $3.99/mo for 300 days retention.


----------



## MikeMar

ewolfr said:


> http://frugalusenet.com/bestsale.html
> 
> IMO a great deal from Frugalusenet, which is part of the usenetnow/blocknews family of resellers. $3.99/mo for 300 days retention.


3.99/mo for unlimited????

I have 100 gig left on blocknews, but if I could unlimited that would be awesome.


----------



## TheMerk

Going to jump on that deal. We rarely download anything old these days, so the 300 day retention won't be an issue.


----------



## MikeMar

300 days sounds perfect for TV shows and new movies huh?

Going to jump all over this when I get home.


----------



## Malcontent

Frugal/Blocknews/Usenetnow are all are owned by the same people. They resell 'Readnews' usenet service. They have excellent customer service. Customer service is available on weekends and Holidays also, unlike some other usenet providers.

$3.99 a month for unlimited from Frugal is a great price and 300 days retention is enough for those that get new tv shows and movies. 

A great combination with Sickbeard. This is my set up. I have Frugal setup with Sickbeard. Has been working perfectly for a year.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> I have 100 gig left on blocknews, but if I could unlimited that would be awesome.


Just set up Blocknews as your backup server. When you need stuff over 300 days it will be downloaded from Blocknews instead of Frugal automatically. Your Blocknews account will last a long time with this setup.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Just set up Blocknews as your backup server. When you need stuff over 300 days it will be downloaded from Blocknews instead of Frugal automatically. Your Blocknews account will last a long time with this setup.


Ahhh great call! Frugal as first, Blocknews as primary backup for >300 days, and astraweb for other source backup.

Calling that a day


----------



## BradJW

Wait....

If you have astraweb, why would you add frugal? 

I have astraweb and can't really see that I'd need another. I can see switching to frugal, but then dropping astraweb.


----------



## MikeMar

BradJW said:


> Wait....
> 
> If you have astraweb, why would you add frugal?
> 
> I have astraweb and can't really see that I'd need another. I can see switching to frugal, but then dropping astraweb.


I have a 25 gig astraweb account as a backup, not unlim.

Right now I just have blocknews and astra both pay per gig setup.


----------



## crowfan

I have a Blocknews account. I assume this is the same service, so there's no point in me getting this? I mean, I could get it just to switch to a cheap monthly service as opposed to a block account, but it's the same service, right?


----------



## Malcontent

crowfan said:


> I have a Blocknews account. I assume this is the same service, so there's no point in me getting this? I mean, I could get it just to switch to a cheap monthly service as opposed to a block account, but it's the same service, right?


Yes, both Frugal and Blocknews are the same service. They are owned by the same people. Only difference is Frugal is unlimited and has retention of 300 days.

Depending on how much you download, it could be cheaper to get Frugal. You have to do the math and figure out how much you download a month from Blocknews. Then compare it to the $3.99 a month unlimited deal.

If you do get Frugal, you can set up Blocknews as a backup server to get stuff over 300 days old.


----------



## MikeMar

I was planning on buying 200 gigs at a time from blocknews, so I would need to download 40 gig a month to "break even"

I think I can do that


----------



## Malcontent

http://dognzb.cr/browse

Just a heads up.

*DOGnzb* is a relatively new usenet indexing site. It uses the open source usenet indexing software called Newznab for it's backend. It has a totally custom front-end.

DOGnzb is a great site. They have a 'remote push' feature which will send new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it, automatically. You add shows to your 'Tv Watchlist' and 'Movie Watchlist' on the website and when new episodes/movies appear, the site will remotely push the new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it. Sabnzbd will start downloading.

The remote push feature is a VIP only feature. DOGnzb charges a one time $10 for lifetime VIP access.

Other VIP features:

The site will remote push repacks/propers immediately. You can choose x264 SD over XVIDS in remote pushes.

Push regular SD if HD is not available after 24 hours.

The remote push feature is better then regular RSS feeds.

DOGnzb can be used with Sickbeard. Sickbeard can be configured to use DOGnzb as a nzb search site.

You can import your Sickbeard and Couchpotato history into the DOGnzb site.

This site is even more useful if you can run Sabnzbd on your NAS or media streamer (Popcornhour). With Sabnzbd installed and running on your NAS or media streamer, it will to the heavy lifting. Your computer wouldn't need to be running 24/7 to be able to download your tv shows or movies. Your NAS or media streamer would only be the only thing turned on and running.

The site admin is constantly improving the site. Since he uses the site himself daily with Sabnzbd, he stays on top of things.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I signed up for Frugal. It's about 40% slower per connection than my other provider, but at this price, I can live with it.


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> http://dognzb.cr/browse
> 
> Just a heads up.
> 
> *DOGnzb* is a relatively new usenet indexing site. It uses the open source usenet indexing software called Newznab for it's backend. It has a totally custom front-end.
> 
> DOGnzb is a great site. They have a 'remote push' feature which will send new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it, automatically. You add shows to your 'Tv Watchlist' and 'Movie Watchlist' on the website and when new episodes/movies appear, the site will remotely push the new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it. Sabnzbd will start downloading.
> 
> The remote push feature is a VIP only feature. DOGnzb charges a one time $10 for lifetime VIP access.
> 
> Other VIP features:
> 
> The site will remote push repacks/propers immediately. You can choose x264 SD over XVIDS in remote pushes.
> 
> Push regular SD if HD is not available after 24 hours.
> 
> The remote push feature is better then regular RSS feeds.
> 
> DOGnzb can be used with Sickbeard. Sickbeard can be configured to use DOGnzb as a nzb search site.
> 
> You can import your Sickbeard and Couchpotato history into the DOGnzb site.
> 
> This site is even more useful if you can run Sabnzbd on your NAS or media streamer (Popcornhour). With Sabnzbd installed and running on your NAS or media streamer, it will to the heavy lifting. Your computer wouldn't need to be running 24/7 to be able to download your tv shows or movies. Your NAS or media streamer would only be the only thing turned on and running.
> 
> The site admin is constantly improving the site. Since he uses the site himself daily with Sabnzbd, he stays on top of things.


Ive got to give it up to you for this one. This is a phenomenal site. It could use a little polishing but its very good and the direct push is a huge plus.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Does direct push offer any improvement when compared to using Sickbeard?
Possibly getting the NZB a few minutes earlier (assuming they run queries more frequently than every 15 minutes)?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Malcontent said:


> Yes, both Frugal and Blocknews are the same service. They are owned by the same people. Only difference is Frugal is unlimited and has retention of 300 days.
> 
> Depending on how much you download, it could be cheaper to get Frugal. You have to do the math and figure out how much you download a month from Blocknews. Then compare it to the $3.99 a month unlimited deal.
> 
> If you do get Frugal, you can set up Blocknews as a backup server to get stuff over 300 days old.


I set up Frugal, and I'm sucking down "news postings" that are 1260 days old with no issues. Hmm...


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> I set up Frugal, and I'm sucking down "news postings" that are 1260 days old with no issues. Hmm...


I'll TAKE IT 

I signed up last night, haven't tried it yet.

I like that it's 3.99/month w/ the sale OR you can get a full yeah for $60  You do the math


----------



## BradJW

Malcontent said:


> http://dognzb.cr/browse
> 
> Just a heads up.
> 
> *DOGnzb* is a relatively new usenet indexing site. It uses the open source usenet indexing software called Newznab for it's backend. It has a totally custom front-end.
> 
> DOGnzb is a great site. They have a 'remote push' feature which will send new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it, automatically. You add shows to your 'Tv Watchlist' and 'Movie Watchlist' on the website and when new episodes/movies appear, the site will remotely push the new nzb's to your computer with Sabnzbd running on it. Sabnzbd will start downloading.
> 
> The remote push feature is a VIP only feature. DOGnzb charges a one time $10 for lifetime VIP access.
> 
> Other VIP features:
> 
> The site will remote push repacks/propers immediately. You can choose x264 SD over XVIDS in remote pushes.
> 
> Push regular SD if HD is not available after 24 hours.
> 
> The remote push feature is better then regular RSS feeds.
> 
> DOGnzb can be used with Sickbeard. Sickbeard can be configured to use DOGnzb as a nzb search site.
> 
> You can import your Sickbeard and Couchpotato history into the DOGnzb site.
> 
> This site is even more useful if you can run Sabnzbd on your NAS or media streamer (Popcornhour). With Sabnzbd installed and running on your NAS or media streamer, it will to the heavy lifting. Your computer wouldn't need to be running 24/7 to be able to download your tv shows or movies. Your NAS or media streamer would only be the only thing turned on and running.
> 
> The site admin is constantly improving the site. Since he uses the site himself daily with Sabnzbd, he stays on top of things.


Been using this for about a month. Signed up on VIP immediately.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Does direct push offer any improvement when compared to using Sickbeard?
> Possibly getting the NZB a few minutes earlier (assuming they run queries more frequently than every 15 minutes)?


Not so much as improvement but another alternative. Sickbeard is still more robust and granular.

Basically what happens is when a new tv episode or movie is indexed, the site queries it's database to see if any users has it on their watchlists. Then it remotely pushes the NZB to their computer where Sabnzbd will start downloading it.

Usually it's pushed within 2-3 minutes of being fully indexed. Give or take. Same with repacks/propers.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> I set up Frugal, and I'm sucking down "news postings" that are 1260 days old with no issues. Hmm...


Officially Frugals retention is 300 days. But unofficially it's possible to grab stuff older then 300 days. It can be hit or miss with older stuff. But I have been able to reliably download stuff 400-600 days old. Older then 600 days can be spotty.

Again, it can be hit or miss with stuff over the official 300 days. So, don't start crying when you have issue with older stuff.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Ive got to give it up to you for this one. This is a phenomenal site. It could use a little polishing but its very good and the direct push is a huge plus.


The site is only a few months old. The Admin is constantly updating the site with new requested features. The Admin uses the site daily himself and he keeps on top of things.

If you have any suggestions just post them on the DOGnzbd message forum, in the 'Feature Request' message area.


----------



## vertigo235

I signed up for dognzb back when nzbs.org said they were shutting down. I now use it as my primary search provider for sickbeard. I havnt switched to the push service yet because I also use other providers to fill holes and sometimes dognzb doesn't pick up a show.

Btw today I discovered that couchpotato is no longer developed. The developer started a new project called couchpotato server.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI, 

The Frugalusenet $3.99 a month unlimited usenet deal has ended.

But Frugal now has lowered their everyday prices. Now it's $4.99 a month or $50 a year for unlimited usenet.


----------



## MikeMar

Is there anyway in Sabnzb with 3 providers to order them?

I have frugal for all
Blocknews for any spillover retention
And whatever my other provider is that isn't astraweb


----------



## ewolfr

Go into the config->server settings and then tick "Backup" under any servers you want to be secondary. 

Frugal and Blocknews are both resellers for Readnews. So ideally you would want another block account from a different source like Astraweb instead.


----------



## MikeMar

ewolfr said:


> Go into the config->server settings and then tick "Backup" under any servers you want to be secondary.
> 
> Frugal and Blocknews are both resellers for Readnews. So ideally you would want another block account from a different source like Astraweb instead.


Yes, I have that exactly

But if it doesn't find it on frugal, anyway to make sure it checks blocknews FIRST before my astraweb one?

The blocknews price per gig is a LOT cheaper than my astraweb one.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> But if it doesn't find it on frugal, anyway to make sure it checks blocknews FIRST before my astraweb one?
> 
> The blocknews price per gig is a LOT cheaper than my astraweb one.


Unfortunately no. It's one of the most requested features. It's called server priority.

If the majority of your daily downloading is going to take place within Frugal's 300 day retention, it would be best to have Astraweb configured as your only backup since Frugal and Blocknews have the same completion.

For the times you plan to download over 300 days, you would disable Frugal and enable Blocknews as your primary. Set Astraweb as backup. Then switch back to the Frugal and Astraweb setup.

It's not ideal but it all can be done with a few mouse clicks under the server options in Sabnzbd. Hopefully the Sabnzbd developers will eventually add server priority.


----------



## TheMerk

Would this work?

Server #1: Frugal - Retention set to 300 days
Server #2: Blocknews - Retention set to 1200 days
Server #3: Whatever: Set as backup

Would SABNzbd be smart enough to not go to Frugal for any nzbs older than 300 days and just go straight to Blocknews? And then, if Blocknews didn't have it or had parts missing, or it was within 300 days but Frugal didn't have it or had parts missing, go to #3?


----------



## MikeMar

Would this work?

Frugal on
Blocknews enabled set as backup
Astraweb NOT enabled set as backup.

Then if a file is missing a block or two, just turn on Astraweb and grab those few blocks, then turn back off?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Would this work?
> 
> Frugal on
> Blocknews enabled set as backup
> Astraweb NOT enabled set as backup.
> 
> Then if a file is missing a block or two, just turn on Astraweb and grab those few blocks, then turn back off?


Like I mentioned before, Frugal and Blocknews have the same completion (owned by the same people). If something is missing on Frugal it will be missing from Blocknews anyway.

Best practice is having a different usenet source as your backup server.

I would set up Frugal as primary and Astraweb as backup. This way if something is missing on Frugal it's more likely Astraweb will have it.

Set Frugal's retention to 300 in server setup and set as primary. Set up Astraweb as backup.

Also set up Blocknews as a primary server with it's current retention and *don't *enable it.

When you wish to download stuff over 300 days you would enable Blocknews and Sabnzbd will download your older stuff from the Blocknews servers. Astraweb will still be a backup. Afterward you would disable Blocknews again.


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> Would this work?
> 
> Server #1: Frugal - Retention set to 300 days
> Server #2: Blocknews - Retention set to 1200 days
> Server #3: Whatever: Set as backup
> 
> Would SABNzbd be smart enough to not go to Frugal for any nzbs older than 300 days and just go straight to Blocknews? And then, if Blocknews didn't have it or had parts missing, or it was within 300 days but Frugal didn't have it or had parts missing, go to #3?


In this setup *both* Frugal and Blocknews servers would be used to download stuff. Sabnzbd isn't smart enough to only use Frugal for stuff under 300 days and only Blocknews for stuff older then 300 days.


----------



## MikeMar

Since frugal is unlim and my other 2 are per gig

I think I'll JUST leave frugal on and only turn on the others if I have problems.

Is there really any reason to set the retention days Sabnzbd when configuring a service. I've just had them at 0 and it works fine.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Is there really any reason to set the retention days Sabnzbd when configuring a service. I've just had them at 0 and it works fine.


Only under certain circumstances. Like the one I suggested before. For what you now plan to do, it's not needed.

But I still recommend setting up Frugal as primary and Astraweb as backup. Only the missing parts would be don't loaded from Astraweb. It's not that much data (usually a few megs) and it doesn't happen often. It won't eat up your Astraweb account. A few gigs of backup can last very long time.

It will save you a lot of hassle.


----------



## Fofer

Hey, thanks Malcontent for all the great info in this thread. You're providing a great resource!


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Since frugal is unlim and my other 2 are per gig


If your concerned about using up your paid blocks, you could sign up for a *free* usenet account from the Dutch provider called Xsusenet.

It has some serious restrictions.

It's limited to 1 megabit in speed and only 2 connections. Also, your limited to 25gigs every month. But if used only as a backup server, it would be more then enough. Remember, you only would be downloading the missing parts. They have 900 days retention.

http://xsusenet.com/


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Hey, thanks Malcontent for all the great info in this thread. You're providing a great resource!


Your welcome. More then happy to share my experience.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Only under certain circumstances. Like the one I suggested before. For what you now plan to do, it's not needed.
> 
> But I still recommend setting up Frugal as primary and Astraweb as backup. Only the missing parts would be don't loaded from Astraweb. It's not that much data (usually a few megs) and it doesn't happen often. It won't eat up your Astraweb account. A few gigs of backup can last very long time.
> 
> It will save you a lot of hassle.


How does it handle it if I load up a 500 day old file w/ frugal as primary and astra as backup?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> How does it handle it if I load up a 500 day old file w/ frugal as primary and astra as backup?


It will download from Astraweb. But if you set Astraweb retention to 300 days it won't.

It all depends on your downloading habits. If the majority of your daily downloads are under 300 days then Frugal/Astraweb setup would likely be the way to go. But if you download a lot of stuff over 300 days then Blocknews would be better as backup.

See my post #400. I explained how you can have things set up. Frugal/Astraweb for 300 day stuff. And manually enable Blocknews as a primary for stuff over 300 days.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> It will download from Astraweb. But if you set Astraweb retention to 300 days it won't.
> 
> It all depends on your downloading habits. If the majority of your daily downloads are under 300 days then Frugal/Astraweb setup would likely be the way to go. But if you download a lot of stuff over 300 days then Blocknews would be better as backup.
> 
> See my post #400. I explained how you can have things set up. Frugal/Astraweb for 300 day stuff. And manually enable Blocknews as a primary for stuff over 300 days.


Perfect!

Thanks


----------



## MikeMar

Couch Potato question

Does it not index every movie? 
I couldn't find Ted for example.


----------



## KungFuCow

It looks like the XXAA's have Usenet providers hot stepping to take stuff down. I know someone listed providers earlier that dont bow down to the copyright overlords... can someone tell me who those might be?


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> It looks like the XXAA's have Usenet providers hot stepping to take stuff down. I know someone listed providers earlier that dont bow down to the copyright overlords... can someone tell me who those might be?


Who is your current Usenet provider? Are you looking for another unlimited provider or usenet blocks?

Highwinds (and it's resellers) and Giganews are hit very hard by DMCA. Any usenet provider with a physical presence in North America (servers) is particularly vulnerable to DMCA.

Astraweb.com and Blocknews.net have been the go to providers to *minimize* (not totally eliminate) DMCA problems.

If your currently using a Highwinds provider or Giganews, you could try getting a small usenet block from Blocknews.net or Astraweb.com and use it as a backup server in your usenet client. Any missing parts (DMCA) will be downloaded from your backup usenet block account. A usenet block account can last a long time since only the few missing parts are downloaded from your backup block account. A 25 gig usenet block would be enough to last you a good while if only used as a backup server. It would cost $10 or less. It's a one off charge. Usenet blocks don't expire from non use.

Another option may to try a Dutch usenet provider without U.S. servers. Even that isn't an iron clad guarantee against DMCA.

Sunneyusenet is a Dutch provider which has been getting good word of mouth. Their prices are pretty cheap and they have 900 days retention. They offer unlimited usenet. You could try them for a month to see if you like them or not. Their prices are very reasonable. Their website is in Dutch but if you use Google Chrome browser, it will translate everything for you.

http://www.sunnyusenet.com/


----------



## laria

I've been looking at getting a block account recently. A friend just pointed out that NewsgroupDirect is having another Terabyte Tuesday sale today... 1 TB for $40.


----------



## Malcontent

laria said:


> I've been looking at getting a block account recently. A friend just pointed out that NewsgroupDirect is having another Terabyte Tuesday sale today... 1 TB for $40.


They have the sale once a month. While the price is good, I wouldn't recommend them. They resell Highwinds usenet service. Highwinds completion isn't the best due to DMCA take downs.

For just $10 more, I would recommend Astraweb. They sell 1 terabyte for $50. Their completion is better then Highwinds. Astraweb is one of the very few independent usenet provider left. They own their own servers and are not resellers.

If your interested in smaller usenet blocks I would also recommend Blocknews.net. They offer more block options at different price points. Their customer service is great and their completion is one of the best.


----------



## laria

Malcontent said:


> For just $10 more, I would recommend Astraweb. They sell 1 terabyte for $50. Their completion is better then Highwinds. Astraweb is one of the very few independent usenet provider left. They own their own servers and are not resellers.
> 
> If your interested in smaller usenet blocks I would also recommend Blocknews.net. They offer more block options at different price points. Their customer service is great and their completion is one of the best.


Ah, thanks... I hadn't gotten so far as to check the prices of blocks at other places.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Can anyone recommend a non-US VPN service?


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Can anyone recommend a non-US VPN service?


Curious if you plan to use VPN with usenet? Or are you going to use VPN to do other stuff?

No real need to use VPN with usenet. You download over SSL and usenet providers don't log what content your downloading.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Malcontent said:


> Curious if you plan to use VPN with usenet? Or are you going to use VPN to do other stuff?
> 
> No real need to use VPN with usenet. You download over SSL and usenet providers don't log what content your downloading.


No, not with usenet, but with other geographically restricted content.
My usenet provider already has EU and US servers for me to use.


----------



## Azlen

DUDE_NJX said:


> Can anyone recommend a non-US VPN service?


As Malcontent said, you don't really need a VPN for usenet, but if you're using one for other purposes, here's a decent article on Torrentfreak. It's almost a year old but the info is still useful.

http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-providers-really-take-anonymity-seriously-111007/


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Can anyone recommend a non-US VPN service?


No personal experience just word of mouth. They keep no logs.

https://airvpn.org/

http://www.bolehvpn.net/


----------



## billypritchard

Thanks to this thread I used Usenet for the first time last night. I used Blocknews and SAB.

Seemed to be incredibly simple, though all the rest of your talk in this thread confuses me.


----------



## MikeMar

Little lifehacker article for some VPN's

http://lifehacker.com/5935863/five-best-vpn-service-providers


----------



## SeanC

Hunh, KryptoVPN wasn't listed, they are who I use.


----------



## laria

I got all set up with Astraweb and all the other things this weekend.  I am pretty sure that 1 TB block is going to last me forever, since I don't plan to download too many tv shows with it, just the occasional one here or there if the Tivos lose something.


----------



## cheesesteak

I started this thread a year and a half ago and I still haven't done anything with usenet yet. Doh! I signed up for something, downloaded something else, got confused and gave up.


----------



## MikeMar

I love this thread  I ditched torrents and now use the $3.99 frugal account for most everything, with blocknewz and astraweb as my backups (and for >300 days)

All setup with sickbeard and couch potato. Everything is so automated to my NAS and I just watch on Boxee w/o a problem 

Thanks everyone on that help!


----------



## TheMerk

I would like to know what led nzbmatrix to ban all copies of The Hunger Games. I mean, why aren't other movies banned in similar fashion?


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> I would like to know what led nzbmatrix to ban all copies of The Hunger Games. I mean, why aren't other movies banned in similar fashion?


Nzbmatrix received a DMCA request to remove the NZB. Matrix doesn't host binaries which makes a DMCA request silly. Nzbmatrix honors such requests to avoid legal hassles.

Other movies are not banned because the copyright holders go after the usenet providers who actually host the binaries. Going after NZB indexers is a waste of time and resources since they only hosts NZB's. There are far to many indexers to deal with. It's easier to go after the usenet providers.

Edit:

There only about 9 copyrighted items (excluding porn, get rich quick/spam) that are banned on Nzbmatrix. Only two movies. No tv shows are banned.

Edit:

There are other ways of getting the banned NZB. Using a different indexing site. Using usenet search engines to manually generate the NZB.

http://www.mysterbin.com/

http://www.binsearch.info

http://www.nzbindex.nl/


----------



## TheMerk

I wasn't complaining about Hunger Games not being there, just curious why other movies don't get banned. Hell, Cabin in the Woods is also a Lionsgate release, but they haven't asked matrix to take it down. Weird.


----------



## cheesesteak

I finally decided to try usenet. I got things set up using Block News, Sabnzbd and a VIP account with NZBMatrix. I found a couple of shows I was looking for but by download speeds are slower than the slowest slow that ever slowed. I'm talking all night to download 98 Meg. The tv show is one week old so retention shouldn't be the problem. I'm assuming it's something on my end, like my router or firewall. I allowed Sabnzbd private and public access through Windows firewall. I have no idea what to try with my Netgear router settings. I googled but don't see anything about usenet and port forwarding or Qos Settings or anything useful. What am I missing?


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> I finally decided to try usenet. I got things set up using Block News, Sabnzbd and a VIP account with NZBMatrix. I found a couple of shows I was looking for but by download speeds are slower than the slowest slow that ever slowed. I'm talking all night to download 98 Meg. The tv show is one week old so retention shouldn't be the problem. I'm assuming it's something on my end, like my router or firewall. I allowed Sabnzbd private and public access through Windows firewall. I have no idea what to try with my Netgear router settings. I googled but don't see anything about usenet and port forwarding or Qos Settings or anything useful. What am I missing?


You shouldn't need to change anything in your router. When working correctly you should be downloading at max speed immediately. Double check your Blocknews server settings in Sabnzbd. Are you using SSL or regular connection? Using the correct port number? How many connections to Blocknews server are you using?


----------



## TheMerk

cheesesteak said:


> I finally decided to try usenet. I got things set up using Block News, Sabnzbd and a VIP account with NZBMatrix. I found a couple of shows I was looking for but by download speeds are slower than the slowest slow that ever slowed. I'm talking all night to download 98 Meg. The tv show is one week old so retention shouldn't be the problem. I'm assuming it's something on my end, like my router or firewall. I allowed Sabnzbd private and public access through Windows firewall. I have no idea what to try with my Netgear router settings. I googled but don't see anything about usenet and port forwarding or Qos Settings or anything useful. What am I missing?


Strange. You should be able to almost max out your connection speed with Usenet. How many connections are you allowing in SABnzbd (config -> Servers -> Show Details button -> Connections) ?

I'm using frugalusenet, which is the same as blocknews, and I have to throttle my download speed to 2.0MB/s so SAB doesn't soak up all of my bandwidth.

Perhaps your ISP is looking for Usenet traffic and packet shaping it. Have you enabled SSL within SAB? That would prevent your ISP from seeing the type of traffic.


----------



## 2004raptor

How is this 500GB block for $20?

I did the blocknews account for a while but used it all up. Is this comparable as far as service/content?


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> How is this 500GB block for $20?
> 
> I did the blocknews account for a while but used it all up. Is this comparable as far as service/content?


The price is very good but this provider resells Highwinds usenet service. They are hit with DMCA take downs a great deal. Blocknews is much better in terms of completion. Not saying that Blocknews is immune from DMCA but it's not nearly as bad as Highwinds. Blocknews customer service is top notch.

In the past price and retention was a much bigger factor in choosing a usenet provider because they all were pretty much the same. Now with DMCA, completion is much more important. What good is having a cheaper usenet provider if you can't download the content you want because it was removed from their servers?


----------



## cheesesteak

On the Connections tab under Status I see:
Server: BlockNews.net

Status: Enabled

# Connections: Failed to connect: (10054, 'Connection reset by peer') [email protected]:563

I also saw that same error message when I test the server.

Host: BlockNews.net
Port: 563 (I didn't pick this port. It just was there.)
Username and Password seem correct
Connections: 12
Retention Time: 0 days
Timeout: 120 secs
SSL: checked (but I disabled SSL under the General HTTPS Support section. It would yell at me about port 9090 and SABnzbd having an invalid/missing certificate)

Under Tuning, my download speed limit is 0 which seems odd but it was the default.

Also, because of utorrent and port forwarding, I had created a static IP address. My usenet speeds sucked with that static IP and after I switched it back to getting it automatically.


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> On the Connections tab under Status I see:
> Server: BlockNews.net
> 
> Status: Enabled
> 
> # Connections: Failed to connect: (10054, 'Connection reset by peer') [email protected]:563
> 
> I also saw that same error message when I test the server.
> 
> Host: BlockNews.net
> Port: 563 (I didn't pick this port. It just was there.)
> Username and Password seem correct
> Connections: 12
> Retention Time: 0 days
> Timeout: 120 secs
> SSL: checked (but I disabled SSL under the General HTTPS Support section. It would yell at me about port 9090 and SABnzbd having an invalid/missing certificate)
> 
> Under Tuning, my download speed limit is 0 which seems odd but it was the default.


Under 'Host', it should be:

usnews.blocknews.net

Use port 443 with SSL checked.


----------



## cheesesteak

Malcontent said:


> Under 'Host', it should be:
> 
> usnews.blocknews.net
> 
> Use port 443 with SSL checked.


That was it! The connection test was a success and it's now downloading at 1.9MB/sec. Thanks a lot.


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> That was it! The connection test was a success and it's now downloading at 1.9MB/sec. Thanks a lot.


Your welcome.


----------



## bareyb

Malcontent said:


> Your welcome.


You are the man Malcontent. :up:

ETA: I just noticed mine is on Port 563. Why do you use Port 443? Just curious...


----------



## pteronaut

Some ISPs are restricting traffic through 563.


----------



## Malcontent

bareyb said:


> You are the man Malcontent. :up:
> 
> ETA: I just noticed mine is on Port 563. Why do you use Port 443? Just curious...


Port 563 is the standard SSL usenet port. Some ISP's throttle the standard usenet ports 119 and 563. Using a non standard port reduces your chances of running into issues with your ISP.

*Edit:*

Port 443 is usually used for secure web browser traffic. It would be pretty difficult for an ISP to throttle such an important port. It's also less suspicious then using port 119 and 563.


----------



## cheesesteak

I decided to try my luck with Sickbeard and I'm having trouble with this too. Usenet hates me as much as torrents did when I first started doing that. I'll play with it some more before I come back with my tail between my legs asking for help.


----------



## bareyb

Malcontent said:


> Port 563 is the standard SSL usenet port. Some ISP's throttle the standard usenet ports 119 and 563. Using a non standard port reduces your chances of running into issues with your ISP.
> 
> *Edit:*
> 
> Port 443 is usually used for secure web browser traffic. It would be pretty difficult for an ISP to throttle such an important port. It's also less suspicious then using port 119 and 563.


Well then. I guess I'll change it. Thanks! 

ETA: It worked. Better safe than sorry.


----------



## TheMerk

Interesting that Frugal News doesn't allow SSL over 443. The only ports they allow for SSL are 563 and 5563. Hmmmm.



> News Server Addresses-
> news.frugalusenet.com - Located In The USA
> eunews.frugalusenet.com - Located In AMS
> Standard Ports: 20, 23, 53, 119, 443, 880, 2000, 8080, 9000, 9001, 9002
> For SSL Enabled Newsreaders, SSL Ports Are: 563 or 5563


I've been running SABnzbd over 5563, which _I guess_ is better to use than 563.


----------



## Malcontent

TheMerk said:


> Interesting that Frugal News doesn't allow SSL over 443. The only ports they allow for SSL are 563 and 5563. Hmmmm.
> 
> I've been running SABnzbd over 5563, which _I guess_ is better to use than 563.


The important thing is to have alternative ports to use. It doesn't really matter what the port numbers are. Just that there are alternatives to the known standard 119 and 563.


----------



## TheMerk

Malcontent said:


> The important thing is to have alternative ports to use. It doesn't really matter what the port numbers are. Just that there are alternatives to the known standard 119 and 563.


OK. That makes sense.


----------



## cheesesteak

What's the purpose of having a backup usenet server? Don't BlockNews and Astraweb for example both point to the same stuff? The reason why I'm asking is that one tv show's episode gave me a "Repair failed. Not enough repair blocks (15 short)" message. Would adding a backup account help find the missing pieces? Or would the backup account only kick in if my primary server went down?


----------



## MikeMar

cheesesteak said:


> What's the purpose of having a backup usenet server? Don't BlockNews and Astraweb for example both point to the same stuff? The reason why I'm asking is that one tv show's episode gave me a "Repair failed. Not enough repair blocks (15 short)" message. Would adding a backup account help find the missing pieces? Or would the backup account only kick in if my primary server went down?


They are different servers I believe, so having the backup would pull and fix those repair/missing blocks for you


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> What's the purpose of having a backup usenet server? Don't BlockNews and Astraweb for example both point to the same stuff? The reason why I'm asking is that one tv show's episode gave me a "Repair failed. Not enough repair blocks (15 short)" message. Would adding a backup account help find the missing pieces? Or would the backup account only kick in if my primary server went down?


If your primary server is missing parts of the file your downloading it will try to download the missing bits from the backup server in order to complete the download.

It's possible for things to be missing from one Usenet providers servers and not missing on another provider.

Block accounts are perfect as backup servers because they are only used when there are missing parts. Only the few missing parts are downloaded from the backup. A small block account can last a long time when used only as a backup.

The key to get the most success is to choose a backup provider that has a different usenet backend. It wouldn't be useful if you used Blocknews as primary AND as a backup. Or if your using Highwinds and you bought a usenet block from a different Highwinds reseller.

Astraweb makes a great backup to Blocknews because they use different usenet backends. The reverse is also true. A 25 gig Astraweb usenet block is $10 and should last a good while if only used as a backup server. Think of it as cheap insurance.

Now, using a backup server doesn't guarantee 100% problem solving when you encounter missing blocks. It will certainly improve your chances.


----------



## bareyb

I just downloaded a Movie and it's showing as Split Screen (double image) on my TV. Anyone know what's happening? 

Yes. I thought that was a "feature". You mean it's 3D ONLY?


----------



## Malcontent

bareyb said:


> I just downloaded a Movie and it's showing as Split Screen (double image) on my TV. Anyone know what's happening?


Could it be a 3d movie?


----------



## bareyb

Malcontent said:


> Could it be a 3d movie?


Yes. I thought that was an _option_. You mean it's 3D ONLY? No wonder the file's so big.


----------



## Malcontent

bareyb said:


> Yes. I thought that was an _option_. You mean it's 3D ONLY? No wonder the file's so big.


Yes, it's 3d only. You have to have a 3d tv and a media player capable of playing 3d video files.


----------



## bareyb

Malcontent said:


> Yes, it's 3d only. You have to have a 3d tv and a media player capable of playing 3d video files.


My TV in the bedroom has 3d Capability but to be honest with you, I've never used it and it didn't come with the Glasses. I use pyTiVo to watch these and I assume TiVo's can't play 3d? Who knows... I don't have the glasses anyway.


----------



## gossamer88

I keep getting a file named '(null)' when it's done downloading. Anyone know why?


----------



## Malcontent

gossamer88 said:


> I keep getting a file named '(null)' when it's done downloading. Anyone know why?


Most likely the file your trying to download is no longer on your usenet providers server. Or there was something wrong with it when it was uploaded.

There are usually multiple copies of the same file on usenet. Try finding a different copy to download.

Who is your usenet provider?


----------



## gossamer88

My provider is free.xsusenet.com. The file is the size (114MB). Is it because it's free and I've reached my limit. I usually download less than 200MB per week.


----------



## Malcontent

gossamer88 said:


> My provider is free.xsusenet.com. The file is the size (114MB). Is it because it's free and I've reached my limit. I usually download less than 200MB per week.


They have a 25 gig a month limit and 10 days retention on the free account. Is the file your downloading older then 10 days?


----------



## gossamer88

Malcontent said:


> They have a 25 gig a month limit and 10 days retention on the free account. Is the file your downloading older then 10 days?


It's only a couple of days old. So now I really don't get why.

I've never used Usenet before so I appreciate your help. :up:


----------



## Malcontent

gossamer88 said:


> It's only a couple of days old. So now I really don't get why.
> 
> I've never used Usenet before so I appreciate your help. :up:


What usenet client are you using? I recommend 'Sabnzbd' for a usenet client. It automates everything.

Is this happening with just this particular file?

If it's happening to just this particular file then it most likely it's a problem with the file itself. Nothing you can do about it. Try looking for a different copy of the file you want.

If it's happening with every file you try downloading then it could be a problem with how you have your usenet client configured. Are you certain your connecting to Xsusenet correctly? Along with the limitations I mentioned before your also limited to 2 connections to their server and are speed capped to 1mbit.

Here is a simple how to guide to get you up and running on usenet:

http://lifehacker.com/5601586/how-to-get-started-with-usenet-in-three-simple-steps


----------



## MikeMar

For the Couch Potato users. What is your hit rate on adding movies to the list that are either in the theater now or coming out to DVD/BluRay soon?

I feel like over the past few months, only 1 out of every 10 I try and add, I am able to.


----------



## Azlen

MikeMar said:


> For the Couch Potato users. What is your hit rate on adding movies to the list that are either in the theater now or coming out to DVD/BluRay soon?
> 
> I feel like over the past few months, only 1 out of every 10 I try and add, I am able to.


Which version are you using? The 2.0 version was supposed to be a lot better in that regard.

From the couchpotato forum
Version 2 has the following:

A(lot) better search function - Many of the search providers have changed (gone away, revised their APIs, etc). Version 2 will be needed to access many of these.
Manager - updates existing movies in your library to better qualities
API Support - To integrate with other apps (e.g. most of the Android/iPhone apps use the v2 APIs.
Support and updates from Ruud (the developer) - This is of course the most important. Version 1 will no longer be supported.
You can of course still use it, but there will be no more updates, and not a lot of effort put into supporting problems. This forum deals with supporting Version 2.


----------



## MikeMar

WOW, thank you. That is 100x better than the other version!!!!


----------



## Azlen

MikeMar said:


> WOW, thank you. That is 100x better than the other version!!!!


It is. I have no idea why they don't do more to let the people using the old version know that there is a better version available.


----------



## MikeMar

Even besides the missing new movie part of the old one, the interface on this one is awesome!!!!!

Never thought to look for a whole new version, since there is the check for update button!


----------



## Ment

Newzbin shut its doors for the final time. As the parents of nzb format this is a sad day indeed. In its heyday it was a glorious site, especially the nzb comment system which I don't think has been replicated since. Thanks Newzbin for the years.


----------



## Fofer

Newzbin has been my go-to index, my favorite. Sad day indeed.


----------



## Azlen

Definitely a sad day. I was a member of newzbin for years but never went to the second incarnation. I prefer the newznab sites like nzb.su and dognzb.cr now as they are automated and don't rely on editors.


----------



## Malcontent

I also liked the first Newzbin but I stayed away from the second one. From what they posted on their site, I wasn't missing much.



> For a long time we have struggled with poor indexing of Usenet, poor numbers of reports caused by the majority of our editors dropping out & no-one replacing them. Our servers have been unstable and crashing on a regular basis meaning the NZBs & NFOs are unavailable for long periods and we don't have the money to replace them.





> The tragedy is this: unlike Newzbin1 we are 100% DMCA compliant. We have acted on every DMCA notice we received without stalling or playing games: if there was a DMCA complaint the report was gone. Period.


I prefer the automated indexers also. I have pretty much all my regular downloads (TV and Movies) automated via remote nzb push to Sabnzbd from the dognzb.cr website. I've totally replaced Sickbeard and Couchpotato.


----------



## Fofer

Is it possible to get an invite to dognzb.cr?


----------



## Ment

Is the remote nzb push on dognzb only available to premium/VIP subs? I use nzbs.org as my main newznab site but that remote push sounds tasty.


----------



## ewolfr

Fofer said:


> Is it possible to get an invite to dognzb.cr?


+1 to this.

nzbmatrix is hit and miss for me sometimes. It would be great to have an alternative.


----------



## Malcontent

Ment said:


> Is the remote nzb push on dognzb only available to premium/VIP subs?


Yes, remote push is VIP only feature.


----------



## laria

I have been using nzbmatrix... I'm not sure what is hit and miss? That is a real question, not snark.  I don't really know enough about it other than to use it.  Once in a while, I find something that I can't completely download because something is corrupt, is that what is hit or miss? Or is that the fault of Astraweb?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

It's the reporting on nzbmatrix that isn't the best.
Yeah, can I get an invite to dognzb.cr?


----------



## cditty

Fofer said:


> Is it possible to get an invite to dognzb.cr?


Can I get one too please?


----------



## BradJW

I've got one invite to dognzb. First one to pm me with email address gets it.


----------



## BradJW

my invite is gone. no more pms please

(if you're the one getting it - you'll get it from me in the next 10 minutes)


----------



## Ment

laria said:


> I have been using nzbmatrix... I'm not sure what is hit and miss? That is a real question, not snark.  I don't really know enough about it other than to use it.  Once in a while, I find something that I can't completely download because something is corrupt, is that what is hit or miss? Or is that the fault of Astraweb?


Probably Astraweb, they've automated their DMCA takedown process which shortens the time completion is available. It used to be they'd remove blocks for the notices which if you had a backup you could complete but now they're completely gone.

Edit: Dognzb invite achieved.


----------



## BradJW

With Remote Push of dognzb, do you get any post-processing benefits anywhere? 

Using Sickbeard, my downloads are automatically renamed properly, include season #, episode # and title, which makes it easy for plex and boxee to get metadata. And the files are automatically copied into the right folders for me on my server. 

All I have to do is turn on my TV and watch. 

Does remote push with dognzb do any of that for you?


----------



## crowfan

I don't know if dognzb does it, but sabnzbd does. I use remote push from dognzb and then when sab is done downloading, it renames and relocates the files, and they are picked up by Plex


----------



## BradJW

Interesting. I didn't realize sabnzbd did post processing. 

My Sickbeard configuration is working perfectly, so I don't really see any reasons to change, but I may test this out anyway on a different box just to see what it's like.

(I just saw the TV Sorting options. Glad to know it's there)


----------



## MikeMar

BradJW said:


> Interesting. I didn't realize sabnzbd did post processing.
> 
> My Sickbeard configuration is working perfectly, so I don't really see any reasons to change, but I may test this out anyway on a different box just to see what it's like.
> 
> (I just saw the TV Sorting options. Glad to know it's there)


Yeah, my sickbeard/couch potato is working so smooth now, not touching a thing!!!


----------



## dcushing

i wouldn't mind playing around with dognzb. Need an invite though. Hopefully those who have them can give them out and we can start a ball rolling here.


----------



## crowfan

I'll look to see if I have any invites when I get home. If I do, I'll post here.


----------



## vertigo235

I have 1 invite right now, first PM receives it.

Edit: Taken!


----------



## MikeMar

I'll take an invite if we have extra's floating around

But others can have it first


----------



## laria

Ment said:


> Probably Astraweb, they've automated their DMCA takedown process which shortens the time completion is available. It used to be they'd remove blocks for the notices which if you had a backup you could complete but now they're completely gone.




I thought that was one of the selling points that someone kept saying about Astraweb earlier in the thread, that they don't respond to DMCA takedown notices.


----------



## Azlen

laria said:


> I thought that was one of the selling points that someone kept saying about Astraweb earlier in the thread, that they don't respond to DMCA takedown notices.


They have an automated DMCA takedown process now, which is not a selling point for the consumer.


----------



## Ment

laria said:


> I thought that was one of the selling points that someone kept saying about Astraweb earlier in the thread, that they don't respond to DMCA takedown notices.


No business can afford not to respond to DMCA requests some just have more hoops to jump thru before it gets taken down. Astrawebs started the automated process sometime late Sept/early Oct.


----------



## Malcontent

Ment said:


> No business can afford not to respond to DMCA requests some just have more hoops to jump thru before it gets taken down. Astrawebs started the automated process sometime late Sept/early Oct.


People are upset with Astraweb now because their whole DMCA process is automated. Someone just has to send an email and a script immediately removes the content from Astraweb servers. There is no human involvement to verify that the DMCA notice is valid or to control abuse of the process. Other providers have a human process their DMCA notices or a process that takes longer and isn't immediately. I believe that DMCA requests are supposed to be processed within 48 hours. They don't have to be instantly removed without any kind of verification that their valid. This whole automated removal from Astraweb servers started a couple of months ago.


----------



## laria

Ugh, that blows.  I have a busted Tivo and I cannot get some of the shows off it with kmttg because it stops as soon as it hits the bad blocks, and I was hoping to use my Astraweb account to get the ones I've not been able to offload.


----------



## MikeMar

laria said:


> Ugh, that blows.  I have a busted Tivo and I cannot get some of the shows off it with kmttg because it stops as soon as it hits the bad blocks, and I was hoping to use my Astraweb account to get the ones I've not been able to offload.


No reason those shows wouldn't still be up there right?

Not like the DCMA sends take down notices for literally every show


----------



## Ment

Malcontent said:


> People are upset with Astraweb now because their whole DMCA process is automated. Someone just has to send an email and a script immediately removes the content from Astraweb servers. There is no human involvement to verify that the DMCA notice is valid or to control abuse of the process. Other providers have a human process their DMCA notices or a process that takes longer and isn't immediately. I believe that DMCA requests are supposed to be processed within 48 hours. They don't have to be instantly removed without any kind of verification that their valid. This whole automated removal from Astraweb servers started a couple of months ago.


With Astraweb on one side and companies like Morganelli Group that run their own indexes to automate issuing take down notices for their clients, the window will shorten to the point of it not being usable without an RSS/push system.


----------



## laria

MikeMar said:


> No reason those shows wouldn't still be up there right?
> 
> Not like the DCMA sends take down notices for literally every show


I just checked the ones that I have still outstanding to download (I downloaded a bunch a couple weeks ago), and two of them (both Nashville episodes) are gone with notes that were DMCA'd. One of them it was the only copy, another had some alternatives so I put that in the queue with the other shows that I needed.


----------



## bareyb

Okay. Put me down for a friend request to dognzb as well. Anyone got a spare? I'd love to try them out.


----------



## laria

Well, so far it just looks like I can't get any Nashvilles. ABC must have gone crazy with the takedowns. I was still able to get Grimm and Beauty and the Beast.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a backup/alternate server?


----------



## Ment

laria said:


> Well, so far it just looks like I can't get any Nashvilles. ABC must have gone crazy with the takedowns. I was still able to get Grimm and Beauty and the Beast.
> 
> Does anyone have any recommendations for a backup/alternate server?


My primary for the last 4-5 years has been Usenetnow/Blocknews. http://blocknews.net/holidays/ if you don't want to commit without checking a file pm me and I'll see if one or more is complete thru them.


----------



## bengalfreak

Ment said:


> My primary for the last 4-5 years has been Usenetnow/Blocknews. http://blocknews.net/holidays/ if you don't want to commit without checking a file pm me and I'll see if one or more is complete thru them.


Ouch, their price for 1000GB is double the price of Astraweb.


----------



## bengalfreak

laria said:


> I just checked the ones that I have still outstanding to download (I downloaded a bunch a couple weeks ago), and two of them (both Nashville episodes) are gone with notes that were DMCA'd. One of them it was the only copy, another had some alternatives so I put that in the queue with the other shows that I needed.


How do you check that?


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> Ouch, their price for 1000GB is double the price of Astraweb.


They have no automated DMCA removal process like Astraweb. Content remains on their servers longer then Astraweb.

You could get a smaller/cheaper usenet block from them and use it as a backup server to Astraweb. The missing parts on Astraweb's servers could be downloaded from Blocknews.


----------



## laria

bengalfreak said:


> How do you check that?


I tried to download them and it failed.


----------



## laria

Ment said:


> My primary for the last 4-5 years has been Usenetnow/Blocknews. http://blocknews.net/holidays/ if you don't want to commit without checking a file pm me and I'll see if one or more is complete thru them.





Malcontent said:


> They have no automated DMCA removal process like Astraweb. Content remains on their servers longer then Astraweb.
> 
> You could get a smaller/cheaper usenet block from them and use it as a backup server to Astraweb. The missing parts on Astraweb's servers could be downloaded from Blocknews.


Thanks guys, this is what I did. 

Edit: Doh, except it looks like I still cannot download my Nashvilles.  Oh well, at least it was cheap and now I have a backup server.


----------



## farleyruskz

I'd like to add myself to the list of those looking for a dognzb invite, if anybody has one to spare.


----------



## KungFuCow

I think I have a few. When I get back tonight Ill check and see.


----------



## laria

The ones I need are still in Comcast's on-demand service, so if I just watch the two I managed to extract from the Tivo this weekend and the first one in on-demand, then I should be good for a couple weeks, since I'm guessing this week's is the last before the holidays. The ones I couldn't get off my Tivo were E03, E05, and E07... E03 is the oldest available so I need to get to that one before this week's knocks it out.


----------



## crowfan

I have two dognzb invites. First two to PM me their email addresses get them.

{ETA: both claimed}


----------



## vertigo235

I have one more invite. First person to send me a PM receives it.

Oh and don't forget to include your email address. I'll send it to the first person who PMs their email address to me.

Edit: Taken!


----------



## pteronaut

Ment said:


> Newzbin shut its doors for the final time. As the parents of nzb format this is a sad day indeed. In its heyday it was a glorious site, especially the nzb comment system which I don't think has been replicated since. Thanks Newzbin for the years.





Malcontent said:


> I also liked the first Newzbin but I stayed away from the second one. From what they posted on their site, I wasn't missing much.
> 
> 
> 
> For a long time we have struggled with poor indexing of Usenet, poor numbers of reports *caused by the majority of our editors dropping* out & no-one replacing them. Our servers have been unstable and crashing on a regular basis meaning the NZBs & NFOs are unavailable for long periods and we don't have the money to replace them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The tragedy is this: unlike Newzbin1 we are 100% DMCA compliant. We have acted on every DMCA notice we received without stalling or playing games: if there was a DMCA complaint the report was gone. Period.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I prefer the automated indexers also. I have pretty much all my regular downloads (TV and Movies) automated via remote nzb push to Sabnzbd from the dognzb.cr website. I've totally replaced Sickbeard and Couchpotato.
Click to expand...

I think that those editors have just announced themselves.


An email that I just received said:


> Hi,
> 
> We're former senior editors and edAdmin
> 
> We've been on Newzbin for years but now it's gone.
> 
> So we've decided to start our own site, based on newznab: https://nzbs.in
> We've spent the last few months adding new features, and importing over 3 years of NZBs.
> 
> We also have awesome features:
> 
> CouchPotato like movie manager
> SickBeard like TV manager
> MediaInfo for videos
> Screenshot preview for videos
> Audio preview
> TV Shows calendar
> Send to SABnzbd built-in with download queue basic management
> API to integrate with third-party software such as Sickbeard,couchpotato,...
> 
> Anyway we just wanted to share this with you, just follow this link if you wish to register: https://nzbs.in/register/
> 
> Feel free to come talk to us https://forums.nzbs.in
> 
> We hope to see you there
> 
> -NZBs.in


The site's news posts date back to August. It does seem a tad weird that they waited until Newsbin closed it's doors before utilizing it's member database to get new members.


----------



## bareyb

Back off Spammer. It's mine!


----------



## Malcontent

pteronaut said:


> The site's news posts date back to August. It does seem a tad weird that they waited until Newsbin closed it's doors before utilizing it's member database to get new members.


They sent out some emails back in July (I got one). They didn't have the majority of the features they appear to have now. Their site was still kind of rough at the time. I visited a few times but forgot about it.

Here is the email I received back in July.



> hello fellow newznab user
> 
> There is a great new site http://nzbs.in/
> 
> we have more and better features then NZBs.org and NZB.su
> 
> come check out us out for free and please say hello in the forums in our irc channel #nzbs.es
> 
> Thanks: admin3


----------



## bareyb

I signed up for it just to check it out. It's certainly nicely organized. I don't see any mention of a VIP type account... Are they just providing it for free for now?

ETA: I'd still love an invite to dognzb. If anyone has one please PM me here: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/private.php?do=newpm&u=1876

I would be most appreciative.


----------



## Malcontent

They had closed registrations back in September but I guess they reopened when Newzbin2 closed.



> Registrations Closed Saturday, September 22 2012 04:38:54 AM
> 
> We've decided to close the registrations for now.
> 
> We've reached the point where our server can't handle more users and leaving the registrations open will just generate more errors and timeouts.
> We're still planning on upgrading our server and we'll eventually re-open the registrations.
> 
> That's it for now.


----------



## Azlen

There were people that were upset that the operators of nzbs.in essentially stole the email addresses of the newsbin users in order to send out invitations to their site. So they didn't start out with the best of reputations.


----------



## Ment

nzb.su was just open a few days ago when I posted about Newzbin's demise. Guess they got a rush of registrations.


----------



## Fofer

Anyone got an invitation for nzb.su to share?


----------



## maflow

Anyone got nzb.su or dognzb invites? Pretty please...


----------



## ewolfr

nzbmatrix has decided to call it quits as well:

http://nzbmatrix.com/the_end.html


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

ewolfr said:


> nzbmatrix has decided to call it quits as well:
> 
> http://nzbmatrix.com/the_end.html


Crap! That was my main site.

Anyone have an invite to dognzb they could PM me? Thanks


----------



## tigercat74

I would also appreciate an invite to dognzb if anybody has one availalbe. Please PM me. Thanks in advance.


----------



## dagojr

ewolfr said:


> nzbmatrix has decided to call it quits as well:
> 
> http://nzbmatrix.com/the_end.html


----------



## macrho

tigercat74 said:


> I would also appreciate an invite to dognzb if anybody has one availalbe. Please PM me. Thanks in advance.


same here!


----------



## Malcontent

Dognzb isn't accepting new members. The Admin has disabled invites. He was concerned about the sudden influx of new users.


----------



## laria

Ugh nzbmatrix was my ONLY site.  I was too slow for any of the dognzb invites.


----------



## macrho

laria said:


> Ugh nzbmatrix was my ONLY site.  I was too slow for any of the dognzb invites.


same here
this seriously stinks


----------



## AeneaGames

macrho said:


> same here
> this seriously stinks


And same here 

If anyone has a dognzb invite for me, please PM me one! Thanks!


----------



## AeneaGames

Malcontent said:


> Dognzb isn't accepting new members. The Admin has disabled invites. He was concerned about the sudden influx of new users.


Arghhh!


----------



## macrho

if i find any invites to other indexers, i'll happily share with others here


----------



## Kamakzie

HELP!! need an invite to somewhere... frak !!!


----------



## tlrowley

Adding my name to the list of folks needing invites somewhere. 

Frak, indeed!!


----------



## macrho

time to crack a beer, search has been fruitless
what a sad day :'(


----------



## TheMerk

Damn. I was planning on installing SAB, SB and CP for a friend later today.

Everyone who had NZBMatrix as their only indexer should take a second to make sure they have Sickbeard's own indexer enabled. 

It won't help for old stuff or movies, but it should get you most new TV content just fine.


----------



## laria

I don't use Sickbeard.


----------



## tlrowley

TheMerk said:


> Everyone who had NZBMatrix as their only indexer should take a second to make sure they have Sickbeard's own indexer enabled.
> 
> It won't help for old stuff or movies, but it should get you most new TV content just fine.


Thanks for this hint - I tried a couple of old episodes and it seems like I'm not completely destitute  I'm also trying nzbs.in, but that site is simply getting hammered - probably from nzbmatrix (and newzbin) refugees.


----------



## vertigo235

keep your eyes open for new indexers, it's fairly easy to create one, and you can actually create one yourself

see http://www.newznab.com/

when nzbs.org was talking about shutting down, that's when dognzb popped up. They both use the newznab indexer.


----------



## NetJunkie

Most invite-only sites have stopped giving out invites to limit members. It's going to be hard to find another one. I'm offering to pay for an invite to another site. I wish EasyNews would start their own indexer. The real problem is that smaller, invite only sites, won't have the community of the larger ones so you won't have as much data.


----------



## vertigo235

NetJunkie said:


> Most invite-only sites have stopped giving out invites to limit members. It's going to be hard to find another one. I'm offering to pay for an invite to another site. I wish EasyNews would start their own indexer. The real problem is that smaller, invite only sites, won't have the community of the larger ones so you won't have as much data.


The invite only sites dont use the community to provide nzb's they use indexers.


----------



## macrho

vertigo235 said:


> keep your eyes open for new indexers, it's fairly easy to create one, and you can actually create one yourself
> 
> see http://www.newznab.com/
> 
> when nzbs.org was talking about shutting down, that's when dognzb popped up. They both use the newznab indexer.


On Windows or Unbutu? Might give this a shot


----------



## Kamakzie

I saw someone say on a forum that newznab uses a ton of bandwidth.. fyi.


----------



## vertigo235

Kamakzie said:


> I saw someone say on a forum that newznab uses a ton of bandwidth.. fyi.


Makes sense


----------



## cheesesteak

I was able to join nzb.su with no problem today. I haven't been able to get it to work with SABnzbd yet though.


----------



## brettatk

Was sad to see the news about NZBMatrix this morning, I've been using them for years. I see it's almost impossible to get invites to dognzb or nzb.su. Hopefully I can get by with just nzbs.org and the Sick Beard Index.


----------



## vertigo235

brettatk said:


> Was sad to see the news about NZBMatrix this morning, I've been using them for years. I see it's almost impossible to get invites to dognzb or nzb.su. Hopefully I can get by with just nzbs.org and the Sick Beard Index.


You're lucky to have nzbs.org, I'd say its at least as good as dognzb


----------



## brettatk

vertigo235 said:


> You're lucky to have nzbs.org, I'd say its at least as good as dognzb


True. Luckily I signed up with them long ago. I checked earlier but I have no invites to share.

I just registered for NZBs.in that I saw from another forum. Looks a lot like NZBs.org. I'll give it a shot.


----------



## tlrowley

cheesesteak said:


> I was able to join nzb.su with no problem today. I haven't been able to get it to work with SABnzbd yet though.


Did you get any invites yet?


----------



## vertigo235

brettatk said:


> True. Luckily I signed up with them long ago. I checked earlier but I have no invites to share.
> 
> I just registered for NZBs.in that I saw from another forum. Looks a lot like NZBs.org. I'll give it a shot.


Probably another newznab site, these will continue to pop up, no need to worry too much at this point id say.


----------



## Azlen

There won't be any new invites to dognzb for awhile. The admin at dognzb posted:

I reset everyone's invites back to 0 again. With three big sites closing just recently, we just don't feel comfortable at this moment with a big influx of users, and payments. We don't want to raise any eyebrows from our payment provider. WE don't want the site to grow with hundreds of new users in just a couple of days.

Like I posted on another thread, we prefer to stay closed, private and small. Hopefully we can ride out this storm unnafected. I just feel bad for all those users who are now homeless, but unfortunately if we take most of them in, I am sure we will be the next casualty.

The admin for nzb.su has turned off invites as well.


----------



## Azlen

Here's a link that somebody posted on reddit for some alternatives:


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/14jjl6/_/c7dmmii


----------



## NetJunkie

Yeah, all the sites have locked down invites. I've had people try to send me theirs and no go. I think I'll do my own newznab setup. Might as well use that 50Mb connection.


----------



## vertigo235

NetJunkie said:


> Yeah, all the sites have locked down invites. I've had people try to send me theirs and no go. I think I'll do my own newznab setup. Might as well use that 50Mb connection.


You should set up a newznab for TC folk only


----------



## NetJunkie

vertigo235 said:


> You should set up a newznab for TC folk only


You know, I was thinking about that. Let me see how it goes.


----------



## Kamakzie

is dognzb just a newznab setup?


----------



## Kamakzie

If someone wants to setup a newnab for the TC I'm sure we could donate to it.


----------



## tlrowley

NetJunkie said:


> I think I'll do my own newznab setup. Might as well use that 50Mb connection.





vertigo235 said:


> You should set up a newznab for TC folk only





NetJunkie said:


> You know, I was thinking about that. Let me see how it goes.


I'd happily support a site like that - let me know where to PayPal the funds


----------



## vertigo235

Kamakzie said:


> is dognzb just a newznab setup?


It is a newznab setup, but I don't know if I would call it "just a newznab setup" I think that Dogzipp has modified it quite a bit and added some extra features, like autosab push and some other things.


----------



## Kamakzie

I'm mad at myself for not knowing about dognzb until it was too late.. oh well..


----------



## NetJunkie

tlrowley said:


> I'd happily support a site like that - let me know where to PayPal the funds


Eh... Let's see how it goes. I suspect that users won't drive up bandwidth...it'll just be grabbing headers that will. I already PayPal'd and got the premium Newznab distribution. About to spin up another VM to use with it.


----------



## Malcontent

Kamakzie said:


> is dognzb just a newznab setup?


Newznab handles the back end but dognzb has a custom front end. It has many custom features that are not in the stock Newznab.


----------



## Malcontent

How to Build Your Own Usenet Indexer

http://www.howtogeek.com/120285/how-to-build-your-own-usenet-indexer/


----------



## NetJunkie

Malcontent said:


> How to Build Your Own Usenet Indexer
> 
> http://www.howtogeek.com/120285/how-to-build-your-own-usenet-indexer/


That leaves out several optional components. There is a guide on newznab's site for setting it up completely under Ubuntu. I just finished doing the whole thing and it's grabbing my test group headers now.

So..let's see how it goes.


----------



## bareyb

If you guys decide to do a _private_ indexing site for us on TCF I'm in. I'd almost suggest you invite people (who request it) via PM rather than in the main thread and only invite people you know. I think the problem with NZBMatrix is too many people know about it.


----------



## TheMerk

A private TCF only newznab would be awesome!


----------



## cheesesteak

TheMerk said:


> A private TCF only newznab would be awesome!


:up::up::up:


----------



## vertigo235

NetJunkie said:


> That leaves out several optional components. There is a guide on newznab's site for setting it up completely under Ubuntu. I just finished doing the whole thing and it's grabbing my test group headers now.
> 
> So..let's see how it goes.


What do you use to run your virtual machines?


----------



## NetJunkie

vertigo235 said:


> What do you use to run your virtual machines?


I have a 3-node vSphere lab at home.


----------



## harrinpj

I'm in for a private tcf site.


----------



## vertigo235

NetJunkie said:


> I have a 3-node vSphere lab at home.


I see


----------



## Roommate

Another victim of the nzbmatrix shut down here. I did have a dognzb login awhile ago, but hardly used it because nzbmatrix worked perfectly for me. Looks like they deactivated my account at some point. Argh!

I too would be interested in a TCF index site...


----------



## MikeMar

Damn!!! Hopefully the free Sick Beard and Couch Potato ones work for me


----------



## vertigo235

Dogzipp posted this about bandwidth usage with newznab

"Not that much. Headers are compressed (if using astraweb), and pure text. And they don't even count agains your provider downloads (headers don't count). As for speed, not much. Probably less than 1MB/512K when updating. "


----------



## Kamakzie

vertigo235 said:


> Dogzipp posted this about bandwidth usage with newznab
> 
> "Not that much. Headers are compressed (if using astraweb), and pure text. And they don't even count agains your provider downloads (headers don't count). As for speed, not much. Probably less than 1MB/512K when updating. "


Not too bad. Let me know whoever runs this and I will Paypal some funds for sure..


----------



## NetJunkie

Just be warned that the only usenet provider that newznab will do compressed headers is astraweb. That doesn't help me...but I'm less worried about bandwidth than time. The thing about newznab is that it's not hard to setup. It just takes some effort to configure it and then some serious download/processing time if you want to backfill a bunch of the groups very far.


----------



## Peter000

Just want to say this is horrible. I JUST gave NZBMatrix $10 a couple of weeks ago.

And they run the adult NZB site I use as well.

I'd be in for a TCF only place to go.

This seems to be a site based on the NewzNab indexer.

http://newz.keagaming.com/


----------



## NetJunkie

Yep. If you want to see what newznab looks like that site is running a stock install of it.


----------



## laria

Peter000 said:


> Just want to say this is horrible. I JUST gave NZBMatrix $10 a couple of weeks ago.


Yeah, not quite as bad for me, but I just gave them $10 back in like October. :\


----------



## KungFuCow

I hadnt long been a premium user on nzbmatrix either. Sucks....


----------



## KungFuCow

You know.. I have a dedicated linux server I could run this on, I just need an idea of how much bandwidth it uses.. anyone got any idea?


----------



## NetJunkie

Greatly depends if you want to go backfill a bunch of groups and for how long. To start indexing today going forward it's not bad at all. Go back 30 days? Not bad. A year? A lot.


----------



## mrdbdigital

I would also be interested in a TCF group solution.

Dave


----------



## laria

NetJunkie said:


> Greatly depends if you want to go backfill a bunch of groups and for how long. To start indexing today going forward it's not bad at all. Go back 30 days? Not bad. A year? A lot.


That was one of the things I liked about nzbmatrix... some of the non-tv stuff that I downloaded was from many hundreds of days ago.


----------



## laria

Registrations are closed now on NZBs.in, too.


> Site is down.
> 
> We know, be patient it will come back soon.
> 
> But registration are closed and won't come back soon.


----------



## NetJunkie

laria said:


> That was one of the things I liked about nzbmatrix... some of the non-tv stuff that I downloaded was from many hundreds of days ago.


You can go as far back as you want..just takes time to pull down the headers.

Woot! Just had Sickbeard grab the first episode of a show using my local index. Getting there.


----------



## TheMerk

NetJunkie said:


> Woot! Just had Sickbeard grab the first episode of a show using my local index. Getting there.


You'd better buy nzbt.cf ASAP.


----------



## Malcontent

There is a Newznab indexer (works with Sickbeard and Couchpotato) that is open for registrations. But it's for what the sites calls a 'probation' account. It's very limited but it will get you in the door and you can upgrade to VIP. I haven't used this site before so I don't know how reliable it is. The site seems very active.

After posting 20 non spam messages you are auto upgraded to 'normal' user. But it's obvious that 'probation' and 'normal' levels are not suitable for Sickbeard/Couchpotato users. You get 10 nzb downloads for 'probation' and 20 for 'normal' level. You will have to upgrade to VIP. *You can upgrade to VIP directly without posting 20 messages.* Upgrading to VIP isn't automated. It involves contacting the Admins via private message or email. The easiest is to contact them and they will send you a Paypal email address to send funds to.



Code:


newztown.co.za




> VIP status includes the following:
> - Invites, dependent on the amount you donate
> - API Requests = 5000/24 hours
> - NZB Downloads = 500/24 hours
> - Infinite scroll in browsing
> - Much more stars in forum
> - Scene release listings
> - No more ads
> - All the features that are already available for normal users.
> - Future site enhancements and features
> 
> Available packages:
> - R10 (~$1.5 US) for 2 invites includes 30 days VIP status
> - R25 (~$3.8) for 5 invites includes 90 days VIP status
> - R40 (~$6) for 8 invites includes 180 days VIP status
> - R70 (~$10.5) for 14 invites includes 360 days VIP status
> - R150 (~$22.5) for 30 invites includes Lifetime VIP status


----------



## Malcontent

Stumbled across more Newznab sites with open registrations. Again, I have no experience with these sites. I don't know if their reliable.



Code:


hazelwire.org
nzb4u.net


----------



## Kamakzie

Thanks Malcontent


----------



## kcarl75

Kamakzie said:


> Thanks Malcontent


Ya newztown looks good so far.

If anyone wanted to startup the TCF server I would be interested/donate.


----------



## KungFuCow

kcarl75 said:


> Ya newztown looks good so far.
> 
> If anyone wanted to startup the TCF server I would be interested/donate.


Im interested if someone is willing to give me a hand. Long as I dont go over my monthly bandwidth allowance (2000GB), I'd put one up.


----------



## dilorc

I'm thinking of setting one up on an Amazon EC2 instance. Let me work on it tonight and I'll post here when I get something working.


----------



## NetJunkie

Curious to see what it costs to run one of these on an EC2 instance. Keep seeing people talking about it. Will depend on how much backfilling you do. I'm hammering my VM today pulling in backfilled data. 2 vCPUs on an X3440 system, 2GB of RAM, and a lot of disk I/O to my lab Synology...enough that I svMotioned that VM to a datastore on SSDs instead of spinning disks to try and speed it up.


----------



## cditty

I would love to be part of a TFC private group too. NZBMatrix was my only source too. I haven't figured out how to get nzb.su working right yet.


----------



## cditty

Anyone having problems getting to nzb.su now? Getting a page not found error.


----------



## NetJunkie

cditty said:


> Anyone having problems getting to nzb.su now? Getting a page not found error.


Friend said try nzb.su/login

Seems they took down the redirector for some reason.


----------



## Azlen

cditty said:


> Anyone having problems getting to nzb.su now? Getting a page not found error.


I used https://nzb.su/index.php

In the forum the admin said why it's doing that.



> trying to deflect some traffic... there's a lot of traffic just from people coming to pull up the page to see if registration is open. this will hopefully defeat that a bit (it has been effective)


----------



## TomK

I need a new home too.


----------



## tigercat74

Also need a new home.  Would be willing to donate to help.


----------



## NetJunkie

Peter000 said:


> This seems to be a site based on the NewzNab indexer.
> 
> http://newz.keagaming.com/


They just shut down..got the email a few mins ago.


----------



## Peter000

Geez. Maybe I should set up my own private NewzNab setup.


----------



## TheMerk

Peter000 said:


> Geez. Maybe I should set up my own private NewzNab setup.


I'm starting to think this too.


----------



## NetJunkie

If any one needs help doing it let me know. I'm pulling in back data right now and I still may open mine up for private use. Just want to get it to a steady state first and move it to a protected network.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Instead of duplicating the effort, I'd prefer to donate to someone who's willing to run it. Please let us know when you have something. Thanks.


----------



## KungFuCow

NetJunkie said:


> If any one needs help doing it let me know. I'm pulling in back data right now and I still may open mine up for private use. Just want to get it to a steady state first and move it to a protected network.


PM'd you....


----------



## cheesesteak

I can't get NZB.su to integrate nicely with SABnzbd like NZBMatrix did but I do have it downloading but at half the speed I was used to. Better than nothing.


----------



## TheMerk

cheesesteak said:


> I can't get NZB.su to integrate nicely with SABnzbd like NZBMatrix did but I do have it downloading but at half the speed I was used to. Better than nothing.


That shouldn't affect download speed at all. The indexer merely tells SABnzbd which headers to pull from. SABnzbd uses your Usenet provider for the actual downloading, not the indexer.


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> I can't get NZB.su to integrate nicely with SABnzbd like NZBMatrix did but I do have it downloading but at half the speed I was used to. Better than nothing.


Nzb.su (any indexer) provides the NZB file for Sickbeard/Sabnzbd. Indexers have nothing to do with download speeds. Download speed has to do with your ISP or Usenet provider.

Double check your settings in Sabnzbd (server setup, ect.).


----------



## dagojr

Id love an invite if possible. [email protected], thanks in advance.


----------



## cditty

NetJunkie said:


> If any one needs help doing it let me know. I'm pulling in back data right now and I still may open mine up for private use. Just want to get it to a steady state first and move it to a protected network.


I would LOVE info on how I do this myself or would be willing to kick a few bucks for access. Either way, I'm interested.


----------



## cditty

What's needed in this? I have a virtual server running that is not getting much use. I see the threads saying bandwidth isn't much of a load on this. Anyone have any real numbers on it?


----------



## NetJunkie

This is the guide I used:

http://newznab.readthedocs.org/en/latest/guides/install_ubuntu-11.10/

Mine is running in a VM in my VMware lab environment at home. I've given it 2 vCPUs, 2GB of RAM, and 200GB of disk space.

No one has real bandwidth numbers because it varies greatly depending on what you do. If you tell it to go backfill groups a year back it's going to download a ton of headers. If you only care about today forward it's just doing incremental updates...but all this depends on how much and how many groups.

If you donate to get the Plus version...and you should else it's about useless....you get access to a torrent of NZB data that goes from about 100 days ago to 1400 days ago. Saves yo a lot of download time pulling in headers. Those are what I'm currently importing in to my install. Takes a long time..it's a lot of stuff.

Once that mass import is done and I've backfilled the groups I care about to bridge the gap back to what was in the torrents my system won't use a lot of resources. If you want to index EVERY group on Usenet that's a diff story..but I'm only doing about 20 right now since that covers all the media I care about.


----------



## ScottE22

I, too, would definitely be "in" for a TCF-only indexing site. I'm very bummed about NZBMatrix...

I may take a look at newznab but agree with others -- it might make more sense to pool our resources on a private, shared site.


----------



## dilorc

Hi Guys. I have a server setup on Amazon EC2. It is not ready for external use yet, but please PM me if interested. If there is enough interest to cover my costs (and there seems to be), I will open it to TCF perhaps as early as tomorrow night.

Thanks,
Chris

You can also email me at cdilorenzo AT gmail DOT com if you like


----------



## NetJunkie

dilorc said:


> Hi Guys. I have a server setup on Amazon EC2. It is not ready for external use yet, but please PM me if interested. If there is enough interest to cover my costs (and there seems to be), I will open it to TCF perhaps as early as tomorrow night.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris


How many groups are you indexing? Doing any backfill? Curious to see your cost on it.


----------



## HellFish

FYI, https://www.nzbsrus.com/ is accepting new members. I joined them last year shortly after reading this thread.

Although I had nzbmatrix setup in SB & CP, I placed it 2nd or 3rd on the list. I mainly used nzbmatrix for manual searching. Their userbase was good, and they always had comments about quality, missing files, etc that most of the other sites don't have. That's the thing I'll miss most.


----------



## Peter000

HellFish said:


> FYI, https://www.nzbsrus.com/ is accepting new members. I joined them last year shortly after reading this thread.


I haven't been able to connect with them for awhile.


----------



## Malcontent

Peter000 said:


> I haven't been able to connect with them for awhile.


Have you tried using https?


----------



## HellFish

What program is giving you problems? Sickbeard, Couch Potato, or do you mean the website itself?

Edit: I see, the API & RSS are down, so it won't play nice with either SB or CP. They need to get on that posthaste.


----------



## Peter000

Malcontent said:


> Have you tried using https?


No. On my computers it would redirect me to some iPhone forum site. But then I went to one of the searches in history and it took me there!

As long as NZBsRus is up, I'm fine. They're not the most reliable of sites, the do actually go down from time to time, but it's the one I've been using most often and longest.


----------



## brettatk

I take it you have to be a VIP member in order to download nzb's from NZBsRus? Is their API usually online or does it stay offline a lot? I wouldn't have a problem donating $12 towards them but if the API stays offline a lot then it won't do me much good.

NZBS.org has been down for several days so I don't know if they shut down or if they are in the process of moving to new servers.


----------



## Peter000

brettatk said:


> I take it you have to be a VIP member in order to download nzb's from NZBsRus? Is their API usually online or does it stay offline a lot? I wouldn't have a problem donating $12 towards them but if the API stays offline a lot then it won't do me much good.


It didn't used to be the case, but now you have to be a VIP member.

I don't know about the API.


----------



## brettatk

Thanks, I guess I'll just wait and a few days and see what happens. In order to use Sick Beard with them, their API would have to be online. Perhaps they are adjusting things due to the overwhelming amount of new people who have joined. I signed up with NZBS.in a few days ago but they have temporarily shut down in order to move to a new server. Would be nice though to have more than one though.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> NZBS.org has been down for several days so I don't know if they shut down or if they are in the process of moving to new servers.





Code:


Try: http://nzbs.org/login?redirect=%2F

A few indexers have redirected their normal web login to reduce traffic.


----------



## brettatk

Malcontent said:


> Code:
> 
> 
> Try: http://nzbs.org/login?redirect=%2F
> 
> A few indexers have redirected their normal web login to reduce traffic.


Awesome, thanks!

Thats weird. I checked my profile page and compared it with my Sick Beard settings and both my UID and API were incorrect. Maybe I missed a notice about them changing. Guess that's why nothing has been pulled from them in a while.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> In order to use Sick Beard with them, their API would have to be online. Perhaps they are adjusting things due to the overwhelming amount of new people who have joined. I signed up with NZBS.in a few days ago but they have temporarily shut down in order to move to a new server. Would be nice though to have more than one though.


FYI,

You can also use Sickbeard's internal indexer. You would just need to select it under 'Search Providers' in Sickbeard's configuration. They use Newznab as their indexer.


----------



## vertigo235

The Sickbeard indexer is actually pretty good. It will only have TV shows though, if you need a movie indexer you'll need another one.


----------



## brettatk

I guess the nzb wasn't available earlier for one of my shows, but it just got pulled using the Sick Beard indexer.


----------



## Kamakzie

farleyruskz said:


> Now I'm getting a 404 Error from https://dognzb.cr


Maybe they're updating stuff..


----------



## Ment

Kamakzie said:


> Maybe they're updating stuff..


No its due to Malcontents post# 621.


> A few indexers have redirected their normal web login to reduce traffic.


 The login page for dognzb subscribers changed.


----------



## Fofer

I've got a dognzb subscription, what has the page changed to, and how are we meant to be informed of such changes?


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> I've got a dognzb subscription, what has the page changed to, and how are we meant to be informed of such changes?





Code:


 dognzb.cr/login or dognzb.cr/browse


----------



## bareyb

Fofer said:


> I've got a dognzb subscription, what has the page changed to, and how are we meant to be informed of such changes?


Change your bookmark to this: http://dognzb.cr/browse



> Please note that for a couple of days (while the storm passes) the main page of DOGnzb will be unavailable. If you want to login, use dognzb.cr/login or dognzb.cr/browse instead


----------



## Ment

Fofer said:


> I've got a dognzb subscription, what has the page changed to, and how are we meant to be informed of such changes?


For future changes for dog and other indexes I'd link to their individual forums where you can login and be apprised of the new url.


----------



## Fofer

Thanks, all. :up:


----------



## cditty

For those of you that have newznab installed and running, have you been able to get the api working in sickbeard? I can get it working in the browser, but nothing I try works in sickbeard.


----------



## NetJunkie

Working with sickbeard for me. Just grabbed the API from my user account and plugged it in sickbeard. Make sure when giving sickbeard your server IP you put http:// in front of it..or it won't work.


----------



## cditty

NetJunkie said:


> Working with sickbeard for me. Just grabbed the API from my user account and plugged it in sickbeard. Make sure when giving sickbeard your server IP you put http:// in front of it..or it won't work.


I actually have a domain name that I wasn't using.

Site URL: http://www.mydomain.com
API Key: blahblahblah

I get a missing parameter error.


----------



## vertigo235

try adding the / at the end

That's how the newznab website I use is set up, and I seem to recall an issue with Sickbeard when I added it a while back, it didn't like it without the trailing /

so do http://www.domain.com/


----------



## cditty

Well, apparently after the 100th try it finally took. Thanks.


----------



## HellFish

Rumors grow of a shadow in the East... I mean, a new site is forming.. https://nzbx.co. According to the blog, SickBeard and CouchPotato integration is pending.


----------



## Malcontent

Check out the Sickbeard forums (General). There are a few Indexers starting up and are taking new registrations.


----------



## cditty

I wish the couchpotato guys would make their app so you can add your own indexer instead of a list.


----------



## vertigo235

cditty said:


> I wish the couchpotato guys would make their app so you can add your own indexer instead of a list.


I'm pretty sure you can

Are you using the original Couchpotato, or the newer and supported Couchpotato Server?


----------



## vertigo235

Yeah, you can, you can enter what seems to be an unlimited amount of newznab sites. I think the older version still allows at least one.

This is a cap from my couchpotato server settings.


----------



## vertigo235

Here's a link about Couchpotato Server vs the original Couchpotato
http://www.totalhtpc.com/couchpotato-server-v2-released/

It's the same developer he just decided to start over from scratch.


----------



## cditty

Awesome. I assumed that was another news index site. It didn't even register. 

Thanks


----------



## brettatk

Here is another newznab site open for registrations, at least for right now:

newzb.net



> welcome to newzb.net
> 
> GET READY FOR THE LAUNCH!
> 
> currently checking API configuration - problem identified (timeout) working on solution
> 
> ADDED 16GB MYSQL, CACHING NEXT
> 
> Welcome! We just opened and releases are added at 10mbit speed, this will pretty soon go upto gigabit speed. backfill is in progress. Please use the forum to add groups to the indexing !
> Requests are more then welcome at the moment.
> 
> Goal is to get 1000 days retention, currently going for 100 days on group HD movies and on series. all other groups have got the last few days and will get backfilled afterwards, adding over 20k releases per day.
> 
> We are an offshore indexer, we will likely stay.


----------



## KungFuCow

Anybody got the correct login page for nzb.su? /login takes me to their cpanel login....


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Anybody got the correct login page for nzb.su? /login takes me to their cpanel login....


nzb.su/index.php


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> nzb.su/index.php


Are you sure? Thats a cPanel login screen unless theyre disguising it.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Are you sure? Thats a cPanel login screen unless theyre disguising it.





Code:


http://nzb.su/index.php

This is working for me.


----------



## KungFuCow

Weird.. I signed up last week and now it has no record of me.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Weird.. I signed up last week and now it has no record of me.


Were you VIP? The admin is doing a purge. He posted on the forum that if you signed up with disposable email addresses (one time use) you would be purged. He accidently turned on registrations soon after Nzbmatrix closed and a number of users were allowed to register. He said he was going to purge those people also. No one knows exactly what other criteria he is using. When was the last time you logged in?


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Were you VIP? The admin is doing a purge. He posted on the forum that if you signed up with disposable email addresses (one time use) you would be purged. He accidently turned on registrations soon after Nzbmatrix closed and a number of users were allowed to register. He said he was going to purge those people also. No one knows exactly what other criteria he is using. When was the last time you logged in?


I wasnt on there long enough to sign up for VIP. One of the members here sent me a imvite, I registered and then the poop hit the fan and before I could get back in there to upgrade myself, apparently Ive been purged.

I didnt use a disposable email either

That sucks.. I came in off an invite.


----------



## Malcontent

Another Newznab indexer with open registration.



Code:


nzbzombie.com


----------



## Malcontent

Another indexer that has open registrations.



Code:


http://nzbs.co.uk/


----------



## pteronaut

Looking at UK's stance on piracy and free speech, I wouldn't expect that site to last long.


----------



## laria

I had signed up for NZBs.in back when people were first talking about it, so I am using that now instead of NZBMatrix. It seems ok... I'm liking it better now that I figured out how to get a "Send to SABnzbd" button on there.


----------



## dilorc

I have a private indexing site for TCF members. PM me or email cdilorenzo (AT) gmail DOT com for details.


----------



## Carlucci

dilorc said:


> I have a private indexing site for TCF members. PM me or email cdilorenzo (AT) gmail DOT com for details.


Signed up and will donate in January. Thanks!


----------



## cheesesteak

Malcontent said:


> Were you VIP? The admin is doing a purge. He posted on the forum that if you signed up with disposable email addresses (one time use) you would be purged. He accidently turned on registrations soon after Nzbmatrix closed and a number of users were allowed to register. He said he was going to purge those people also. No one knows exactly what other criteria he is using. When was the last time you logged in?


I didn't have an invite to nzb.su. I registered based on posts here. I immediately signed up for VIP. Maybe that's why I wasn't purged.


----------



## tigercat74

Also signed up and will donate in January


----------



## MikeMar

tigercat74 said:


> Also signed up and will donate in January


Same

Thanks!


----------



## tigercat74

dilorc said:


> I have a private indexing site for TCF members. PM me or email cdilorenzo (AT) gmail DOT com for details.


Just wanted to let you know that your site worked perfectly with sickbeard last night to download some shows. Thanks for putting up the site.


----------



## appleye1

I'm not clear on this. I was a nzbmatrix user. After I saw the takedown notice  for them I went into SB and changed the search provider to SB Index. I haven't had any problems getting any of my regular stuff since then. When am I likely to start experiencing problems? Just when I add a new show?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I believe SB uses the same indexing tool that people here try to run on their own.


----------



## vertigo235

yes,the SB index is a newsnab index, they only index the TV groups

It does a good job, I have it low on my priority list, but it still manages to pick up some shows for me on a regular basis.


----------



## tigercat74

appleye1 said:


> I'm not clear on this. I was a nzbmatrix user. After I saw the takedown notice  for them I went into SB and changed the search provider to SB Index. I haven't had any problems getting any of my regular stuff since then. When am I likely to start experiencing problems? Just when I add a new show?


I have had problems with the SB Index. It would download the shows in a different format then i liked.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is dognzb down for others too?


----------



## vertigo235

DUDE_NJX said:


> Is dognzb down for others too?


yes, yes it is


----------



## vertigo235

"We are doing routine maintenance on our database. We should be back within the hour."


----------



## Malcontent

Dognzb is back up.


----------



## Carlucci

Any way to tell if a TV show is a "takedown" before you try to download? I think Supernatural episodes from S08E06 to most recent (the ones I've tried) are takedowns, but I have no way of knowing. 

When I try to download them, sabnzbd says "download failed - out of your server's retention?" which in the past I've gotten when a show is a takedown. 

In the past, I could view comments on nzbmatrix to confirm this, but now with the smaller indexing site, how can I know?


----------



## Malcontent

Carlucci said:


> Any way to tell if a TV show is a "takedown" before you try to download?


There is a setting in Sabnzbd which will have Sabnzbd check to see if the file is complete on your usenet server.

Under: Config: Switches :Queue, '*Check before download*'


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> There is a setting in Sabnzbd which will have Sabnzbd check to see if the file is complete on your usenet server.
> 
> Under: Config: Switches :Queue, '*Check before download*'


How does that work w/ a backup provider

So if 5 blocks (or whatever) are missing on blocknewz, but astraweb has them

Would Sabnzbd download that or not?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> How does that work w/ a backup provider
> 
> So if 5 blocks (or whatever) are missing on blocknewz, but astraweb has them
> 
> Would Sabnzbd download that or not?


I haven't used it my self but if the 'Pre-check' fails, you will be given the option of manually starting the download if you wish. Giving your back up server a chance to repair.

http://wiki.sabnzbd.org/introducing-0-7-0



> Pre-download check (Experimental)
> 
> If you are hit by frequent incomplete and non-repairable downloads and worry about wasted time, bandwidth or quota, there's the pre-check.
> Before downloading, SABnzbd will check if enough articles are available on the server.
> Currently the job will pause when the downloadable parts of the rar and par2 files together are less than 100.2% of the actual rar files.
> Below that you will need to decide whether you want to take the risk of downloading something unrepairable.
> 
> Note that this an experimental feature, with the following issues:
> 
> The pre-download check takes some time, but much less than a (failed) download.
> SABnzbd calculates the balance between missing articles and available par2 file. However it's not possible to make a completely accurate prediction, that's why 100.2% of the net payload should be downloadable.
> The "payload" above means that the downloadable amount of RAR and PAR2 files should be at least as much as the required amount of RAR files. Anything below 100% is by definition not repairable.
> Unfortunately due to weak design of the NZB format and the fact that Usenet articles and par2 repair blocks do not match, SABnzbd cannot make accurate predictions. That's why pre-check requires at least 100.2%1. Note that the average post has 110% data.
> 
> If you turn on this feature (Config->Switches), it will be used for all new jobs that enter the queue. When something in the queue is being pre-checked, the mouse-over will show "Status: Checking". Note that during this phase, the download speed shown by SABnzbd will be low (for example "7 kB/s"), and thus the ETA will be very high. You should ignore the high ETA.
> When a pre-download check fails, the job will go to History with a message like "Download would not be successful, only 99.5% available "in red. *You can click Retry if you want to download anyway.*


----------



## MikeMar

Hmmm ok thanks.

Prob won't turn that on since I would always hit retry to get the backup server a try


----------



## innocentfreak

Speaking of takedowns, is there any sort of list of what shows are currently affected? I am behind on many shows so I want to make sure I start recording the ones that I won't be able to use SB to catch up on. I had also gotten low on space so many were paused.

I also need to start researching the various profiles so I can encode those shows once transferred off my TiVo into a comparable format like the 720p mkvs.


----------



## laria

innocentfreak said:


> Speaking of takedowns, is there any sort of list of what shows are currently affected?


I don't know of a list but I know that I have not been able to download many Nashvilles.


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> Speaking of takedowns, is there any sort of list of what shows are currently affected? I am behind on many shows so I want to make sure I start recording the ones that I won't be able to use SB to catch up on. I had also gotten low on space so many were paused.


There is no list. It's just safe to assume every show you like is being DMCA'd. But I have a suggestion but you probably won't like it. To save space, download the SD version of your shows. The majority are encode using x264 and produce DVD quality resolution. The x264 codec produces significantly reduced SD file sizes while having higher resolution then the old Xvid.

Download a SD x264 encoded show and see if the quality would be acceptable. If it is you can simply switch the quality in Sickbeard to SD.


----------



## innocentfreak

Malcontent said:


> There is no list. It's just safe to assume every show you like is being DMCA'd. But I have a suggestion but you probably won't like it. To save space, download the SD version of your shows. The majority are encode using x264 and produce DVD quality resolution. The x264 codec produces significantly reduced SD file sizes while having higher resolution then the old Xvid.
> 
> Download a SD x264 encoded show and see if the quality would be acceptable. If it is you can simply switch the quality in Sickbeard to SD.


True I guess I could do that. I forgot about the switch to x264.

At the same time I do still want to learn the encoding profiles since not all of the content I want to keep is out there such as some of the Unplugged episodes and concerts I tend to keep. I will be building a new PC soon anyway for the living room so I will have a PC that only gets used occasionally free to encode the rest of the time.


----------



## johnh123

If dognzb ever opens up invites again, i've got an invite to chicanzb to trade.


----------



## Malcontent

Wow, some crazy stuff going on in Usenet land. People are selling/buying accounts on hot usenet indexers like Dognzb, Nzbs.org, ect. Price of a Dognzb account was $95 and went as high as $400.

There was even talk of selling access to the API's of these indexers.

Some Nzbs.org accounts were brute forced hacked. As a result the Admins of these sites have tightened up security and are talking to each other about this.



Code:


https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?PHPSESSID=bd577eab0f08b43a82863167a7e9ca67&topic=130309.0


----------



## Kamakzie

lame


----------



## ewolfr

I noticed an announcement at dognzb from a few days ago that all users are getting VIP access until the middle of January. After that any free accounts that haven't paid to upgrade to VIP will be purged.


----------



## Kamakzie

Wish i had heard about dogz but its too late now.. oh well..


----------



## Malcontent

Yeah, the Admin at Dognzb also has caught users sharing their API key.


----------



## Malcontent

ewolfr said:


> I noticed an announcement at dognzb from a few days ago that all users are getting VIP access until the middle of January. After that any free accounts that haven't paid to upgrade to VIP will be purged.


It's worth the one time $10. There are people willing to pay alot more just to have an account there.

The Admin also announced a server upgrade.


----------



## Azlen

Dognzb is trying to stay small and out of the spotlight. I don't blame them really either. The bigger you are the more of a target you are.


----------



## Malcontent

Here are some more indexers that have open registration:



Code:


https://www.nzb-matrix.eu/    No connection to Nzbmatrix

https://newzb.net/

http://www.usenet-crawler.com/

FYI,

Most all new indexers are busy back filling their databases and it's affecting new stuff. Also could affect site performance. All this should be temporary until the back filling is complete.


----------



## MikeMar

Sweet thanks. 

I have like 7 of them now  Just have to set them all up on sickbeard

Can you setup your own on couch potato though?


----------



## Azlen

MikeMar said:


> Sweet thanks.
> 
> I have like 7 of them now  Just have to set them all up on sickbeard
> 
> Can you setup your own on couch potato though?


Yes, you can setup any newznab site in Couch Potato v2. Just check the newznab box and then you can put in several providers and the associated api key.


----------



## Fofer

ewolfr said:


> I noticed an announcement at dognzb from a few days ago that all users are getting VIP access until the middle of January. After that any free accounts that haven't paid to upgrade to VIP will be purged.


How do I upgrade to VIP? Just by donating $10? Is there some special link I need to follow?


----------



## bareyb

Fofer said:


> How do I upgrade to VIP? Just by donating $10? Is there some special link I need to follow?


That's what I did. I looked around and couldn't find any amount listed. So I hit the "Donate" button and paypalled them ten bucks. I figured that's the going rate.


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> How do I upgrade to VIP? Just by donating $10? Is there some special link I need to follow?


There is a "Make a Donation" button on the bottom of any page on the Dognzb website. A one-time payment of $10 will give you VIP.

The Admin if giving every non VIP users full VIP access until about mid January (give or take) so they can test drive the site. After that, he plans to delete all non VIP users.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I had the upgrade to VIP option in my account settings. 
Make sure your donation got you the VIP status, though (no VIP button next to logout).


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> I had the upgrade to VIP option in my account settings.
> Make sure your donation got you the VIP status, though (no VIP button next to logout).


I went VIP quite awhile ago and forgot about the option being in your account settings. This would be the way to upgrade to VIP.

There should be a VIP badge next to your name/avatar in your profile settings.


----------



## Fofer

Malcontent said:


> Edit:
> 
> Upgrade to VIP option should be in your user profile page.
> 
> There is a "Make a Donation" button on the bottom of any page on the Dognzb website. A one-time payment of $10 will give you VIP.
> 
> The Admin if giving every non VIP users full VIP access until about mid January (give or take) so they can test drive the site. After that, he plans to delete all non VIP users.


My user profile page has this:










...but I've never made a donation. So am I VIP just for the "test drive?"

I also see nothing on my User Profile page about "Upgrading to VIP."

So should I follow the http://dognzb.cr/donate.cfm link and just pay $10 that way?


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> My user profile page has this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...but I've never made a donation. So am I VIP just for the "test drive?"
> 
> I also see nothing on my User Profile page about "Upgrading to VIP."
> 
> So should I follow the http://dognzb.cr/donate.cfm link and just pay $10 that way?


Do you see a VIP button on top asking you to upgrade?

If you have never donated anything before then you must be part of test drive.

If you donate that VIP button should disappear. If it doesn't post about it in the Dognzb forum and have your Paypal info handy if the Admin needs to verify.


----------



## Kamakzie

Wish it were still possible to get a dog account... Oh well..


----------



## Malcontent

Dognzb has installed a new server today and will be fine tuning it. So, the site maybe down for short periods of time.


----------



## Malcontent

Kamakzie said:


> Wish it were still possible to get a dog account... Oh well..


Yeah, sorry. Been there and done that myself with other indexers.

What sets Dognzb apart is it's TV and Movie Watchlists. They allow you to replace Sickbeard and Couchpotato if you wish. Also, it's had 7+ months to get the bugs worked out. Other wise it's a Newznab indexer with a custom front end.

There are a few new Newznab indexers that have come online since Nzbmatrix closed. Their in the process of back filling their databases. Once that is done they all should work well with Sickbeard and Couchpotato.


----------



## MikeMar

I've signed up for like 7 of those newznab indexer sites and going to set them all up in sickbear/couch so if one fails or whatever. I figure it would cover


----------



## Fofer

Oops. I just found an email receipt for my $10 donation to dognzb. I totally forgot I'd already made one


----------



## DUDE_NJX

What's up with couchpota.to? Can't access the site to dl the software.


----------



## innocentfreak

I really wish there was an easy way to create something like what ReplayTV had but for TiVo for swapping shows.

It seems everything even stuff 1yr+ is gone now or something else is going on with my setup. I tried to find a couple older season packs and everything failed. I had heard it was mostly new stuff that was disappearing, but now it appears it is going back to the beginning.


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> It seems everything even stuff 1yr+ is gone now or something else is going on with my setup. I tried to find a couple older season packs and everything failed. I had heard it was mostly new stuff that was disappearing, but now it appears it is going back to the beginning.


Which usenet provider are you using?


----------



## innocentfreak

Malcontent said:


> Which usenet provider are you using?


Multiple. I still have Astraweb since in year plan as main. I have a cheap thunder news which I only keep due to the price. Xusenet free account, blocknews block account. I have another free account, but It is limited per month forget who. I also am trying a block from sslnews since I was hearing good things.

It just seems everything in the last 24 hours I tried regardless of age failed.


----------



## Malcontent

*NEW SICKBEARD RELEASE #499*

http://sickbeard.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6171


----------



## DUDE_NJX

How did you guys set up SB to start automatically on a Mac?


----------



## vertigo235

DUDE_NJX said:


> How did you guys set up SB to start automatically on a Mac?


With automater I believe. I did it a long time ago.


----------



## tigercat74

Is there anything I can do to repair a file on binsearch that has some missing parts? The files I am looking at are just missing some parts. The files are for this old house. Thanks in advance,


----------



## danterner

tigercat74 said:


> Is there anything I can do to repair a file on binsearch that has some missing parts? The files I am looking at are just missing some parts. The files are for this old house. Thanks in advance,


Begin by carefully labeling each existing part. Next, remove any pressed fiberboard from the file parts you have. Disassemble their joints, and repair any split spindles with a scarf joint. After you have done this, drill dowel holes in the broken ends of the available file parts. Insert the missing parts. Apply glue and allow sufficient drying time. Brush on a heavy coat of semi-paste finish remover, and then download carefully once the complete file has been fully reassembled.


----------



## Hoffer

I just went out to try and download something from a couple months ago. I found 4 different uploads of it. All of them say article not found. I did a google search on it and found people saying that DMCA takedowns are being done on Usenet now. I've only seen this the last couple months.


----------



## Fofer

danterner said:


> Begin by carefully labeling each existing part. Next, remove any pressed fiberboard from the file parts you have. Disassemble their joints, and repair any split spindles with a scarf joint. After you have done this, drill dowel holes in the broken ends of the available file parts. Insert the missing parts. Apply glue and allow sufficient drying time. Brush on a heavy coat of semi-paste finish remover, and then download carefully once the complete file has been fully reassembled.


----------



## SeanC

Fofer said:


>


[Chandler Jarrell]
My dear, sweet brother Numsie!
[/Chandler Jarrell]



Love that movie.


----------



## NetJunkie

Hoffer said:


> I just went out to try and download something from a couple months ago. I found 4 different uploads of it. All of them say article not found. I did a google search on it and found people saying that DMCA takedowns are being done on Usenet now. I've only seen this the last couple months.


Yep. If it's not a recent release it's getting tough to find. I tried to grab a few seasons of a show the other night and anything older than a month was just gone off EasyNews. I may sign up with a usenet provider in Europe to see if it's better.


----------



## bareyb

It's definitely tightening up. The UFC event from last weekend didn't even show up at all on most of the indexing sites I use. That's a first. It showed up one of the ones I use, but not until the next day. Usually they are there by midnight... 

I hate to say it, but I think we may be seeing the beginning of the end. There's some dude who used to run an indexing site that turned traitor and is now working for the UFC and others to shut it all down.


----------



## pteronaut

I'm wondering if it is any easier for Mark Monitor to identify the contents of a usenet packet than that of a BT packet for it's snooping.


----------



## Azlen

There are only a handful of usenet backbones now, Highwinds, Astraweb, Giganews, Readnews and some European providers. Here's a map









With so few, it is fairly easy to send DCMA takedown requests. It's not nearly as easy with torrents.


----------



## NetJunkie

Interesting. Thanks.


----------



## MikeMar

So if you had a block of data from all of those, would that help at all. Or most likely if gone from one it's gone from others (at least pretty soon)??


----------



## Azlen

MikeMar said:


> So if you had a block of data from all of those, would that help at all. Or most likely if gone from one it's gone from others (at least pretty soon)??


If your backup was from the same backbone as your main then what is gone from one will more than likely be gone from both. It's best to have them from different backbones.


----------



## MikeMar

Azlen said:


> If your backup was from the same backbone as your main then what is gone from one will more than likely be gone from both. It's best to have them from different backbones.


Yes, I was saying if you had the different backbones


----------



## Hoffer

I have used usenetserver as my usenet provider for years. Probably around 10 years or so. If anyone finds a provider that doesn't have to abide by DMCA takedowns, let me know.


----------



## Malcontent

Hoffer said:


> I have used usenetserver as my usenet provider for years. Probably around 10 years or so. If anyone finds a provider that doesn't have to abide by DMCA takedowns, let me know.


No such animal. There are some that are slower to respond.


----------



## Carlucci

Anyone trying DC++ as an alternative to usenet? I've installed it, but I don't know enough about it to know what I'm doing. Maybe we need a "Anybody want to explain DC++...." topic.


----------



## LoadStar

Yeah, no thanks... part of why I use Usenet is because I don't generally trust peer-to-peer networks.


----------



## Wil

Hoffer said:


> If anyone finds a provider that doesn't have to abide by DMCA takedowns, let me know


[EDITED TO ADD: Malcontent's response that there is no such animal is incorrect. Seek and ye shall find.]

There are many countries that do not voluntarily require their providers to abide by DMCA which, after all, is a U.S. law and not a new Commandment from God. However, other countries typically have their own similar takedown procedures. There are variables. Speed and thoroughness of takedowns are two.

The problem most of you pirates are facing are due to the speed and automated nature of the takedowns. Providers do not want to spend the money to handle takedown requests one at a time and make any judgement of their validity. They are allowed 48 hours to respond and have the right to contest any takedown request that is not, for example, from a legitimate rights holder of the specific work. A huge number of the requests are invalid. But providers are not making judgements, they are, typically, immediately and automatically implementing the takedowns, including requests from frivolous sources.

It is one of the most humorous spectacles in internet history. Copyright violator disreputables being thwarted by equally disreputable forces on the other side. In one case a massive former pirate, busted, shut down and turned, gleefully harassing his former colleagues and users. There is not enough popcorn.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> The problem most of you pirates are facing


Your not tell us pirates anything we didn't already know.


----------



## bareyb

Yeah. It's still pretty much the Wild Wild West out there. There's a lot of talk from Governments about leaving the Internet alone, but as we've seen that's not happening. Amzon is charging Tax now for instance, so the Govt. can and will get in the mix at some point. Personally, I think we'll see the end of the present forms of free copyrighted downloads in the next five years or so. It's already happening. So enjoy while you can! 

The next step for the truly determined, will probably be VPN's or some other method that is harder to stop. At some point if the Govt. wants to stop it outright, they'll have to pass laws and start "governing" the Internet. Then we'll all sigh, and tell our grandkids how cool the Internet used to be.


----------



## innocentfreak

Wil said:


> [EDITED TO ADD: Malcontent's response that there is no such animal is incorrect. Seek and ye shall find.]


I have definitely heard rumors of one, but haven't really looked into it.

If my TiVo messes up a recording and I can't get a show, it is easier just to drop the show completely especially when the networks don't make it easy to view. It wouldn't be the first time it has happened much like with CBS and Sunday night shows.


----------



## bareyb

innocentfreak said:


> I have definitely heard rumors of one, but haven't really looked into it.
> 
> If my TiVo messes up a recording and I can't get a show, it is easier just to drop the show completely especially when the networks don't make it easy to view. It wouldn't be the first time it has happened much like with CBS and Sunday night shows.


Well and that's the other thing I'm hopeful about. It would make a LOT of sense for these copyright holders to make this stuff easily available for download and charge a reasonable price for it. I'd happily pay a few bucks to get a show I've missed. In fact, that's usually the first thing I try if I miss a show. I look at Xfinity On Demand first, then I check Amazon and iTunes. If they aren't there, I either give up or check out Usenet.


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> I have definitely heard rumors of one, but haven't really looked into it.


Tweaknews most likely.


----------



## Wil

Malcontent said:


> Tweaknews most likely.


Nice move, putting the target sign on their back.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> Nice move, putting the target sign on their back.


Their name has already been mention on several high profile public usenet related forums for quite awhile now. They were talked about on Nzbmatrix forums. I don't think mentioning it on *this* forum is going to make a difference. The genie is out of the bottle.

Nice move, you quoted the name. Your reply confirmed it.


----------



## Wil

Malcontent said:


> you quoted the name. Your reply confirmed it.


I have no problem with the miscreants' names being mentioned in a popular forum and the illegal activity being shut down, but I'm not the type of person who would go out of my way to mention specific names.

Rat out a few more, though, and I'll be happy to further the cause by quoting you.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> I have no problem with the miscreants' names being mentioned in a popular forum and the illegal activity being shut down, but I'm not the type of person who would go out of my way to mention specific names.


For someone who appears to disagree with this type of activity you are quite knowledgeable about it. More so then some who are actively involved. That's not meant as an insult. I only wish more people in the community were as knowledgeable.


----------



## newsposter

LoadStar said:


> Yeah, no thanks... part of why I use Usenet is because I don't generally trust peer-to-peer networks.


i admittedly cant remember last time i used usenet....i think ATT/ prodigy stopped them years ago (i'm assuming usenet = newsgroups)

regarding peer to peer, if that includes torrents then i can say ive never had a problem with them. maybe having defender/spybot/malwarebytes/anvir/adaware etc has kept me from harm, or maybe i dont d/l things that could be dangerous, but ive never had a bad torrent experience (that i'm aware of at least)


----------



## NetJunkie

I'm not worried about malware on media torrents (nothing to execute)..it just puts you out there where you can get a nasty letter from your ISP or the media company.


----------



## laria

NetJunkie said:


> I'm not worried about malware on media torrents (nothing to execute)..it just puts you out there where you can get a nasty letter from your ISP or the media company.


Yes, this. We have gotten 2 letters from Comcast over the years about torrents.


----------



## Kamakzie

You wouldn't want to use Usenet that comes with your internet provider. You'd want to get it separate from someone other provider. SSL protocol is the best IMO.


----------



## vertigo235

Or you could technically get sued like those poor people did several years ago by the RIAA.


----------



## vertigo235

I don't really see the point of SSL, I really doubt the copyright police are going to be sniffing my packets.


----------



## pteronaut

vertigo235 said:


> I don't really see the point of SSL, I really doubt the copyright police are going to be sniffing my packets.


I wouldn't be too sure about that.

ISPs & tracking company ready to start anti piracy scheme [Torrent Freak].
Copyright Scofflaws Beware: ISPs to Begin Monitoring Illicit File Sharing [Wired]
Internet providers to begin warning customers who pirate content [CNN]

Mark Monitor were due to start snooping in November, but delayed the operation due to Hurricane Sandy.

Whilst BitTorrent is mentioned, there's no knowing that Mark Monitor won't be looking at data coming from Usenet, or out of a seedbox either.


----------



## johnh123

Users are not likely to get in trouble when downloading from Usenet. It is only when you start sharing, as with bit torrent, or posting to usenet, that you get in trouble.


----------



## vertigo235

I just find it extremely unlikely they would bother with sniffing USENET downloading, but it's certainly possible. 

I could always turn on SSL, it just runs slower (at least on my Synology downlaods) so I have it off.


----------



## LoadStar

johnh123 said:


> Users are not likely to get in trouble when downloading from Usenet. It is only when you start sharing, as with bit torrent, or posting to usenet, that you get in trouble.


That's my working understanding. They're worried about the people doing the sharing or uploading. The people downloading are small fish - you might get a letter and a slap on the wrist, but that's about it. They want to stop the distribution of the files more than anything else.

(They're not going to be able to, of course. They can't stop the signal.)


----------



## DUDE_NJX

vertigo235 said:


> I just find it extremely unlikely they would bother with sniffing USENET downloading, but it's certainly possible.
> 
> I could always turn on SSL, it just runs slower (at least on my Synology downlaods) so I have it off.


I constantly get 60 Mbps with SSL on.


----------



## vertigo235

DUDE_NJX said:


> I constantly get 60 Mbps with SSL on.


Either it's my provider maybe their SSL server is slower, or my synology disk station doesn't like it, but it defiantly makes a difference on mine.

It's probably the provider though.

Maybe I'll give it another try, it's certainly preferable if there is no loss of speed.


----------



## Pralix

Anyone know of a USENET hosting provider that has a good completion record? I am using Newshosting and it is getting ridiculous with the number of incomplete files due to DCMA takedowns.


----------



## vertigo235

I use a combo of easynews and blocknews and I haven't seen any issues with in-completions. 

Then again I don't do much backlogging. I was pleased to see on that map that someone posted the other day that those two providers I use are on different backbones apparently.


----------



## bareyb

pteronaut said:


> I wouldn't be too sure about that.
> 
> ISPs & tracking company ready to start anti piracy scheme [Torrent Freak].
> Copyright Scofflaws Beware: ISPs to Begin Monitoring Illicit File Sharing [Wired]
> Internet providers to begin warning customers who pirate content [CNN]
> 
> Mark Monitor were due to start snooping in November, but delayed the operation due to Hurricane Sandy.
> 
> Whilst BitTorrent is mentioned, there's no knowing that Mark Monitor won't be looking at data coming from Usenet, or out of a seedbox either.


Sounds ominous unless you are in Australia. I don't like where this is going...



> Any notice scheme requires ISPs to store data which ties their customers to alleged infringements which of course has privacy implications. Over in the United States there have been concerns that the information gathered as part of "six strikes" could be used for more than just warnings. Sure enough, last week it was revealed that the data voluntarily retained by ISPs could end up being used to file lawsuits against customers.


And once again the copyright holders miss the point. They'd rather beat us into submission instead of being reasonable and listening to WHY this is such a problem. If they made the stuff available at a fair price in a reasonable amount of time, a huge percentage of the pirating would stop. I can say for myself, that the ONLY time I download a TV show is when there is no other legitimate way to get it. I'd happily pay a few bucks. In fact, just last night I purchased the first four eps of Top Chef from Amazon.


----------



## laria

bareyb said:


> If they made the stuff available at a fair price in a reasonable amount of time, a huge percentage of the pirating would stop. I can say for myself, that the ONLY time I download a TV show is when there is no other legitimate way to get it.


This is how I use Usenet... I've mentioned a few times we have/had a Tivo with a dying drive and kept getting corrupted shows that could not be played. I offloaded as much as I could from it but any shows with bad blocks would not download and I had to fill in holes from Usenet.

Judging by this thread, though, this is not the way that a lot of people are using it.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.8 has been released*

Features

Use "category" and "password" meta-data in NZB files (Provided by some indexers)

Option to abort download when it is clear that not enough data is available (For removed posts it will be faster than pre-download check)

Add "Abort" option for encryption detection

Removed articles are now listed separately in download report

Special option "wait_for_dfolder", enables waiting for external temp download folder at startup

Bug fixes
Fix problem with %fn substitution in Sorting
Pre-download check did not work with all servers
Fix missing Retry link for "Out of retention" jobs
API function "addfile" now accepts "nzbname" parameter for ZIP/RAR files with one NZB
Prevent retries when an NZB with just samples is retrieved from an indexer (and you had the "do not download samples" option enabled)


----------



## newsposter

does anyone pay for an anonymizer?



LoadStar said:


> The people downloading are small fish -


unfortunately from what i gather, at least from utorrent, is if you download, you must upload at the same time. i guess thats where people who have comcast get warnings ?


----------



## brettatk

newsposter said:


> unfortunately from what i gather, at least from utorrent, is if you download, you must upload at the same time. i guess thats where people who have comcast get warnings ?


Yes. But not just Comcast, from practically any ISP. I got a few of these emails and it's what ultimately made me switch from torrents to usenet.


----------



## NetJunkie

Hard to anonymize torrent traffic. All you can do is go through a hop in the middle via VPN or other means which really hurts your speed. Another option is a seed box in another country but that breaks a lot of my automation.


----------



## Wil

NetJunkie said:


> Hard to anonymize torrent traffic. All you can do is go through a hop in the middle via VPN or other means which really hurts your speed. Another option is a seed box in another country but that breaks a lot of my automation.


Pretty much impossible to be safe with torrents. I'm mostly out of the business 2-3 years but torrents were easy. SSL certainly hid the content from your ISP (in other ways transparent), but both endpoints were logged so WTF? VPN is vulnerable by multiple techniques, MIM, etc. Hey, let's talk Tor, the ultimate flypaper trap!

Seed box? I've read a little about that but it didn't register. Have you pirates found something that will keep you safe from heavy fines/jail? I doubt it.


----------



## NetJunkie

My monthly cable bill clears my guilty conscious for being a "pirate". 

No one downloading torrents is getting heavy jail time. Or heavy fines. Especially now with the multi-warning system most ISPs are doing. Plenty of warning. 

But anyway... A seedbox is just a simple server sitting somewhere else. Usually on a high speed network at a colocation center. You run your torrent client from that. It's not on your ISP. It's often in another country. And it's on a fast connection so you can upload and download quickly.


----------



## Wil

NetJunkie said:


> A seedbox is just a simple server sitting somewhere else. Usually on a high speed network at a colocation center. You run your torrent client from that. It's not on your ISP. It's often in another country. And it's on a fast connection so you can upload and download quickly.


Thanks. I'm sure that was well known by people more current than I, but I'll pass it on. If there are any subsequent posts here quoting specifics I'll be glad to quote them and thus further propagate the targets.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> If there are any subsequent posts here quoting specifics I'll be glad to quote them and thus further propagate the targets.


----------



## Fofer

newsposter said:


> unfortunately from what i gather, at least from utorrent, is if you download, you must upload at the same time. i guess thats where people who have comcast get warnings ?


Some torrent clients let you turn off uploading (or limit it to 0 or 1 KB/s.) At least with xTorrent on the Mac, if you try to set it to 0, you get this:


----------



## newsposter

ah yes, thats it, if you turn off UL your DL speed suffers. i cant have that! one great thing about my slow DSL speed is i doubt anyone ever cares what i d/l nor monitors it



NetJunkie said:


> Hard to anonymize torrent traffic. All you can do is go through a hop in the middle via VPN or other means which really hurts your speed. Another option is a seed box in another country but that breaks a lot of my automation.


are you talking about something like anonymizer.com?


----------



## SeanC

NetJunkie said:


> Hard to anonymize torrent traffic. All you can do is go through a hop in the middle via VPN or other means which really hurts your speed. Another option is a seed box in another country but that breaks a lot of my automation.


Using a VPN doesn't hurt my DL speed at all. I DL well seeded torrents at full speed through my VPN service.


----------



## NetJunkie

SeanC said:


> Using a VPN doesn't hurt my DL speed at all. I DL well seeded torrents at full speed through my VPN service.


What speed is that?


----------



## SeanC

3 MBps


----------



## Wil

newsposter said:


> if you turn off UL your DL speed suffers.


Understand that uploading (and torrenting is uploading) is beyond any understanding as to what might be legally permissible.

Downloading? Lots of grey area that might keep you out of jail or allow you to escape huge fines, for some material. Soon your ISP may cancel your account, but that's another issue.

Don't upload.


----------



## Fofer

Wil said:


> Thanks. I'm sure that was well known by people more current than I, but I'll pass it on. If there are any subsequent posts here quoting specifics I'll be glad to quote them and thus further propagate the targets.


I'm confused by your contributions here. Who are you passing the information to, "further propagating the targets?" You're calling pirates "miscreants" while claiming to have been part of the "scene" years ago yourself. You're giving warnings as well as advice, but it seems a bit, I dunno, veiled and angry. I'm just confused about your personal angle here.

FWIW, I'm not a BitTorrent user and the few times I've used Usenet it was for discussion, and non-copyrighted materials.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Fofer said:


> FWIW, I'm not a BitTorrent user and the few times I've used Usenet it was for discussion, and non-copyrighted materials.


Yeah, the Linux distros take up about 12TB on my server too...


----------



## Wil

Fofer said:


> I'm confused by your contributions here.


Free speech: you'll not find a stronger proponent than I. Plus I'm a techie and love this stuff. But much of the activity discussed here (not all, Betamax et. al. prevails) is contrary to law and reprehensible. I'd like to see a raid and mass arrests and fines of many of you.

But I will never rat out anyone here or elsewhere in free discussion. Never.

The issue raised was my quoting direct exchanges, and thus further propagating to authorities the illegal activities. Yeah, I'll do that. Name a specific and If I decide to respond to your post I may well include in my response, as a quote, that specific.


----------



## NetJunkie

Raids and arrest? Wow.  Pretty harsh for what is essentially time shifting.


----------



## Hoffer

I use usenet a lot, but my conscious is clear on most of the stuff. I know what I'm doing is still wrong. When the raid Wil orders on my house happens, I know I would be deserving of it.

I usually download Howard Stern's radio show, even though I pay for Sirius. I like the convenience of having the MP3 of the show. I don't want to miss any of the show, versus listening live and missing parts when I have a meeting or whatever. Granted I skip past most commercials, but oh well.

The Sirius app for smartphones has gotten better where you can listen to the last 6 hours or so. This still kinda blows because you can't really skip around very well. If you lose connection, then you've got to start from the beginning of the show or one of the few skip points Sirius puts in. If they made this app just a little better, I'd probably never download the show off usenet.

The thing I wanted to download the other day was Boardwalk Empire's last season. I've been paying for HBO the last 6 months or so. I even had the season on my DVR, but I wanted to delete it to free up some space. I'm going to cancel HBO for a while and I'll just have to watch the show off HBO GO when I subscribe to HBO in a couple months when True Blood comes back. I should just upgrade to the new DirecTV DVR with the bigger hard drive. Then I wouldn't have to worry about space.

I did the same thing for Dexter. I subscribed to Showtime while Dexter was airing, but got the show off usenet because I'm a couple seasons behind on the show. Showtime just recently added DirecTV to be eligible for their version of HBO GO. So, I could just use it in the future to watch this stuff. I could probably also rent the Blu-rays of the show off Netflix. Assuming it is on Netflix.

I do think it is wrong all the people that download Game of Thrones off the internet just because they refuse to pay for cable and/or HBO. The only reason these great shows get made is if people pay for them. So, I always pay for the premium channels when a show is on I like, even if I'm not going to watch until 9 months later off usenet downloads.

I also usenet stuff from the UK. For a long time I did it because there was no other way for me to get it in HD. BBCA is HD now on DirecTV, but I still do it for certain shows that I don't want to wait weeks for them to come to BBCA. The BBC is getting better with this though. I think that recent series Copper was broadcast in the US the same day as the UK. If they always did that, I'd never usenet a UK show.


----------



## Wil

NetJunkie said:


> essentially time shifting.


There is much defense from (as I mentioned) the Betamax time shifting decision and its descendants. Complicated. I give you folks a lot of latitude at that end, though the industry as a whole would not and they have equally if not more valid arguments.

I start from the other end. The sources you pirates are using include cams, screeners and other types of copies of movies in current release. Manufacture an excuse for supporting that, if you can. Other movies released direct to video.

TV shows on cable channels or premium cable channels downloaded by those who have not paid for those channels, is that time shifting?

But the bottom line is DMCA, which trumps fair use and all. Sure, DMCA was bought and paid for in bribes, but it is the law of the land. Virtually all the activity so explicitly described in this thread violates that law.


----------



## NetJunkie

You sure do lump a lot of stuff together there. No one here is talking about screeners. We're in a forum about TV shows on a site dedicated to a popular DVR. As I said...I haven't "cut the cord" on my TV. I still pay for the channels...I just prefer to use my own interface and not that of TiVo or the cable DVR.

Others do as they do. Don't lump everything together. Not to mention, civil disobedience for laws people don't agree with and understand the consequences.


----------



## Fofer

Wil said:


> The issue raised was my quoting direct exchanges, and thus further propagating to authorities the illegal activities. Yeah, I'll do that. Name a specific and If I decide to respond to your post I may well include in my response, as a quote, that specific.


To what "authorities" are you forwarding these quotes (and this information,) and have they corresponded back with you?


----------



## vertigo235

I haven't downloaded a cam, tc, ts, r5 or screener in years (when I was poor). We go to the movies and spend tons of money when the movie comes out now that I have money to do so. Prior to that, I just wouldn't have seen or supported the movies in any way because I couldn't afford to, so they didn't exactly lose anything. I honestly feel that they gained from me. 

I only download now for convenience, everything I download is available fully legally with only more hassle to me so I probably wouldn't bother at all in that case. I have DirecTV with all premium channels, I pay for Netflix, I am an Amazon prime member. They all get their money from me.


----------



## Hoffer

vertigo235 said:


> I have DirecTV with all premium channels, I pay for Netflix, I am an Amazon prime member. They all get their money from me.


This is exactly me.

The people who bother me are the people that brag they are "cord cutters" and then download half the stuff they watch off bit torrent or usenet.


----------



## innocentfreak

Hoffer said:


> This is exactly me.
> 
> The people who bother me are the people that brag they are "cord cutters" and then download half the stuff they watch off bit torrent or usenet.


This always gets me also. If you read reddit.com/r/cordcutters, it is all people cutting the cord and then asking how to get the shows for free. That isn't cordcutting imho.

Cordcutting is about quitting cable and getting all your content through Netflix, Amazon, Itunes, Hulu, etc not ditching and downloading.


----------



## vertigo235

Heck a lot the stuff I download is freely available OTA, I wouldn't watch commercials either way.


----------



## Wil

Fofer said:


> To what "authorities" are you forwarding these quotes (and this information,) and have they corresponded back with you?


No, no; no. No.
No.
The post I'm referring to said that by quoting I was further publicizing, basically. My answer is yes. By quoting. Here. I don't rat out anybody, but I will be glad to quote and thus increase the exposure.
Here.
Quote. Here. Forward? No. Here. Quote. Here.
Here.


----------



## Malcontent

Wil said:


> No, no; no. No.
> 
> The post I'm referring to said that by quoting I was further publicizing, basically.


I was being sarcastic when I pointed it out. I couldn't care less what you quote.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.9 has been released
*
Bug fix in 0.7.9
Internal crash when encountering a malformed article, resulting in halting of downloading.


----------



## MikeMar

I have a NAS with 4 drives, I have my desktop that runs Usenet just connect directly to the NAS, so it downloads to the desktop then transfers (and I think unpacks ON the NAS).

It may just be timing, but I've had a few drive failures on the NAS (they were years old anyways), but would that sort of setup be bad for the drives at all?


----------



## newsposter

MikeMar said:


> I have a NAS with 4 drives, I have my desktop that runs Usenet just connect directly to the NAS, so it downloads to the desktop then transfers (and I think unpacks ON the NAS).
> 
> It may just be timing, but I've had a few drive failures on the NAS (they were years old anyways), but would that sort of setup be bad for the drives at all?


i was just doing research last month in deciding NAS vs just plain external drives and i'm wondering what enclosure and drives you used?


----------



## MikeMar

newsposter said:


> i was just doing research last month in deciding NAS vs just plain external drives and i'm wondering what enclosure and drives you used?


I have a seagate blackarmor N440 w/ now a mix of drives.

The one that JUST died was a few weeks old, so I think it was just a dud. But it got me thinking that if the usenet to the NAS all automated put more strain on the drives or not.


----------



## cditty

I have my main computer unpack everything and then moves them to my NAS. 

I don't remember the model, but it mine is made by Buffalo. Not overly impressed with it, but it'll do for now.


----------



## MikeMar

cditty said:


> I have my main computer unpack everything and then moves them to my NAS.
> 
> I don't remember the model, but it mine is made by Buffalo. Not overly impressed with it, but it'll do for now.


That's what I was wondering, so it does unpack ON the computer then simply transfers the full file to the final destination?


----------



## vertigo235

I do everything on my synology nas. It's awesome!


----------



## laria

MikeMar said:


> I have a seagate blackarmor N440 w/ now a mix of drives.
> 
> The one that JUST died was a few weeks old, so I think it was just a dud. But it got me thinking that if the usenet to the NAS all automated put more strain on the drives or not.


I don't see why Usenet use would be any different than any other use. It's just data being copied to the drives.

I am not a heavy Usenet user, but my SABnzbd folders all live directly on our ReadyNAS Duo.


----------



## newsposter

vertigo235 said:


> I do everything on my synology nas. It's awesome!


if i recall my pricing, it should be awesome for that price


----------



## MikeMar

laria said:


> I don't see why Usenet use would be any different than any other use. It's just data being copied to the drives.
> 
> I am not a heavy Usenet user, but my SABnzbd folders all live directly on our ReadyNAS Duo.


Just trying to think of any reason why I've had drives die, but I think it was a combo of 1 being old and one being a dud from the get go.


----------



## NetJunkie

Shouldn't hurt it. It's just random I/O to the drive..nothing too special about it. I have a Windows VM that runs sabnzbd and sick beard with it actually running on one of my Synology NAS. So it's doing all the work of unpacking and checking and then the media gets moved to a second Synology. No issues so far...and no odd drive failures.


----------



## vertigo235

newsposter said:


> if i recall my pricing, it should be awesome for that price


~$200 disk less

Worth every penny and more


----------



## DUDE_NJX

?


----------



## vertigo235

dude_njx said:


> ?


??


----------



## cditty

MikeMar said:


> That's what I was wondering, so it does unpack ON the computer then simply transfers the full file to the final destination?


Correct. It adds a few extra minutes to the process for the copy, but I'm not in THAT big a hurry.


----------



## brettatk

I'm in heaven now. I moved into a new house and went from crappy DSL speeds of 6Mbps to cable speeds of 30-40 Mbps.


----------



## MikeMar

brettatk said:


> I'm in heaven now. I moved into a new house and went from crappy DSL speeds of 6Mbps to cable speeds of 30-40 Mbps.


That's what I'm hoping for when I move hopefully this year, go from DSL to either cable or hopefully FIOS


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I just got a deal from my ISP: 60Mbps for $29.99/mo! (for 12 months) :up:


----------



## Fofer

Wow! What ISP is that? Any data cap?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Optimum. No caps (and I do regularly go over 1TB a month).


----------



## Azlen

I'm with Cox and have been at 50Mbps for awhile now. There's been talk of that going up but I'm not expecting it to happen any time soon. There's a 400Gb cap though, but it doesn't count it all that accurately. I recently had to download 70Gb from a cloud drive and it only had me at 30Gb downloaded that day.


----------



## Hoffer

Does Comcast have a cap again? For a while, they had the 250GB/month cap. They shut that off as they were going to look into a new cap. Not sure if they ever figured out that new cap.

I used to monitor my data usage with Comcast on their website. I think the highest I ever went was 241GB. I rarely went over 200GB.


----------



## pteronaut

Hoffer said:


> Does Comcast have a cap again? For a while, they had the 250GB/month cap. They shut that off as they were going to look into a new cap. Not sure if they ever figured out that new cap.
> 
> I used to monitor my data usage with Comcast on their website. I think the highest I ever went was 241GB. I rarely went over 200GB.


Still says enforcement suspended on my account.


----------



## laria

Hoffer said:


> Does Comcast have a cap again? For a while, they had the 250GB/month cap. They shut that off as they were going to look into a new cap. Not sure if they ever figured out that new cap.


No, the cap is still suspended. You can see the message and your current usage though at https://customer.comcast.com/Secure/MyServices/ (right hand column).


----------



## sptnut

Ive never used Usenet but I'd like to try to out. Which service would you recommend to a beginner?


----------



## BradJW

I really like my sickbeard setup. 
Search on youtube for sickbeard & sabnzbd tutorials

you need sickbeard (free), sabnzbd (free), a usenet account ($5 - $15 month) and an index site ($10 one-time lifetime fee)

It's not that difficult to get up and running, but you really need to setup while watching the tutorials. I think I had everything up and running in about an hour.


----------



## sptnut

BradJW said:


> you need sickbeard (free), sabnzbd (free), a usenet account ($5 - $15 month) and an index site ($10 one-time lifetime fee)


What is the index site? How is that different the a usenet provider?


----------



## Azlen

sptnut said:


> What is the index site? How is that different the a usenet provider?


At a high level, an index site is like google, a place where you search what you're looking for. The usenet provider is where what you are looking for is actually stored. Because the two aren't connected, the index site gives you an nzb file for what you are looking for. An nzb file is basically a list that tells the usenet provider what files you want to download.


----------



## Fofer

BradJW said:


> I really like my sickbeard setup.
> Search on youtube for sickbeard & sabnzbd tutorials
> 
> you need sickbeard (free), sabnzbd (free), a usenet account ($5 - $15 month) and an index site ($10 one-time lifetime fee)
> 
> It's not that difficult to get up and running, but you really need to setup while watching the tutorials. I think I had everything up and running in about an hour.


It's worth mentioning, at least for the sake of a beginner, that you don't actually *need* sickbeard or sabnzbd to get started with Usenet. Those are amazing tools if you'd like to automate the process, to grab the downloads you're interested in regularly without manual intervention required.

But many (like myself) get a lot out of usenet without involving those tools. I search an index site (dognzb.cr) for the file(s) I am looking for, I download the the NZB file, then I use that file with my Usenet client (Unison) to download/unpack the files from my Usenet provider (Giganews.) Yes, it's a manual process, but I'm not looking to fetch/download anything automatically. I am happy manually looking for the specific files I want, when I want them.

Just mentioning this angle as it might be less intimidating for a beginner.


----------



## Peter000

Fofer said:


> It's worth mentioning, at least for the sake of a beginner, that you don't actually *need* sickbeard or sabnzbd to get started with Usenet. Those are amazing tools if you'd like to automate the process, to grab the downloads you're interested in regularly without manual intervention required.
> 
> But many (like myself) get a lot out of usenet without involving those tools. I search an index site (dognzb.cr) for the file(s) I am looking for, I download the the NZB file, then I use that file with my Usenet client (Unison) to download/unpack the files from my Usenet provider (Giganews.) Yes, it's a manual process, but I'm not looking to fetch/download anything automatically. I am happy manually looking for the specific files I want, when I want them.
> 
> Just mentioning this angle as it might be less intimidating for a beginner.


This is exactly what I do. I use NZBSrUs.com combined with NZBVortex on my Mac to do what Fofer is doing. And I have NewsDemon as my provider.


----------



## Malcontent

Just FYI,

While Sabnzbd has features that allows easy automation, it can just as easily be used as a regular usenet client (manual usenet downloading). You can use it just as others use NZBVortex, Unison, ect.

Sabnzbd is multi-platform. It has Windows, Mac, linux versions. It's free.


----------



## laria

Yeah, I don't do anything automated with SABnzbd. I just have a browser plugin installed that puts an icon onto the sites that I can manually click and send stuff to it.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Sickbeard=internet Tivo


----------



## Fofer

Fofer said:


> It's worth mentioning, at least for the sake of a beginner, that you don't actually *need* sickbeard or sabnzbd to get started with Usenet. Those are amazing tools if you'd like to automate the process, to grab the downloads you're interested in regularly without manual intervention required.
> 
> But many (like myself) get a lot out of usenet without involving those tools. I search an index site (dognzb.cr) for the file(s) I am looking for, I download the the NZB file, then I use that file with my Usenet client (Unison) to download/unpack the files from my Usenet provider (Giganews.) Yes, it's a manual process, but I'm not looking to fetch/download anything automatically. I am happy manually looking for the specific files I want, when I want them.
> 
> Just mentioning this angle as it might be less intimidating for a beginner.


Another approach, one I like a lot, is using Miro. It's a great aggregator and player. _Very_ elegant and configurable. It can convert files for mobile devices, too. Set it up with some URLs for RSS searches for TV shows from EZRSS.it (as "podcasts") and you're good to go. This isn't Usenet though, its downloads are via RSS and/or BitTorrent. Works great, though.


----------



## Fofer

laria said:


> Yeah, I don't do anything automated with SABnzbd. I just have a browser plugin installed that puts an icon onto the sites that I can manually click and send stuff to it.


What's the browser plugin?


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> What's the browser plugin?


http://sabnzbd.org/

Look under, "get addons".


----------



## sptnut

Fofer said:


> It's worth mentioning, at least for the sake of a beginner, that you don't actually *need* sickbeard or sabnzbd to get started with Usenet. Those are amazing tools if you'd like to automate the process, to grab the downloads you're interested in regularly without manual intervention required.
> 
> But many (like myself) get a lot out of usenet without involving those tools. I search an index site (dognzb.cr) for the file(s) I am looking for, I download the the NZB file, then I use that file with my Usenet client (Unison) to download/unpack the files from my Usenet provider (Giganews.) Yes, it's a manual process, but I'm not looking to fetch/download anything automatically. I am happy manually looking for the specific files I want, when I want them.
> 
> Just mentioning this angle as it might be less intimidating for a beginner.


This sounds more like the set up I was thinking about. I'm used to torrents where nothing is automated and I'm only an occasional user.


----------



## laria

Fofer said:


> What's the browser plugin?





Malcontent said:


> http://sabnzbd.org/
> 
> Look under, "get addons".


Yeah, I got the addons there... I have both the Firefox and the Chrome one, although I only use the Chrome one really. There's a few config options, but I really only use it for the button/link that it puts into the search results.


----------



## cheesesteak

Looks like I have an invite to nzb.su to give away. The first person to pm me today can have it.


----------



## cheesesteak

cheesesteak said:


> Looks like I have an invite to nzb.su to give away. The first person to pm me today can have it.


Somebody pm'd for the invite me. Offer over.


----------



## Gromit

vertigo235 said:


> I do everything on my synology nas. It's awesome!


How are you upgrading to the latest builds of SABnzbd? Did you install it and Sickbeard manually or use the Synology packages? I used the packages, which made installation as easy as clicking an icon. Sickbeard will update when I click the update links as they become available. SABnzbd will not though.

Thanks.


----------



## vertigo235

Gromit said:


> How are you upgrading to the latest builds of SABnzbd? Did you install it and Sickbeard manually or use the Synology packages? I used the packages, which made installation as easy as clicking an icon. Sickbeard will update when I click the update links as they become available. SABnzbd will not though.
> 
> Thanks.


Whoever manages the package on synocommunity updates it, then you update it in the package center.


----------



## robojerk

<Off Topic>


vertigo235 said:


> I do everything on my *synology* nas. It's awesome!


Those Synology cases are sexy.... I'm thinking about moving away from Windows Home Server and install FreeNAS on my HP EX485.</Off Topic>


----------



## johnh123

Gromit said:


> How are you upgrading to the latest builds of SABnzbd? Did you install it and Sickbeard manually or use the Synology packages? I used the packages, which made installation as easy as clicking an icon. Sickbeard will update when I click the update links as they become available. SABnzbd will not though.
> 
> Thanks.


Check your package center - the synocommunity has updates of sabnzbd, couchpotato, sickbeard, etc.


----------



## Fofer

Peter000 said:


> This is exactly what I do. I use NZBSrUs.com combined with NZBVortex on my Mac to do what Fofer is doing. And I have NewsDemon as my provider.


Thanks for the heads up about NZBVortex. Always nice to learn and explore new options. One thing I like, is that I see it has search indexes built into it: NZBClub and NZBIndex. So how do you integrate NZBSrUs.com into your workflow? Is there a way to add NZBSrUs.com to the app's list, or are you simply searching on the web, then downloading the NZB files for NZBVortex to process?

I just went there too and signed up, but it's looking like they're pushing VIP memberships, which can only be paid via "BitCoin." I don't want to mess with that, preferring PayPal, and I see references to previous purchases via PayPal in their announcements but nothing current about using it to upgrade a new account. In US $ how much does VIP for NZBSrUs.com cost... and is it any better than dognzb?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to learn and figure out the most elegant workflow for the occasional search and download. Happy to pay for whatever apps and services deserve it.


----------



## Ment

Is BinTube a viable option for usenet newbies? I remember trying it out back when it was associated with Astraweb and found it really easy, basically find, click, play stream.


----------



## Azlen

Ment said:


> Is BinTube a viable option for usenet newbies? I remember trying it out back when it was associated with Astraweb and found it really easy, basically find, click, play stream.


I would recommend them for a beginner. You have the index file and the downloader essentially working together. You can also start watching something even before it's finished downloading. It also works as a standard usenet provider if you wanted to use it with Sickbeard, SAB, CoachPotato etc.


----------



## Gromit

Thanks vertigo and johnh. I thought I had tried that in the past but I guess not.

Edit - I'm not using the synocommunity resource. I'm still using superzebulon's. I'm going to switch over which should get me the latest versions.


----------



## Peter000

Fofer said:


> Thanks for the heads up about NZBVortex. Always nice to learn and explore new options. One thing I like, is that I see it has search indexes built into it: NZBClub and NZBIndex. So how do you integrate NZBSrUs.com into your workflow? Is there a way to add NZBSrUs.com to the app's list, or are you simply searching on the web, then downloading the NZB files for NZBVortex to process?
> 
> I just went there too and signed up, but it's looking like they're pushing VIP memberships, which can only be paid via "BitCoin." I don't want to mess with that, preferring PayPal, and I see references to previous purchases via PayPal in their announcements but nothing current about using it to upgrade a new account. In US $ how much does VIP for NZBSrUs.com cost... and is it any better than dognzb?
> 
> Sorry for all the questions, just trying to learn and figure out the most elegant workflow for the occasional search and download. Happy to pay for whatever apps and services deserve it.


Yes, I don't mess with searching inside NZBVortex. I'm comfortable with downloading nzbs from NZBSrUS, so that's what I stick with. Once I download an NZB it's automatically imported into NZBVortex, the rars are downloaded and put together so I don't have to do anything but use iVI if necessary to transcode them for iTunes. I did set up a folder so iVI could automatically import and transcode files, but some files aren't passthrough and take a hella long time to process, so I do it manually so I can control when the computer is doing that (overnight or when I'm not here).

I did try auto downloading some cable shows that I wanted to archive, and it worked to an extent but it was buggy enough and I was getting too many dupes that I just gave up on it and actually bought what I wanted from iTunes. 

My VIP for NZBsrUs ran out I guess, or they couldn't verify it or something, so I have to buy a new one with BitCoin. It doesn't bother me really, it's just a pain to get an active BitCoin Wallet. I linked it to an account that doesn't ever have much money in it, so I figured what the hey. It's taken me a few days to verify my account, and I just bought my first BitCoin to join.

My whole workflow I suspect isn't much different from yours, but I just ended up with different tools. I did use Unison for awhile, and it works fine. I can't even remember why I even tried NZBVortex. Maybe I wanted to get it from the App store so I could install it on several computers.


----------



## Fofer

Gotcha, thanks.



Peter000 said:


> I can't even remember why I even tried NZBVortex. Maybe I wanted to get it from the App store so I could install it on several computers.


Unison's on the App Store too, it's a little more expensive though. FWIW, I bought it directly from panic.com, pre-App Store (and continue to do that these days when both options are available, as the non-App Store versions of apps get updates more quickly and aren't subject to the same cripplings.) I'll also say that with their provided serialization, I'm able to run the app on multiple computers without issue. Not all apps are like that, of course. But Unison is.

Nice to have choices though. I'll play around with NZBVortex and see if I like it more than Unison. The integrated search alone is certainly a cool selling point. I'm not sure how their included indices (NZBClub and NZBIndex) compare to NZBsrUs or dognzb, if they are more or less "complete," but it sure looks good to have all the ingredients self-contained in one package like that.


----------



## Peter000

Fofer said:


> Gotcha, thanks.
> 
> Unison's on the App Store too, it's a little more expensive though. FWIW, I bought it directly from panic.com, pre-App Store (and continue to do that these days when both options are available, as the non-App Store versions of apps get updates more quickly and aren't subject to the same cripplings.) I'll also say that with their provided serialization, I'm able to run the app on multiple computers without issue. Not all apps are like that, of course. But Unison is.
> 
> Nice to have choices though. I'll play around with NZBVortex and see if I like it more than Unison. The integrated search alone is certainly a cool selling point. I'm not sure how their included indices (NZBClub and NZBIndex) compare to NZBsrUs or dognzb, if they are more or less "complete," but it sure looks good to have all the ingredients self-contained in one package like that.


I'm much more of a "browser" than a searcher. Though when I'm looking for something specific, I can see where the integrated searching could be awesome.


----------



## BradJW

DUDE_NJX said:


> Sickbeard=internet Tivo


i definitely treat it like my DVR.

And then Plex scans everything making it available everywhere.


----------



## Ment

NewsGroupDirect is back with a winter sale on block accts 500gb $20 1.1 Tb $40. Deal effective until end of Feb 1. Good for a primary acct but as a Highwinds reseller DMCA requests will quickly be acted upon.


----------



## cheesesteak

Seems like I have another invite to nzb.su to give away. The first person to email me their email address gets it.


----------



## KungFuCow

Would anyone with a working Bitcoin account be willing to make a payment to NZBsrUs for me? This Bitcoin stuff is too confusing and the last thing I need is my wife up my butt about money going to some shady place. I can send Paypal and a few bucks to cover your trouble.


----------



## innocentfreak

KungFuCow said:


> Would anyone with a working Bitcoin account be willing to make a payment to NZBsrUs for me? This Bitcoin stuff is too confusing and the last thing I need is my wife up my butt about money going to some shady place. I can send Paypal and a few bucks to cover your trouble.


I wouldn't risk it for them.

They have banned people who had other people pay with their bitcoin accounts and in some cases banned both accounts.

They have also taken lifetime away from everyone that previously paid for lifetime. My lifetime account was downgraded to a 1 year account. They essentially decided they wanted more money and took lifetime away from everyone. At this point I wouldn't trust them. It seems like a money grab before they get shut down.


----------



## KungFuCow

innocentfreak said:


> I wouldn't risk it for them.
> 
> They have banned people who had other people pay with their bitcoin accounts and in some cases banned both accounts.
> 
> They have also taken lifetime away from everyone that previously paid for lifetime. My lifetime account was downgraded to a 1 year account. They essentially decided they wanted more money and took lifetime away from everyone. At this point I wouldn't trust them. It seems like a money grab before they get shut down.


I saw similar issues when I was browsing the forum. I wish my NZB.SU account didnt get purged so quick. I only had membership there for a couple of days before they deleted me. I planned to upgrade to VIP but it was right around the holidays I think and I had more stuff going on.


----------



## CatScratchFever

Mine's still active, I just can't get past the bitcoin payment option.


----------



## Peter000

I paid for a one year subscription to NZBsRus with bit coin. It was a pain to get the bitcoin account open... the whole process from the time I first started the process to when I finally got my bitcoin was about a week and a half.  Not so much troublesome, but waiting for my bank account to be verified, etc. Much like PayPal but slower.

And sorry, but no I won't use my account for anyone else.


----------



## cheesesteak

cheesesteak said:


> Seems like I have another invite to nzb.su to give away. The first person to email me their email address gets it.


Invitation sent. I'll post again if/when I get another invite availaable


----------



## Fofer

Thanks, cheesesteak!

In the wake of NewzBin's demise, I've checked out a replacement NZB index sites, and nzb.su sure seems to be the nicest of the bunch that I've seen thus far. (I'm simply comparing their web frontends, not using the API, SickBeard or sabnzbd at this time. Although nzb.su works with those too, of course.) 

Its web interface definitely feels more elegant than dognzb.cr and nzbx.co, which I'd been using in the meantime.

I paid $6 for a 180 day VIP membership, via regular credit card, and set it up for easy searches from my browser's tool bar. They have a "QuickLook" feature that makes browsing by movie/TV poster pretty slick.


----------



## Peter000

Fofer said:


> Thanks, cheesesteak!
> 
> In the wake of NewzBin's demise, I've checked out a replacement NZB index sites, and nzb.su sure seems to be the nicest of the bunch that I've seen thus far. (I'm simply comparing their web frontends, not using the API, SickBeard or sabnzbd at this time. Although nzb.su works with those too, of course.)
> 
> Its web interface definitely feels more elegant than dognzb.cr and nzbx.co, which I'd been using in the meantime.
> 
> I paid $6 for a 180 day VIP membership, and set it up for easy searches from my browser's tool bar. They have a "QuickLook" feature that makes browsing by movie/TV poster pretty slick.


Does one need an invite to nzb.su? All I can find is a log in page... nowhere to register.


----------



## Fofer

Peter000 said:


> Does one need an invite to nzb.su? All I can find is a log in page... nowhere to register.


Yes I got in via invite. If I get an invitation to share I will "pay it forward" here!


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Fofer said:


> Thanks, cheesesteak!
> 
> In the wake of NewzBin's demise, I've checked out a replacement NZB index sites, and nzb.su sure seems to be the nicest of the bunch that I've seen thus far. (I'm simply comparing their web frontends, not using the API, SickBeard or sabnzbd at this time. Although nzb.su works with those too, of course.)
> 
> Its web interface definitely feels more elegant than dognzb.cr and nzbx.co, which I'd been using in the meantime.
> 
> I paid $6 for a 180 day VIP membership, via regular credit card, and set it up for easy searches from my browser's tool bar. They have a "QuickLook" feature that makes browsing by movie/TV poster pretty slick.


Can you post or PM some screenshots? I'm currently using dognzb and I'm wondering how different this is.


----------



## Ment

Fofer said:


> Thanks, cheesesteak!
> 
> In the wake of NewzBin's demise, I've checked out a replacement NZB index sites, and nzb.su sure seems to be the nicest of the bunch that I've seen thus far. (I'm simply comparing their web frontends, not using the API, SickBeard or sabnzbd at this time. Although nzb.su works with those too, of course.)
> 
> Its web interface definitely feels more elegant than dognzb.cr and nzbx.co, which I'd been using in the meantime.
> 
> I paid $6 for a 180 day VIP membership, via regular credit card, and set it up for easy searches from my browser's tool bar. They have a "QuickLook" feature that makes browsing by movie/TV poster pretty slick.


Been to nzb.su, dog and a couple others but still I'm partial to nzbs.org primarily because of the filtering options on the main screen. I don't archive many of my downloads so end up downloading the lowest res x264 file available. Also good for those on block plans. Unfortunately nzbs.org like dog isn't issuing invites.


----------



## dcushing

I have an invite to nzb.su if someone needs one.

First PM gets it.

Dave


----------



## dcushing

Invite sent.

I'll post when/if I get another one.


----------



## macrho

dcushing said:


> Invite sent.
> 
> I'll post when/if I get another one.


Wow! Gone in 3 minutes
Humbly begging for one


----------



## Kamakzie

Bitcoins are such a joke. I won't even entertain the thought of using those.


----------



## Wil

innocentfreak said:


> I wouldn't risk it for them.
> 
> They [NZBsRus] have also taken lifetime away from everyone that previously paid for lifetime. My lifetime account was downgraded to a 1 year account. They essentially decided they wanted more money and took lifetime away from everyone. At this point I wouldn't trust them.


Hah!

AARP did that to me years ago, when annual fees were low. They offered a lifetime for $50 (or maybe $75). For a limited time. Years later when the annual fees had became hugely inflated, they decided that the short-term promotion had been a mistake, and sent letters out offering "permanent" memberships starting all over again with an annual fee.

It's a very attractive strategy.


----------



## cheesesteak

Probably a dumb question... What's the ".su" part of nzb.su stand for, Switzerland?


----------



## pteronaut

cheesesteak said:


> Probably a dumb question... What's the ".su" part of nzb.su stand for, Switzerland?


 Google tells me that .su is Soviet Union.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.10 has been released*

Features

Try to repair rar/par sets with obfuscated (scrambled) names
Display next RSS scan moment in Cfg->RSS

Bug fixes

Disable obsolete newzbin bookmark readout
Show speed when downloading in Forced mode while paused
Plush History icons repair and unpack were swapped
Reset "today" byte counters at midnight even when idle
An email about a failed should say that the download failed
Report errors coming from fully encrypted rar files
Accept %fn (as well as %fn.%ext) as end parameter in sorting strings.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sabnzbdplus/files/sabnzbdplus/0.7.10/


----------



## bengalfreak

<-- whining for an NZB.su invite.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.11 has been released*

Bug fixes

Obfuscated file name support causes regular multi-set NZBs to verify (much) slower

Bad articles from some servers are accepted as valid data

Generic Sort fails to rename files when an extra folder level is present in the RAR files

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sabnzbdplus/files/sabnzbdplus/0.7.11/


----------



## DUDE_NJX

SAB has been giving me a lot of CRC errors recently. Quite annoying, especially since processing the files manually works fine.


----------



## innocentfreak

Anyone ever experience SAB just exiting with no error? I had a large queue this morning from backlog running and I was monitoring SAB while I was getting ready for work. All of the sudden the web interface was no longer updating and when I moused over the SAB notification icon it disappeared. I relaunched SAB and it seems to be working fine. I don't see any errors in the logs at all.


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> SAB has been giving me a lot of CRC errors recently. Quite annoying, especially since processing the files manually works fine.


How do you process a file manually?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Unrar/quickpar


----------



## innocentfreak

http://www.nmatrix.co.za/ has open registrations until 2/14.


----------



## MikeMar

Color me a newb on this, so when a download fails (x number of repair blocks failed, or whatever it says).

What are the ways to fix this, or is the file "dead" and should try a different one?
The only way I know how to fix this is to download another nzb file and retry w/ that one, but that never works, as it still comes from the same provider right?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

MikeMar said:


> Color me a newb on this, so when a download fails (x number of repair blocks failed, or whatever it says).
> 
> What are the ways to fix this, or is the file "dead" and should try a different one?
> The only way I know how to fix this is to download another nzb file and retry w/ that one, but that never works, as it still comes from the same provider right?


You may want to do a raw search for additional par files


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> You may want to do a raw search for additional par files


Stupid question and pretty sure I know the answer. So I get the dozen or whatever missing par files, just download those into the folder and then I can unrar them and be all set?


----------



## Peter000

MikeMar said:


> Stupid question and pretty sure I know the answer. So I get the dozen or whatever missing par files, just download those into the folder and then I can unrar them and be all set?


You run the main par file, and it will check and fix the Rar files... I'm not sure if all RAR programs recognize Par files. On my Mac I have a special program that does that.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Color me a newb on this, so when a download fails (x number of repair blocks failed, or whatever it says).


Also, you might consider getting a backup server. Usually a block account. There is a chance that you backup server might allow you to complete such files in the future. You would configure the usenet block account as a backup server in your usenet client.

Make sure your backup server is from a different back end provider then your primary. If you use Highwinds as your primary don't use a Highwinds reseller as your backup, ect.


----------



## laria

I have never been able to successfully repair a file that failed, even before Astraweb started doing the automated takedowns. I have Astraweb as my primary and Blocknews as the backup.


----------



## KungFuCow

Ive switched over to Usenetnow as my primary. Im using usenetserver as my backup now. As soon as my usenetserver subscription expires, Im going to just stick with usenetnow. Ive been really happen with the retention and completeness.


----------



## MikeMar

Peter000 said:


> You run the main par file, and it will check and fix the Rar files... I'm not sure if all RAR programs recognize Par files. On my Mac I have a special program that does that.


Thanks, I'll look into that



Malcontent said:


> Also, you might consider getting a backup server. Usually a block account. There is a chance that you backup server might allow you to complete such files in the future. You would configure the usenet block account as a backup server in your usenet client.
> 
> Make sure your backup server is from a different back end provider then your primary. If you use Highwinds as your primary don't use a Highwinds reseller as your backup, ect.


I have Blocknews and Astraweb as a backup, so maybe I should get a SECOND backup block account?

I'll try a few manual repairs first and see if that works


----------



## SnakeVargas

It has been a while for me. What is the primary methodology when using the usenet today? Is it:

1) To download all of the metadata such as message headers from a newsgroup into your software on your local computer and use the software to search and pick what to download, or is it

2) To use a usenet search site and create an NZB from what you are interested in and then import the NZB into your software, or is it

3) To use one of these torrent-over-usenet things

With servers having longer and longer retention and piles of metadata to download I would think that 1) is becoming less practical.


----------



## Ment

SnakeVargas said:


> it
> 
> 3) To use one of these torrent-over-usenet things


If by 3) you mean an nzb index site that would be the answer.


----------



## SnakeVargas

Ment said:


> If by 3) you mean an nzb index site that would be the answer.


This sounds closer to what I meant by 2). Are these sites hosting NZB files that people upload? or are these NZBs being generated on the fly by search queries? I'm not exactly familiar with what an nzb index site is. My usenet experience tapered off about the time that NZB hit the scene.

By 3) I mean the there was some bittorrent site I would go to that would always have a link "download this torrent from the usenet with UseNext". I never clicked it, so I don't know what it did.


----------



## Ment

SnakeVargas said:


> This sounds closer to what I meant by 2). Are these sites hosting NZB files that people upload? or are these NZBs being generated on the fly by search queries? I'm not exactly familiar with what an nzb index site is. My usenet experience tapered off about the time that NZB hit the scene.
> 
> By 3) I mean the there was some bittorrent site I would go to that would always have a link "download this torrent from the usenet with UseNext". I never clicked it, so I don't know what it did.


A nzb index site is organized much like torrent site. Most are grouped in categories TV, Movies,Apps, Music and on some XXX and you can also search within it. You choose the nzb you want and it downloads to your default or designated local folder where your nzb client like SabNzbd picks it up and downloads the blocks. Most nzb index sites use NewzNab software as their backend which pulls headers from the groups the site owner designates and auto-creates the nzbs as well has the default interface for those who use the index site.


----------



## modelgame

why are nzb sites getting shut down lately? I mean they aren't hosting any files other than the nzb files.

Well either way I'm in love with usenet and haven't used anything since. Newshosting is my favorite usenet provider. cheap and awesome


----------



## SnakeVargas

modelgame said:


> why are nzb sites getting shut down lately? I mean they aren't hosting any files other than the nzb files.


They are hosting metadata pointing to the chunks that comprise the pirated content. They would be harassed for the same reason that torrent sites are.


----------



## Fofer

modelgame said:


> Well either way I'm in love with usenet and haven't used anything since.


Since what? Usenet was around well before BitTorrent


----------



## bengalfreak

Anyone have any suggestions for a new block usenet server source? I was using Astraweb, but it seems that they are taking things down rather quickly now. I don't really want a monthly fee. Astraweb was great while it lasted. 1000 GB for $50 would get me a whole year of downloads.


----------



## Peter000

I'm using News Demon. It's pretty good.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is Frugal Usenet crazy slow for anyone else too this afternoon?


----------



## The Spud

Peter000 said:


> I'm using News Demon. It's pretty good.


NewsDemon is a Highwinds reseller so that would not help with the takedown issue.

Blocknews is supposed to be pretty good in this regards.

My basic strategy is to get a 1 TB block from Newsgroup Direct (a Highwinds reseller) on Terabyte Tuesday for $40, and then I've bought smaller blocks from Astraweb & Blocknews to use as backup if needed.


----------



## Ment

DUDE_NJX said:


> Is Frugal Usenet crazy slow for anyone else too this afternoon?


Blocknews, Usenetnow & Frugal Usenet are the same entity. Not having any problems on Usenetnow yesterday or today.


----------



## cditty

Has anyone noticed any problems on astraweb the last few days downloading? For some reason, mine hadn't downloaded anything in 4 days and then it started last night.


----------



## deli99

cditty said:


> Has anyone noticed any problems on astraweb the last few days downloading? For some reason, mine hadn't downloaded anything in 4 days and then it started last night.


It worked OK for me on Sunday and last night. Hadn't used it for several days before that.


----------



## MikeMar

So what does this mean when I download a really new show (less than 7 days) and it says (paraphrasing)

"Download Failed, out of servers retention?"


----------



## brettatk

MikeMar said:


> So what does this mean when I download a really new show (less than 7 days) and it says (paraphrasing)
> 
> "Download Failed, out of servers retention?"


Most likely is was removed because of DMCA.


----------



## modelgame

Fofer said:


> Since what? Usenet was around well before BitTorrent


Yeah but a lot of people don't know about Usenet (including me back then). I've been using usenet (newshosting) for two years now and will never go back to bittorrent


----------



## cheesesteak

'Six Strike' System, Slowing Or Suspending Internet For Illegal Downloads, Takes Effect Monday 

Does this only affect p2p users like Bittorrent?


----------



## newsposter

interesting they allow 6, i knew someone with comcast that was fired after just one

i cannot believe anyone would monitor my super slow dsl line either  go after those fios guys!


----------



## cheesesteak

I have an invitation to nzb.su to give away. First private message with an email address gets it.


----------



## KungFuCow

cheesesteak said:


> 'Six Strike' System, Slowing Or Suspending Internet For Illegal Downloads, Takes Effect Monday
> 
> Does this only affect p2p users like Bittorrent?


I hope so. I encrypt all my traffic so they really have no way of knowing what Im grabbing. If I start to have issues because they look at the originating IP, Im going to get a VPN somewhere out of the country.

I would certainly hope they only act when notified by content providers so that should limit it to P2P if you arent uploading. If not, thats a serious privacy breach.


----------



## cheesesteak

cheesesteak said:


> I have an invitation to nzb.su to give away. First private message with an email address gets it.


Invite sent. No more for now.


----------



## dilorc

www.tcfnzb.net

PM me for more info. Or search this thread


----------



## Malcontent

dilorc said:


> www.tcfnzb.net
> 
> PM me for more info. Or search this thread


Your indexer has stopped working. Nothing new has been indexed in 11 days.


----------



## Kamakzie

Malcontent said:


> Your indexer has stopped working. Nothing new has been indexed in 11 days.


Site dead?


----------



## Malcontent

Kamakzie said:


> Site dead?


Looks like it. No new content has been indexed for 20 days.


----------



## cditty

Prob ran into the same thing I did. Log into the newznab chat and ask newznab about hdnet. That one gave me tons of headaches.


----------



## harrinpj

I seem to have an NZB.su invite. First PM with an email address gets it.


----------



## dilorc

Malcontent said:


> Looks like it. No new content has been indexed for 20 days.


Not dead yet! I'm reindexing. Sorry for the downtime.


----------



## harrinpj

I apparently had three invites to NZB.su. I've given away two. Last one goes to whomever sends me a PM with an email address first.


----------



## harrinpj

All invites are gone!


----------



## harrinpj

Sent my three invites. Go back to the site hours later and for some reason it's saying I have 5 more. I'll keep giving them out if you PM me your email address.

This has also got me thinking that it's odd that I'm posting this in the Now Playing forum. Perhaps we should move this to Happy Hour and trade/give away invites to other sites?


----------



## icemanoz

new indexer with some great custom features oznzb i cant post a link but if someone else can add it you will find it easily

SSL enabled
2.5 Millon++ releases 
API integration - Sick beard, couch potato, etc 
Hosted on owned hardware in T1 data center!!
release previews (new feature)
full user release rating system 
accepting all user feedback and suggestions for new features!
community is building

and anything we can do to make your life easier


----------



## harrinpj

Okay, that's it for now on the invites. It let me send a lot more than it said I actually have. If they don't work let me know but I may not be able to do anything about it. I sent a total of 8 even though it told me I only had 4 to give.


----------



## jboehm

have .in

Interested in dog or .su

pm me


----------



## laria

I don't have very good luck with indexing sites. First nzbmatrix, and now the replacement site I was using, nzbs.in, closed down.


----------



## Malcontent

laria said:


> I don't have very good luck with indexing sites. First nzbmatrix, and now the replacement site I was using, nzbs.in, closed down.


No it's not. It was an April 1, prank the Admin played on users. The site is still up and running.


----------



## laria

Malcontent said:


> No it's not. It was an April 1, prank the Admin played on users. The site is still up and running.


Oh... well that wasn't very funny!  They should probably take that down since it is a week later... I clicked on login and got that message tonight. I would have thought it was a joke if I'd gotten a week ago. 

Someone hooked me up with nzb.su so I'm getting my missed Grimm's via that now.

I am still dealing with fallout from my corrupted hard drive back in September! I ended up swapping it out the week after Christmas, when I finally wasn't recording anything, only I forgot to put back some of the shows that were on super long break and had nothing coming up in the guide for a long time.


----------



## Malcontent

laria said:


> Oh... well that wasn't very funny!  They should probably take that down since it is a week later... I clicked on login and got that message tonight. I would have thought it was a joke if I'd gotten a week ago.


Try clearing your cache. The Admin only made the site unavailable for a few hours.


----------



## harrinpj

I have 10 more invites to nzb.su for some reason. Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you one.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

The DMCA takedowns are just ridiculous these days. One needs to have watchlists set up for most things to get anything out of usenet.


----------



## laria

I have not really had any problems lately... I recently have had to download a bunch of Grimms and a bunch of NCIS and NCIS:LA, and was able to complete them without problem. I am still on my Astraweb 1 TB block, and I have a 5 GB one at Blocknews for a backup.

I think some networks or shows are more vigilant than others. Nashville in particular gave me a lot of headaches.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Most Showtime and HBO shows are gone within hours.


----------



## vertigo235

I haven't had any issues, my Sickbeard Polls pretty regularly though and I have 30Mbits down. 

I've noticed more being pulled from my Blocknews account though on older items. MY two servers are thankfully on two different backbones. Easynews and Blocknews.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Yeah, watchlists (SB, etc.) are fine. It's the manual stuff that's a problem.


----------



## logic88

DUDE_NJX said:


> The DMCA takedowns are just ridiculous these days. One needs to have watchlists set up for most things to get anything out of usenet.


Try an overseas news provider. They are suppose to be better at leaving things up for a little longer.

I'm going to try one of them as soon as my yearly subscription is over.


----------



## innocentfreak

DUDE_NJX said:


> Yeah, watchlists (SB, etc.) are fine. It's the manual stuff that's a problem.


Why are you doing it manually?


----------



## Fofer

One-off shoes you want to grab, specials, movies, things that you don't watch regularly. Not everything is a recurring episode in a series...


----------



## innocentfreak

For most things there is a program for that. For others you could also setup a RSS feed for that specific item in sabnzbd. Of course you would need to know the title before the air date at least when it comes to specials.


----------



## laria

I do all my downloads manually.

This isn't my primary source of stuff, this is just my backup source when my primary (Comcast) doesn't record or has been lost, for whatever reasons.


----------



## innocentfreak

laria said:


> I do all my downloads manually.
> 
> This isn't my primary source of stuff, this is just my backup source when my primary (Comcast) doesn't record or has been lost, for whatever reasons.


I am the same way actually hence all the TiVos. I just found with the latest craze of take downs, it is easier to be safe rather than sorry.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Fofer said:


> One-off shoes you want to grab, specials, movies, things that you don't watch regularly. Not everything is a recurring episode in a series...


This.
Also, let's say you discover you like a show that's in its 4th season. One used to be able to just grab all the episodes from the previous seasons. These days you hear about a new show that started 2 weeks ago, and you're pretty much SOL.


----------



## markz

I have had a problem lately getting stuff like GoT and The Mentalist (an episode I missed due to basketball).


----------



## innocentfreak

DUDE_NJX said:


> This.
> Also, let's say you discover you like a show that's in its 4th season. One used to be able to just grab all the episodes from the previous seasons. These days you hear about a new show that started 2 weeks ago, and you're pretty much SOL.


Still worth adding to SB since if you don't catch it originally it will catch it on dvd/BR releases and occasionally reuploads.


----------



## Ment

markz said:


> I have had a problem lately getting stuff like GoT and The Mentalist (an episode I missed due to basketball).


Do you have a backup? If you're doing it manually w/o a good backup provider preferably euro, then you're in for frustration.


----------



## markz

Ment said:


> Do you have a backup? If you're doing it manually w/o a good backup provider preferably euro, then you're in for frustration.


No backup. I do stuff like the missed episode of The Mentalist manually. I use SickBeard to automate other d/l's.


----------



## MikeMar

Is there another possible backup

Right now my setup is 
Frugal/Blocknews
Backup of Astraweb

is there a 2nd backup I could get that wouldn't be the same server/backend as the 2/3 above?


----------



## markz

What would be a good backup to my monthly newsdemon account?


----------



## laria




----------



## MikeMar

What's a good Holland side one to buy a block of?


----------



## Ment

Use Tweaknews as backup. They have a free 10 day 10GB trial and afterwards they'll send you a coupon code for 250GB for 11 euro ($14.41 at current exchange).


----------



## markz

Do I understand correctly that if I have newsdemon, I want a backup that is not a Highwinds Media place?


----------



## MikeMar

Do you want 1 from each SIDE of the picture, or just from different clouds?


----------



## Ment

At present the best combo is primary Frugal-Usenetnow-Blocknews (all are one entity but different product category) and a euro backup block (right side) on Laria's pic. If you already have Frugal-Usenetnow-Blocknews primary using Astra/Highwinds/Giga would be of little help.


----------



## laria

I'm stuck with Astraweb primary for a long time because I bought a 1 TB block.  I have only used 52 GB of it so far. I just signed up for the free Tweaknews, though... hopefully that will let me get the one Nashville I'm missing so I can continue watching the show!


----------



## laria

Can someone explain supplemental nzbs to me?

I still was not able to complete the episode of Nashville from the euro server. "Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (590 short)". I never seem to have any luck completing things if I click on "Retry" in SABnzbd. But the popup window has "Optional Supplemental NZB" that I can add. 

Before I just go trying to download another nzb to see if I can complete that, is there any way to salvage the one I already tried to download? I already used 1.3 GB of my 10 from Tweaknews trying to download this one.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

You can manually search for par files.


----------



## Ment

Believe supplemental nzbs are just ones that are self-created that contain additional PAR blocks from another source. Its like a manual version of having a backup provider setup in Sab+.


----------



## laria

Hrm, ok... I guess I will just try the other nzbs and hope one of them completes.


----------



## MikeMar

So if I end up with my setup being

Frugal - primary
Blocknews - backup
Astra - backup
euro backup block (right side) on Laria's pic - backup

Would that pretty much do it automatically? So if it fails downloading then there is no chance anywhere for it right?


----------



## Ment

MikeMar said:


> So if I end up with my setup being
> 
> Frugal - primary
> Blocknews - backup
> Astra - backup
> euro backup block (right side) on Laria's pic - backup
> 
> Would that pretty much do it automatically? So if it fails downloading then there is no chance anywhere for it right?


Frugal and Blocknews are the same company which uses the same backend Readnews servers so it doesn't help. Astra has automated takedown so it would be useful only for incompletes. For price/speed considerations use a provider from the left side as primary and one from the right as backup. As a poorer alternative use any left side provider that is non-Readnews server and then a block acct from Blocknews (Readnews provider).


----------



## MikeMar

Ment said:


> Frugal and Blocknews are the same company which uses the same backend Readnews servers so it doesn't help. Astra has automated takedown so it would be useful only for incompletes. For price/speed considerations use a provider from the left side as primary and one from the right as backup. As a poorer alternative use any left side provider that is non-Readnews server and then a block acct from Blocknews (Readnews provider).


I understand the redundancy, frugal only has a 300 day retention, so anything >300 I use blocknews for


----------



## KungFuCow

Anyone else having trouble with nzb.su? Im getting an invalid login and Im a paid member with a real email address.


----------



## Ment

You'll have to reset PW. Nzbsu had a security issue. Also you can no longer use your email/pw has to be username/pw


----------



## KungFuCow

Ment said:


> You'll have to reset PW. Nzbsu had a security issue. Also you can no longer use your email/pw has to be username/pw


Gracias


----------



## max2

laria said:


> Can someone explain supplemental nzbs to me?
> 
> I still was not able to complete the episode of Nashville from the euro server. "Repair failed, not enough repair blocks (590 short)". I never seem to have any luck completing things if I click on "Retry" in SABnzbd. But the popup window has "Optional Supplemental NZB" that I can add.
> 
> Before I just go trying to download another nzb to see if I can complete that, is there any way to salvage the one I already tried to download? I already used 1.3 GB of my 10 from Tweaknews trying to download this one.


What episode of nashville are you trying to complete ?

I can help.


----------



## newsposter

i have no idea what this means but usenet was in the title

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1268123/

Newsdemon is having a one day sale on a lot of their products


----------



## cditty

Anyone here running their own newznab server? I've got one up and running but for some reason, it keeps dying when it tries to do a nfoproc on anra??? Can't find anything on it online and the chat hasn't been too helpful this week.


----------



## newsposter

cditty said:


> when it tries to do a nfoproc on anra??? .


that sounds dirty


----------



## cditty

Wish it was. As it is right now, it's frustrating.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Anyone here running their own newznab server? I've got one up and running but for some reason, it keeps dying when it tries to do a nfoproc on anra??? Can't find anything on it online and the chat hasn't been too helpful this week.


Maybe try asking here:

http://www.newznabforums.com/


----------



## cditty

Found out it was due to some massive nzbs someone had put up. Saw there were several over the 400gb range and even one at 598gb. Just removed those from the db and it worked fine again.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is the dognzb index screwed up for others too? I get page errors all over the place.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Is the dognzb index screwed up for others too? I get page errors all over the place.


Same here. I just posted about it on the Dognzb 'Staff' IRC channel. Hopefully it will get fixed soon.


----------



## Malcontent

Dognzb is back up.


----------



## IndyJones1023

It looks like my fave, File Sharing Talk, is gone. Any recommendations on other good NZB sites?


----------



## KungFuCow

Theres several mentioned in this thread.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=468788

You can request an invite in there as well.


----------



## Ment

try nzbx.co or you can get an invite to premium indexer in the other thread.


----------



## Peter000

NZBsRUs.com. But it's gotten pretty pricey since I joined and bitcoins are required to buy a subscription.


----------



## KungFuCow

Peter000 said:


> NZBsRUs.com. But it's gotten pretty pricey since I joined and bitcoins are required to buy a subscription.


Ive heard lots of bad stuff about this site ripping people off. I registered an account but Bitcoins is just too much of a PITA.


----------



## jeremy3721

I never did really get into, or even understand usenet. I think I'm missing out but it always sounded kind of like it was for "shady" activities but I guess in reality I don't know much about it. The bitcoin thing just makes it even weirder to me. What are the top uses of usenet?


----------



## IndyJones1023

Wow, bad thread merge.


----------



## jeremy3721

oops - at least I'll get my answer now.


----------



## Peter000

Peter000 said:


> NZBsRUs.com. But it's gotten pretty pricey since I joined and bitcoins are required to buy a subscription.





KungFuCow said:


> Ive heard lots of bad stuff about this site ripping people off. I registered an account but Bitcoins is just too much of a PITA.


I've had a pretty good experience with them. Yeah the bitcoin stuff was a pain, but I wished I'd purchased five or ten coins instead of just one. They've exploded tenfold in value between then and now.


----------



## Malcontent

IndyJones1023 said:


> It looks like my fave, File Sharing Talk, is gone. Any recommendations on other good NZB sites?


Magic 8 ball says it's temporary. Site should return at some point.


----------



## innocentfreak

It looks like the TCF site is down and has been for some time. 

On another note anyone know of any sites that work like the RSS feed for NZBindex.nl? They had a great feature of being able to create RSS feeds off custom searches. It went down though in April though.


----------



## Fofer

http://ezrss.it

hasn't been working all that great for me either lately. Would love a new replacement.


----------



## Malcontent

IndyJones1023 said:


> It looks like my fave, File Sharing Talk, is gone. Any recommendations on other good NZB sites?


The site is back up.



> Hello everyone,
> 
> after some days of downtime, we're happy to inform the forum is back up.
> 
> The database's status was reverted to August 11th, 2012 due to newer backups being corrupted or not available. All posts and threads made afterwards have been lost. If you registered after that date, you will need to do so again.


----------



## ewolfr

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/UsenetInvites/comments/1e98ox



> We just opened up 1000 slots for registration. If you wanted an account on DOGnzb -> act fast <- as registrations will close again automatically when this quota is reached.
> 
> Register your account here: http://dognzb.cr/register
> 
> And join us in our IRC channel on the synIRC network if you have any questions: #DOGnzb (you need to register your nickname with NickServ to be able to participate)
> 
> (only one registration per user allowed)


----------



## Ment

Surprized Dog is open again. Must be looking for more scratch for those server costs..


----------



## cheesesteak

Anybody need a nzb.su invite?


----------



## IndyJones1023

There should be a newsgroup for NZBs, then you don't need server space or even a web site.


----------



## laria

IndyJones1023 said:


> There should be a newsgroup for NZBs, then you don't need server space or even a web site.


That would make it kind of hard to search for them.


----------



## IndyJones1023

Not at all. You just go into that newsgroup and hit your search key (I think it was F2 in Xnews) and search for "game of thrones" or whathave you. The actual episodes wouldn't be in that newsgroup, just the NZBs.


----------



## Ment

we've gone beyond text based searching/sorting interface. Those who want can download headers and create their own nzb. The rest of us will use indexers with GUI front-end goodies.

Edit: You can also use existing search engines such as binsearch that do the same thing if want a more manual process.


----------



## ewolfr

cheesesteak said:


> Anybody need a nzb.su invite?


PM sent, I would love one if it hasn't been claimed already.


----------



## macrho

ewolfr said:


> PM sent, I would love one if it hasn't been claimed already.


i have some available


----------



## laria

IndyJones1023 said:


> Not at all. You just go into that newsgroup and hit your search key (I think it was F2 in Xnews) and search for "game of thrones" or whathave you. The actual episodes wouldn't be in that newsgroup, just the NZBs.


Then I'd need a newsreader client!


----------



## innocentfreak

IndyJones1023 said:


> Not at all. You just go into that newsgroup and hit your search key (I think it was F2 in Xnews) and search for "game of thrones" or whathave you. The actual episodes wouldn't be in that newsgroup, just the NZBs.


In some ways that is what some people do now. If you get a failed file sometimes it is just the link to the real post or mentioned in the nfo which did download.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.12 has been released*

Bug fixes

Fix issues in encryption detection
Don't try to "join" a single X.000 file
Fix memory overflow when joining very large files
Make name sorting of the queue case-insensitive
Save job data to disk after changing job password or other attributes
Deploy "abort when completion not possible" method also in pre-download check


----------



## Peter000

How can I isolate an NZB of the movie "2012"? 

When I search on "NZBsRus" it gives me every movie produced in 2012 that there's an NZB for, so it's over 40K listings for the search.

Frustrating.


----------



## Ment

search by movie 2012 2009 and HD resolution. Works on Dog.


----------



## Fofer

I just searched on http://nzbx.co
narrowed the search category down to "movies"
with the search string:* 2012 (2009)*
(since the movie was released in 2009)

...and got just the right search results.


----------



## Peter000

Thanks! For some reason I thought it was released in 2012 also.


----------



## MikeMar

Peter000 said:


> Thanks! For some reason I thought it was released in 2012 also.


Even if that was the case, I wonder if 2012 (2012) would work?


----------



## Peter000

MikeMar said:


> Even if that was the case, I wonder if 2012 (2012) would work?


I didn't try, but probably. The mistake I made was searching by the filename rather than the real name, ie, searching for "2012.2012" rather than "2012 (2012)".

Lots of the options in my successful search indeed had the release year as 2012.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.13 has been released*

Bug fixes
Another encryption detection fix
When post has just one par2 set, use wildcard so that all files are used
"addurl" api-call did not always accept nzbname parameter

Features
Special option "enable_recursion" to control recursive unpacking


----------



## Malcontent

*CouchPotato v2.1.0 - Released*

Suggested movies on dashboard!
NZB support for Synology downloader
Yifi torrent provider
AwesomeHD torrent provider
TorrentByte provider
Providers with login wouldn't download properly
Twitter notifications
KAT domain change
Made ETA calculations better both for search and on dashboard

(80+) bug fixes

https://github.com/RuudBurger/CouchPotatoServer/releases


----------



## GoPackGo

I love that CouchPotato updates itself. I had to write a script so that SickBeard and SABnzbd would do the same.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> *CouchPotato v2.1.0 - Released*
> 
> * Suggested movies on dashboard!*


Wow that is just awesome, saves me so much time of figuring out what to get


----------



## Hoffer

So, the software suggests movies you can pirate? That seems quite bold if true.


----------



## MikeMar

Hoffer said:


> So, the software suggests movies you can pirate? That seems quite bold if true.


you could actually use it as strictly a recommendation engine if you wanted

If you point it to a folder that you have ripped movies to, it scans that and then does recommendations based on that.

So could easily use it w/o pirating anything


----------



## vertigo235

Hoffer said:


> So, the software suggests movies you can pirate? That seems quite bold if true.


I'm not sure you could really brand CouchPotato for anything else, I mean it's sole purpose is to make it easier to find and snatch movies from usenet. I don't see why the addition of a recommendation engine makes it any more bold


----------



## bareyb

vertigo235 said:


> I'm not sure you could really brand CouchPotato for anything else, I mean it's sole purpose is to make it easier to find and snatch movies from usenet. I don't see why the addition of a recommendation engine makes it any more bold


Agreed. We live in a magical time where the people with the big bucks are not in control of the Internet yet. Enjoy it while it lasts. They've already started charging sales tax. It won't be long before they figure out a way to make it all stop. I'm guessing it will be some kind of "Terrorist" that finally gets the ignorant fools in our country to vote for rules that will sandbox the US from the rest of the World. Believe it. They just need a good excuse and FEAR is usually the best way to motivate the masses... So again I say, enjoy it while it lasts. Off my soapbox now. 

Side note: This way when it happens I can say "I told you so".


----------



## Fofer

Anyone hear news about nzbx.co? Seems it's been down for a week or more now. When I visit I just get "502 Bad Gateway."

Using DOGnzb instead, but wondering if anyone had heard anything.

EDIT: nevermind, I did find this: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r28443268-nzbx.co-shuts-down


----------



## Ment

Operating in the UK is tough as Newzbin can attest.


----------



## innocentfreak

Fofer said:


> Anyone hear news about nzbx.co? Seems it's been down for a week or more now. When I visit I just get "502 Bad Gateway."
> 
> Using DOGnzb instead, but wondering if anyone had heard anything.
> 
> EDIT: nevermind, I did find this: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r28443268-nzbx.co-shuts-down


Based off some of the Reddit predictions, they weren't really surprised when he disappeared. You can find a lot of info in the /r/usenet.


----------



## Fofer

This part made me  and 



> Why
> Well, first and foremost - I (Lemon) am recovering from a heart attack (at the ripe old age of 26) which I sustained a few weeks ago. My health complications from last year have made a comeback, and they've done it with a vengeance. I do not have the time or energy to maintain running an index or fight any legal battles which could arise from doing so (as per below).
> 
> Today, whilst I was half comatose - I received a visit from a member of FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) who attempted to pressure, threaten and harass me (and failed) to hand over control of the domains (presumably so they could use it as a honeypot), as well as making references to the criminal prosecution of the administrator of a video streaming site. That's good, I'll keep that in mind if I ever set one up in Antigua. After this, whilst I felt relatively calm - I experienced crippling chest pains and my heart rate was surging fairly high in comparison to what it should be.


----------



## Bob Coxner

I'm interested in ebooks and not movies. Any suggestions for software and a cheap provider?


----------



## laria

You can download whatever with SABnzbd, not just movies. 

There are lots of recommendations for providers in this thread. I'm still using up a block account at Astraweb that I got a year or so ago.


----------



## kcarl75

Can someone recommend or PM me a good public NZB search site? The two I have been using lately have shut down.


----------



## laria

I use NZBs.in but it is invite only and I don't have any invites.


----------



## Peter000

kcarl75 said:


> Can someone recommend or PM me a good public NZB search site? The two I have been using lately have shut down.


I've been using smackdownonyou.com. It's alright, but it's paid.


----------



## ewolfr

kcarl75 said:


> Can someone recommend or PM me a good public NZB search site? The two I have been using lately have shut down.


If you aren't looking for the results to be categorized you can use:

binsearch.info
nzbindex.nl
nzbclub.com

These sites are just search engines. Nothing fancy.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

It looks like the indexer NZB.su has opened to new registrations for the time being.


----------



## pteronaut

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> It looks like the indexer NZB.su has opened to new registrations for the time being.


Thanks.


----------



## bengalfreak

Anyone have an invite to nzb.su?


----------



## macrho

bengalfreak said:


> Anyone have an invite to nzb.su?


yep, PM your email


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

Does anyone have a invite for NZBs.in?


----------



## Malcontent

Jeff_in_Bklyn said:


> Does anyone have a invite for NZBs.in?


PM me your email address.


----------



## Malcontent

https://couchpota.to/

*CouchPotato 2.3.1 released*

Changelog:

Scene and nuke scoring support
Box office top10 IMDB automation
Allow custom plugins from within CouchPotato data folder
ILoveTorrents provider
BitHDTV torrent provider
Flickchart.com userscript support
Flixster automation support
Blu-ray.com backlog automation
Transmission downloader fixes
Detect touch support for Windows 8
And 100+ more bugs
KickAssTorrents proxy support
Better quality guessing
Plex notification improvements
Deluge authentication fixes

*Browser Extension for Chrome and Firefox.*



> For now it has the same options as the userscript has, but I'm planning on adding some more stuff, like trailer-view, "find movies on current page" and maybe making the movie search available if all else fails.


----------



## MikeMar

So I have SickBeard and CouchPotato setup to tweet an account I have when it gets something

I had The Walking Dead @TheWalkingHumor favorite the tweet "Sick Beard: Started Download: The Walking Dead - 4x07 - Dead Weight"

I just download it due to crazy Sunday night conflicts


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I use Boxcar instead.


----------



## danterner

MikeMar said:


> So I have SickBeard and CouchPotato setup to tweet an account I have when it gets something I had The Walking Dead @TheWalkingHumor favorite the tweet "Sick Beard: Started Download: The Walking Dead - 4x07 - Dead Weight" I just download it due to crazy Sunday night conflicts


That's great!


----------



## MikeMar

Just caught me very off guard since that's all that account does is tweet my personal status stuff for me to see


----------



## Fofer

So why would you have it tweeting publicly?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

MikeMar said:


> Just caught me very off guard since that's all that account does is tweet my personal status stuff for me to see


And the MPAA


----------



## laria

Heh yeah, I would just make it a private account.


----------



## MikeMar

laria said:


> Heh yeah, I would just make it a private account.


Oh didn't know you could do that! I'm on it!


----------



## Fofer

Well, sure, NOW you do that, after you've already admitted to the producer that you're pirating his show


----------



## ewolfr

Black Friday sale from usenetnow/blocknews/frugalusenet

http://blocknews.net/holidays/


----------



## bengalfreak

Is there any place that lists the usenet providers that are basically the same company? I don't want to end up with an unlimited account and a block account from the same place that is redundant.

Thanks


----------



## Fofer

bengalfreak said:


> Is there any place that lists the usenet providers that are basically the same company? I don't want to end up with an unlimited account and a block account from the same place that is redundant.
> 
> Thanks


Here ya go:



Azlen said:


> There are only a handful of usenet backbones now, Highwinds, Astraweb, Giganews, Readnews and some European providers. Here's a map
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With so few, it is fairly easy to send DCMA takedown requests. It's not nearly as easy with torrents.


----------



## GoPackGo

bengalfreak said:


> Is there any place that lists the usenet providers that are basically the same company?


Here's another one:


----------



## Malcontent

If anyone is interested in an alternative to Sickbeard, take a look at 'NzbDrone'.

http://www.nzbdrone.com/

NZBDrone v2.0.0.740

NZBDrone is a PVR for newsgroup users. It can monitor multiple RSS feeds for new episodes of your favourite shows and will grab, sorts and renames them. It can also be configured to automatically upgrade the quality of files already downloaded if a better quality format becomes available.

Major Features Include:

Support for major platforms: Windows, Linux

Automatically detects new episodes

can scan your existing library and then download any old seasons that are missing

can watch for better versions and upgrade your existing episodes. eg. from DVD to Blu-Ray

fully configurable episode renaming

full integration with SABNzbd

full integration with XBMC (notification, library update, metadata)

full support for specials and multi-episode releases

beautiful UI


----------



## bengalfreak

Is anyone having any trouble successfully d/l current tv shows via usenet? I'm getting ready to cut the cord and want to make sure I can continue to use Usenet as a backup source if I happen to miss online eps.


----------



## GoPackGo

No trouble whatsoever. One of my friends is having issues, but that's because he refuses to automate with Sickbeard, and kicks off a download whenever he pleases. Because of that, by the time he goes to download a lot of things, they've been pulled.


----------



## bengalfreak

GoPackGo said:


> No trouble whatsoever. One of my friends is having issues, but that's because he refuses to automate with Sickbeard, and kicks off a download whenever he pleases. Because of that, by the time he goes to download a lot of things, they've been pulled.


Why in the world would you not let Sickbeard do all of the searching for you?


----------



## bengalfreak

Has anyone found a way to automate the search and d/l of subtitles for programs. Mac has a program that does it, but so far I have come up empty on Windows.


----------



## BradJW

bengalfreak said:


> Has anyone found a way to automate the search and d/l of subtitles for programs. Mac has a program that does it, but so far I have come up empty on Windows.


I've never used this feature, but FileBot is free and says in the description it'll do it:

FileBot
The ultimate TV and Movie Renamer / Subtitle Downloader


----------



## bengalfreak

BradJW said:


> I've never used this feature, but FileBot is free and says in the description it'll do it:
> 
> FileBot
> The ultimate TV and Movie Renamer / Subtitle Downloader


Not really. It does a good job of finding the subtitles, d/l them, and changing the name to match your video file, but it doesn't do any of it automatically, you still have to drag your video files to file bot to get it going. I'd like a completely automated solution. Don't know if its because I'm super busy or super lazy.


----------



## etsolow

bengalfreak said:


> Not really. It does a good job of finding the subtitles, d/l them, and changing the name to match your video file, but it doesn't do any of it automatically, you still have to drag your video files to file bot to get it going. I'd like a completely automated solution. Don't know if its because I'm super busy or super lazy.


FileBot can be automated, if you are so inclined!

http://www.filebot.net/cli.html


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> Why in the world would you not let Sickbeard do all of the searching for you?


Or NzbDrone (Windows, Linux). Mac version is in the works. It's looking more polished than Sickbeard lately.


----------



## GoPackGo

bengalfreak said:


> Why in the world would you not let Sickbeard do all of the searching for you?


I don't know, as I said, it's my friend. Myself, I have SB and CP download EVERYTHING, but I have an enormous file server to populate, he doesn't.


----------



## BradJW

Malcontent said:


> Or NzbDrone (Windows, Linux). Mac version is in the works. It's looking more polished than Sickbeard lately.


Is there really any reason to switch from Sickbeard to NzbDrone?

The only time I have to go to sickbeard is to add a show, and that takes only a couple of clicks. Once the show is added, everything else is automated.

(rarely I may have to go directly to dognzb if sickbeard doesn't find a certain show, but that's rare, and when it does happen it seems to be the same 2 or 3 shows)


----------



## MikeMar

BradJW said:


> Is there really any reason to switch from Sickbeard to NzbDrone?
> 
> The only time I have to go to sickbeard is to add a show, and that takes only a couple of clicks. Once the show is added, everything else is automated.
> 
> (rarely I may have to go directly to dognzb if sickbeard doesn't find a certain show, but that's rare, and when it does happen it seems to be the same 2 or 3 shows)


+1 for me, just seems sickbeard can have a problem with 1 or 2 shows, but when I search, it's usually a weird naming convention.


----------



## Malcontent

BradJW said:


> Is there really any reason to switch from Sickbeard to NzbDrone?


If your happy with Sickbeard then no. Nzbdrone is just an alternative. I thought I would mention it for the benefit of others who might be interested in automating their downloads.

I do believe Drone is being more actively developed than Sickbeard. The developer is more responsive with users suggestions. The GUI is prettier and it runs faster. Integrates with usenet clients easier. Post processing of files is much easier without the use of scripts.


----------



## danterner

I'm happy with Sickbeard, but just checked out NZBDrone and it looks pretty slick. Not sure if it's worth switching, but the UI is definitely a step up.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is there a Mac build of NZBDrone?


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Is there a Mac build of NZBDrone?


It's being developed. The developer has it working on a Mac and is testing it and working out the kinks. No ETA on when it will be released.


----------



## brettatk

Can you import all your shows from Sickbeard into NZBDrone? If so I'd think about switching but I don't want to set up all my shows again. At least there is an alternative if ever need be.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> Can you import all your shows from Sickbeard into NZBDrone? If so I'd think about switching but I don't want to set up all my shows again. At least there is an alternative if ever need be.


No option that I'm aware of at the moment.


----------



## Win Joy Jr

Well, the Credit Card I am using for frugelusenet has expired. Before I go and make the changes on PayPal, any suggestions for a provider? I have been having issues getting complete posts recently...


----------



## Ment

Win Joy Jr said:


> Well, the Credit Card I am using for frugelusenet has expired. Before I go and make the changes on PayPal, any suggestions for a provider? I have been having issues getting complete posts recently...


Try Tweaknews trial on your incompletes. Anything more than a few days out you'll probably not get but its worth a shot. I use it as my block backup to Blocknews/frugal. It used to be when you let the trial run out they'd send you a coupon code but don't know if thats in effect anymore.


----------



## Malcontent

Win Joy Jr said:


> Well, the Credit Card I am using for frugelusenet has expired. Before I go and make the changes on PayPal, any suggestions for a provider? I have been having issues getting complete posts recently...


+1 Ment

I would keep Frugal and buy a block from Tweaknews (use as backup server) which is what I've done. The block should last a good while because it won't be used unless parts are missing from Frugal. A pretty cheap and effective combo. No provider(s) is 100% bullet proof.

BTW, are you having completion issues downloading new or old stuff?

Best thing is to automate as much of your downloading as possible with programs like Sickbeard/Nzbdrone and Couchpotato.


----------



## Win Joy Jr

Malcontent said:


> +1 Ment
> 
> I would keep Frugal and buy a block from Tweaknews (use as backup server) which is what I've done. The block should last a good while because it won't be used unless parts are missing from Frugal. A pretty cheap and effective combo. No provider(s) is 100% bullet proof.
> 
> BTW, are you having completion issues downloading new or old stuff?
> 
> Best thing is to automate as much of your downloading as possible with programs like Sickbeard/Nzbdrone and Couchpotato.


Yeah, I know I need to automate. Its a combination of new and old that I am having issues with.


----------



## danterner

brettatk said:


> Can you import all your shows from Sickbeard into NZBDrone? If so I'd think about switching but I don't want to set up all my shows again. At least there is an alternative if ever need be.


Yes


----------



## bengalfreak

etsolow said:


> FileBot can be automated, if you are so inclined!
> 
> http://www.filebot.net/cli.html


I was unaware of this. Thanks a million.


----------



## The Spud

danterner said:


> I'm happy with Sickbeard, but just checked out NZBDrone and it looks pretty slick. Not sure if it's worth switching, but the UI is definitely a step up.


I spent some time playing with NZBDrone yesterday and I think it so much more elegant than Sickbeard. It took me a while to get everything configured correctly, probably because I was making it more complicated than necessary. The true test will come on Tuesday when 2 shows should be automatically downloaded. Assuming NZBDrone passes the test, I will be switching for good.


----------



## Malcontent

One of the features of Nzbdrone I like is if a download fails, it will try and download a different release of the episode. Drone blacklists the failed release so that it won't attempt to download the same release again. This currently only works if your using Sabnzbd.


----------



## MikeMar

uhhh I could not for the life of me get NzbDrone to see my NAS at all. And I get so lost in that it runs as a service, I dislike that you can't easily turn it off like SickBeard

Looks really slick and great features, but I'll probably never use it now, oh well


----------



## vertigo235

I'm running sickbeard on my synology Nas, doesn't look like an option w nzbdrone.


----------



## MikeMar

vertigo235 said:


> I'm running sickbeard on my synology Nas, doesn't look like an option w nzbdrone.


I just run sickbeard on my PC and it has 0 problems seeing my NAS at any time


----------



## vertigo235

I like sickbeard running on my Nas because it is self contained media center, and my pc doesnt have to be left on all the time. Even though it pretty much is anyhow. 

I do have go run couchpotato on my pc though, it seems to to choke out on my Nas.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> uhhh I could not for the life of me get NzbDrone to see my NAS at all.


Have you tried posting to the Nzbdrone support forum? Maybe you can get some help trouble shooting.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> uhhh I could not for the life of me get NzbDrone to see my NAS at all.


Quick follow up.

https://github.com/NzbDrone/NzbDrone/wiki/FAQ



> Why can't NzbDrone see my files on a remote server?
> 
> This can be for various reasons, but the most common is, NzbDrone is running as a service, which causes one of two things:
> 
> NzbDrone runs under the SYSTEM account by default which doesn't have access to protected remote file shares.
> 
> Solutions:
> 
> Run NzbDrone's service as another user that has access to that share How to change a service's user account
> Run NzbDrone.exe using the Startup Folder
> 
> You're using a mapped network drive (not a UNC path)
> 
> Solutions:
> 
> Change your paths to UNC paths (\server\share)
> Run NzbDrone.exe via the Startup Folder


----------



## bengalfreak

My wife is a big fan of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. When doing a search, I can find no NZB's whatsoever of the current season. Seasons 1 - 3 are listed but nothing at all for season four. Any ideas why that would be?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

bengalfreak said:


> My wife is a big fan of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. When doing a search, I can find no NZB's whatsoever of the current season. Seasons 1 - 3 are listed but nothing at all for season four. Any ideas why that would be?


A small victory for humanity?


----------



## brettatk

It was probably the same person who uploaded Season's 1-3 and for whatever reason they decided to stop and not do Season 4. It's happened for a number of shows I used to download like Iron Chef, Cupcake Wars, Chopped, etc. I haven't been able to download any in the past year or so.


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> My wife is a big fan of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. When doing a search, I can find no NZB's whatsoever of the current season. Seasons 1 - 3 are listed but nothing at all for season four. Any ideas why that would be?


I was able to find the first 4 episodes of the new season but that all. Three episodes are HD and one is SD. I found them on Dognzb.


----------



## KungFuCow

Anyone got any invites to any of the big index sites they'd be willing to share?


----------



## etsolow

I don't know if you'd consider it "big" but https://www.nmatrix.co.za is in open registration until Feb 1. I've been using it as my go-to site for quite some time.


----------



## Malcontent

Most of the 'big name' indexers have disabled invites. Either to manage their user base size or because of abuse of the invite system.

Nzbplanet and Nzbfinder are still open to registration. Not considered 'big name' but they have been around for over a year.

Nzbfinder specializes in HD content. No SD content is indexed.

https://www.nzbfinder.ws

https://www.nzbplanet.net


----------



## cheesesteak

I've tried to set Sick Beard up but found their documentation to be sketchy at best and terrible at worst. Is there a reliable step-by-step setup guide somewhere?


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> I've tried to set Sick Beard up but found their documentation to be sketchy at best and terrible at worst. Is there a reliable step-by-step setup guide somewhere?


*The Complete Guide for Setting Up SABnzbd, Sick Beard, CouchPotato, and Headphones*

http://www.totalhtpc.com/the-comple...abnzbd-sick-beard-couchpotato-and-headphones/

There is an alternative to Sickbeard called 'Nzbdrone'. Nzbdrone might be an option to consider.

http://www.nzbdrone.com/


----------



## cheesesteak

Malcontent said:


> *The Complete Guide for Setting Up SABnzbd, Sick Beard, CouchPotato, and Headphones*
> 
> http://www.totalhtpc.com/the-comple...abnzbd-sick-beard-couchpotato-and-headphones/
> 
> There is an alternative to Sickbeard called 'Nzbdrone'. Nzbdrone might be an option to consider.
> 
> http://www.nzbdrone.com/


Thanks. Will check it out in detail later.


----------



## cheesesteak

Looks like I got it configured correctly. I had a couple of stumbling blocks. SABnzbd was pointing to an older Post-Processing Scripts folder. This prevented me from choosing sabToSickBeard.exe script for the tv category setting. I also got the following error message when I had SickBeard download an older episode:

"ERROR: You need an autoProcessTV.cfg file - did you rename and edit the .sample?"

I assume I got this error because I told it to ignore downloading the .sample files. The file downloaded and runs ok. I won't know if it downloads a scheduled episode until next week.


----------



## ewolfr

Dognzb is open for registration right now, I have no idea how long it will last:

http://dognzb.cr

Edit to add: Registrations are now closed


----------



## crowfan

If you're not in, get in if you can. It's great.


----------



## MikeMar

crowfan said:


> If you're not in, get in if you can. It's great.


So one of the best ones out there, worth the 1 time fee of $10?

-Seems to be a free 30 day trial


----------



## laria

Nice, I am in... I think. It's really slow.  

I don't really do much with Usenet nowadays (the bulk of my downloading was when we were losing a TiVo hard drive last year), but good to have options.  My primary index site before was NZBs.in.


----------



## Gunnyman

I have an account now with dognzb but I'm fuzzy about how to configure my newsreader.
Server is dogznb.cr port is 119 and then I input my usename and password?
Doesn't seem to be working
What am I missing?


----------



## laria

It's just an indexing site, not a usenet server.


----------



## Gunnyman

Oh well don't I feel dumb


----------



## ewolfr

laria said:


> Nice, I am in... I think. It's really slow.


It always seems to slow down when they open up for new members. If you try again tomorrow everything should be back to normal.


----------



## crowfan

I don't have a ton of experience with Usenet but the site is easy to use, looks good, functions well, and seems to have just about everything. It also has Sickbeard-like functionality, in that you can "subscribe" to a show and when the next episode posts, it will push to your Sabnzbd server automatically. 

To me it was definitely worth the one-time $10 fee.


----------



## logic88

I haven't setup Sickbeard/Couch Potato yet so are those apps useless without a nzb site sub or is there something extra that is offered with a sub?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> I haven't setup Sickbeard/Couch Potato yet so are those apps useless without a nzb site sub or is there something extra that is offered with a sub?


Those apps are useless without a decent indexer. A sub for an indexer usually gives you more daily nzb downloads and access to their API. Sickbeard/Couch Potato access the API of an indexer in order to download tv shows and movies.

A good indexer is very important in order for Sickbeard/Couch Potato to work well.

I would recommend finding at least 2-3 good indexers. Indexers will sometimes have issues and you will need a backup.


----------



## bengalfreak

Malcontent said:


> Those apps are useless without a decent indexer. A sub for an indexer usually gives you more daily nzb downloads and access to their API. Sickbeard/Couch Potato access the API of an indexer in order to download tv shows and movies.
> 
> A good indexer is very important in order for Sickbeard/Couch Potato to work well.
> 
> I would recommend finding at least 2-3 good indexers. Indexers will sometimes have issues and you will need a backup.


Did I miss it? Clicked the link and there seems to be no place to register.


----------



## cheesesteak

cheesesteak said:


> I won't know if it downloads a scheduled episode until next week.


It worked.


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> Did I miss it? Clicked the link and there seems to be no place to register.


It was only open for a couple of hours yesterday.


----------



## bengalfreak

Malcontent said:


> It was only open for a couple of hours yesterday.


Damn, every time they open I'm away from my computer. Any way to maybe predict when they might be open for registration?


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> Damn, every time they open I'm away from my computer. Any way to maybe predict when they might be open for registration?


Not really. But they have been known to open on 'Holidays'. This last time it was Valentines Day.

So, circle any upcoming Holidays on your Calendar keep an eye open on those days.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Those apps are useless without a decent indexer. A sub for an indexer usually gives you more daily nzb downloads and access to their API. Sickbeard/Couch Potato access the API of an indexer in order to download tv shows and movies.
> 
> A good indexer is very important in order for Sickbeard/Couch Potato to work well.
> 
> I would recommend finding at least 2-3 good indexers. Indexers will sometimes have issues and you will need a backup.


Ah, thanks for the info. I will probably setup Sickbeard and Couch Potato in the next few weeks so I probably should pay the $10 then.

Besides Dognzb, what other indexing sites (that provide a good API for SB/CP) should I monitor for open registration?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Besides Dognzb, what other indexing sites (that provide a good API for SB/CP) should I monitor for open registration?


Nzb.su is a much sought after indexer.

Keep an eye out on Reddit. Indexer openings are sometimes posted there.

http://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/

There are few indexers that are still open. They may not be as famous but they are pretty good.

nzbfinder.ws
oznzb.com
nzbplanet.net


----------



## ewolfr

NMatrix.co.za is currently open:


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/1y4rdm


----------



## DavidTigerFan

ewolfr said:


> NMatrix.co.za is currently open:
> 
> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/1y4rdm


what is that $5 upgrade they are talking about. It gives you 10000APIs, whatever that means.


----------



## ewolfr

I've got no idea since I'm happy with the indexers I'm already signed up with. But the API access is usually to do with the number of times a program like Sickbeard can query the site to make sure it doesn't get overloaded. Free users might get a few dozen or a hundred while paid users get quite a few more. It seems to be a 24hr limit with the places I use, I'm not sure about this one.


----------



## cheesesteak

It didn't use to do this but now nzb.su logs me out after a short period of activity. Is this just on my local pc or universal?

Looks like I have a couple nzb.su invitations. The first two PMs with an email address get them.


----------



## Malcontent

DavidTigerFan said:


> what is that $5 upgrade they are talking about. It gives you 10000APIs, whatever that means.


It's to become a VIP member (subscribe). Pretty cheap.


----------



## brettatk

I use NZBs(dot)ORG and the Sick Beard Index. I should probably look at signing up for another indexer but I've never had any problems getting anything that I wanted. I don't believe registration is open though and apparently they don't give users invites because I've never gotten one to give out.

eta: Just signed up with nMatrix, thanks for the heads up. Nice to know I have a backup in case I ever need it.


----------



## laria

I'm such an infrequent user that I just stick with the free ones. I did pay for a lifetime subscription to one site (nzbmatrix I think it was), and then they disappeared, so I am not going to do that again.


----------



## harrinpj

cheesesteak said:


> It didn't use to do this but now nzb.su logs me out after a short period of activity. Is this just on my local pc or universal?
> 
> Looks like I have a couple nzb.su invitations. The first two PMs with an email address get them.


I also have nzb.su invites to give away. PM me your email address and I'll send you one.


----------



## Malcontent

*Sickbeard Win32 Alpha 503 released*

Changelog:

https://github.com/midgetspy/Sick-Beard/wiki/ChangeLog


----------



## Malcontent

I have Nzb.su invites. PM me you email address if you want one. 

Nzb.su is subscription based. $10 for a year. They have shorter subscriptions for 30-90-180 days.


----------



## Peter000

Malcontent said:


> I have Nzb.su invites. PM me you email address if you want one.
> 
> Nzb.su is subscription based. $10 for a year. They have shorter subscriptions for 30,90,180 days.


Heh... i read that as "shorter subscriptions of 3,090,180 days." HUH?


----------



## Malcontent

I still have some Nzb.su invites left. 

PM an email address if your interested.


----------



## logic88

Is the yearly $8 fee for Nzb.su worth it over the one time $10 fee for Dognzb?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Is the yearly $8 fee for Nzb.su worth it over the one time $10 fee for Dognzb?


It's $10 a year for Nzb.su. If you can afford it, I would pay for both. You need at least 2-3 reliable indexers because you need a backup. Nzb.su is one of the oldest indexers still running. It has a proven track record. Nzb.su recently upgrade the site infrastructure making it even more reliable. Given it's pay subscription model, it should never be hurting for money to pay the bills.

Dognzb has some great features, like their remote push feature (Watchlists). Dognzb can replace Sickbeard and Couchpotato with it's remote push. Dog also has a Video game watchlist. Dognzb also has been rock solid reliable.

If I had to choose just one, I would go with Dognzb. It just has more useful features. Features you might be interested in using in the future. Dognzb is constantly being improved and it's admin keeps things running smoothly.


----------



## harrinpj

Does anyone have a dognzb invite? PM me if you do. I've been trying to get in there for a while now.


----------



## vertigo235

I had a whole bunch of them before but now I have 0, I guess they have closed new registrations, I'll try to remember to come back here when I have invites again.


----------



## vertigo235

Looks like they are re-working the invite system right now and that will be revamped in a few weeks.


----------



## vertigo235

> Invites have been disabled for now. There has been some abuse on the invite system by some users (selling invites), so we decided to suspend the invite functionality. Instead, we will open the site a couple of times a year, and we will let users know beforehand here on the forum on when to expect such openings.
> 
> Currently, it's under consideration if the invite functionality will be restored. If it does, it would be under much more strict guidelines.


Apparently you can get an invite if you make a $20 donation though.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> If I had to choose just one, I would go with Dognzb. It just has more useful features. Features you might be interested in using in the future. Dognzb is constantly being improved and it's admin keeps things running smoothly.


Thanks for the info. Assuming my Dognzb account is still active, I'll pay up for an account and go from there.

Now it's time to go set up Sickbeard and Couch Potato.


----------



## harrinpj

vertigo235 said:


> Apparently you can get an invite if you make a $20 donation though.


Do you know if the 20 bucks gets me lifetime VIP (or equivalent)?


----------



## harrinpj

How about invites to omgwtfnzbs.org? Does anybody have one? I can join for 10 bucks but apparently it needs to be $10 worth of bitcoins. I have no idea how to do that and I'm not sure if it's worth it.


----------



## Malcontent

harrinpj said:


> How about invites to omgwtfnzbs.org? Does anybody have one? I can join for 10 bucks but apparently it needs to be $10 worth of bitcoins. I have no idea how to do that and I'm not sure if it's worth it.


Once you get in via invite, you have the option of paying with Paypal.

PM me an email address and I'll shoot you an invite.


----------



## vertigo235

harrinpj said:


> Do you know if the 20 bucks gets me lifetime VIP (or equivalent)?


I'm not sure how much it is for the regular membership now, but it should be clear on the site once you get there.


----------



## Malcontent

harrinpj said:


> Do you know if the 20 bucks gets me lifetime VIP (or equivalent)?


Dognzb invite system is being reworked now. In a few weeks things will change and I would suggest waiting to see how things shake out.


----------



## cheesesteak

I have a weird issue with Sabnzbd. There are two entries on the queue history screen that I can't get rid of. Both downloads failed and display an error message that says "Repair failed. Not enough repair blocks". They both have the rotating circle symbol that displays when the downloaded file is being built after the download. I can't purge those two entries from the history list. Everything else purges ok but these two entries remain. Everything still works but it's an annoyance.


----------



## late for dinner

have you tried to stop then re-start the service?


----------



## KungFuCow

Click on Status at the top and poke around in there. You should find the two items in there where you can remove them. Ive had that happen a few times myself.. seems like it started a couple of releases ago.


----------



## Malcontent

I just checked and I got some more Nzb.su invites.

PM me your email address if you want one.


----------



## cheesesteak

KungFuCow said:


> Click on Status at the top and poke around in there. You should find the two items in there where you can remove them. Ive had that happen a few times myself.. seems like it started a couple of releases ago.


Doing a queue repair under that Status menu option fixed it. Thanks.


----------



## cditty

Has anyone recently had any issues with lots of failures due to missing parts? I'm using Astraweb and there are several shows failing over the last 3 weeks.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Has anyone recently had any issues with lots of failures due to missing parts? I'm using Astraweb and there are several shows failing over the last 3 weeks.


Yeah. There were two issues that I'm aware of. The first was general propagation issues which affect the speed at which uploads spread to usenet servers. Usually if you waited 15 minutes and retried the downloads would complete. The problem seems to have corrected itself.

Most recent was the release groups briefly decided to uploaded to a Dutch server and propagation was super slow. They quickly switched back to their usual upload server.

Things seem to be back to normal.


----------



## vertigo235

Well my old DS212j has served pretty well, but I'm ready to upgrade. Just ordered a DS214play, should be an upgrade for my Sickbeard and will allow me to move Couchpotato back to my NAS from my desktop (the DS212j couldn't really handle it). 

I was looking at some of the custom forks for Sickbeard, I think I might try out one since the Sickbeard master hasn't really added any new features in forever.


----------



## cditty

Malcontent said:


> Yeah. There were two issues that I'm aware of. The first was general propagation issues which affect the speed at which uploads spread to usenet servers. Usually if you waited 15 minutes and retried the downloads would complete. The problem seems to have corrected itself.
> 
> Most recent was the release groups briefly decided to uploaded to a Dutch server and propagation was super slow. They quickly switched back to their usual upload server.
> 
> Things seem to be back to normal.


I just tried grabbing a few that failed recently and they are still failing. Are you having any issues with Big Bang or S.h.i.e.l.d.?


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I just tried grabbing a few that failed recently and they are still failing. Are you having any issues with Big Bang or S.h.i.e.l.d.?


No, not this week. Not since the propagation issues have resolved.

How old are the nzbs your retrying?

Those shows get DMCA within a few hours of being posted. So, they most likely wouldn't download if they are more then a few hours old. You had to retry downloading them the night they were posted in order to get them.


----------



## cditty

The first fail was that night, then the last 2 were just 4 hours old. 

I have my own news server running. I recently moved everything from a windows box to a linux server I had. Thought these issues were because of that move and the differences in the software versions I am running.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> The first fail was that night, then the last 2 were just 4 hours old.


4 hours is long enough to be DMCA. Stuff has been removed in less then 2 hours regularly.

Astraweb has automated the DMCA process for the powers that be.


----------



## cditty

I just got a backup server setup for the grabs so hopefully the failures will be less.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I just got a backup server setup for the grabs so hopefully the failures will be less.


Yeah, a backup is needed for reliable results. Usually a Dutch provider is optimal.


----------



## 3D

Thinking of dipping my feet in the usenet waters. The TotalHTPC.com guide posted on the last page (at least the last page for me) was great, but they recommend usenet server with tweaknews as a backup. I've been reading not so great things about usenet server lately. Would Frugal with a block from tweaknews be a better setup? If I'm just looking to test the waters, am I better off with trying the usenet server free trial? The beginning of this thread was extremely informative, but it seems that things change so fast with usenet that something that was true even a few months ago might not be accurate today. Any help is greatly appreciated.


----------



## MikeMar

My main one is Frugal and it's great. You can get 1 month for $5, that would be a good test

I have Frugal, a block from Blocknews (same server but frugal only has a retention of 300 days) and Astraweb block for my backup from another server


----------



## 3D

MikeMar said:


> My main one is Frugal and it's great. You can get 1 month for $5, that would be a good test
> 
> I have Frugal, a block from Blocknews (same server but frugal only has a retention of 300 days) and Astraweb block for my backup from another server


I think one of your posts on the last page is what put Frugal on my radar to begin with. However, there were later comments that it might be better to use a provider from the right side of the list, which is why I honed in on tweaknews (in addition to that one having been suggested in the guide I mentioned in my last post). Astraweb isn't really on the right or left side of that chart, so I'm not really sure where that one even fits in

If it matters for my question, I'm much more interested in an application like couch potato than sickbeard.


----------



## MikeMar

My current setup is those 3 servers I mentioned, and I use Sickbeard for TV shows and Coach potato for Movies. I have a few search sites (forget off the top of my head) I use as well.

And SABnzb for all the actual downloading


----------



## 3D

Thanks for the responses. I'm definitely leaning heavily towards frugal as my main provider, and suppose it's easy enough to play around with backups since they're purchased in blocks in any event. Last question, Do you happen to know if Frugal is paypal only?


----------



## MikeMar

3D said:


> Thanks for the responses. I'm definitely leaning heavily towards frugal as my main provider, and suppose it's easy enough to play around with backups since they're purchased in blocks in any event. Last question, Do you happen to know if Frugal is paypal only?


I think I just did a CC through paypal


----------



## 3D

Thanks again!


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> Thinking of dipping my feet in the usenet waters.


I highly recommend Frugal Usenet. I've been using them for 3 years.

You can get your feet wet with no cost.

"Usenetbucket" offers a 7 day free trial of their usenet service. No credit information needed to sign up. Full speed no data limits. It's a U.K business that resells Dutch usenet service.

https://www.usenetbucket.com/en/

As for a backup server, Tweaknews is the most recommended. But you can get the same thing for free.

"Xsusenet" offers a lifetime free account. They now resell Tweaknews service.

The free account is limited to 1mbit in speed and 2 connections. No data limit. 10 days retention. That's enough to be used as a backup server if your downloading new tv shows and movies. No SSL but that shouldn't turn you off since it's most likely won't be used nearly as much as Frugal or whatever your primary server will be.

http://www.xsusenet.com/


----------



## 3D

Thanks so much Mal


----------



## 3D

I guess my last question (famous last words) is what's a good free index until I can score an invite or luck out on open registration for one of the private ones. Is NZBNDX any good?


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> I guess my last question (famous last words) is what's a good free index until I can score an invite or luck out on open registration for one of the private ones. Is NZBNDX any good?


PM me your email address and I'll send you an invite to Nzb.su. It's a pretty good indexer.


----------



## 3D

PM sent. Thanks!


----------



## Malcontent

*DOGnzb celebrates 2nd birthday*

The indexer* Dognzb.cr* is currently open for new registrations. Probably will only last a few hours. If you wish to sign up, better hurry up.


----------



## 3D

I was on the lookout today because it's St. Patrick's Day and they seem to do this on holidays. Thanks for the heads up. Still open as of this posting.


----------



## Malcontent

*CouchPotato 2.4.0 released*

http://couchpota.to/updates/changelog.html

New:

IJustWatched Reddit userscript added
TorrentPotato provider
Boxcar2 notifaction
Pushbullet notifications

Fixed:

Path optimize and unicode fixes
Yify proxy
300+ other fixes and changes, but I'm to lazy to go through them
Improved:

HDBits provider uses API
Use ssl where possible
Encoding issues for automation providers
Downloader test buttons, to test connection
XBMC metadata, actors, fileinfo and images improvements
rTorrent downloader improvements
uTorrent downloader improvements
Updated to latest Python and libs


----------



## Malcontent

Looks like propagation issues on usenet tonight (03-17-2014). Sickbeard/Nzbdrone downloads might be screwed.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Looks like propagation issues on usenet tonight (03-17-2014). Sickbeard/Nzbdrone auto downloads might be screwed.


What do you mean that the auto downloads might be screwed?

Color me a little lost


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> What do you mean that the auto downloads might be screwed?
> 
> Color me a little lost


When the tv shows are uploaded to usenet, they are propagated to all other usenet provider's servers. Last night there was a glitch which delayed that propagation. Some indexing sites will go ahead and index these shows and create nzbs for them.

When Sickbeard/Nzbdrone tries to download the shows (NZB), they don't yet exist completely on your usenet server. Downloads will fail.


----------



## The Spud

The one Monday show I automatically download downloaded without issue as far as I can tell.


----------



## Malcontent

The Spud said:


> The one Monday show I automatically download downloaded without issue as far as I can tell.


I download several and almost all failed. Things corrected themselves 2-3 hours later.

It was talked about on Reddit.


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/20ojh0


----------



## vertigo235

I didn't have any problems


----------



## Malcontent

vertigo235 said:


> I didn't have any problems


Who is your usenet provider?


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> When the tv shows are uploaded to usenet, they are propagated to all other usenet provider's servers. Last night there was a glitch which delayed that propagation. Some indexing sites will go ahead and index these shows and create nzbs for them.
> 
> When Sickbeard/Nzbdrone tries to download the shows (NZB), they don't yet exist completely on your usenet server. Downloads will fail.


Ahh thanks, makes sense


----------



## vertigo235

Malcontent said:


> Who is your usenet provider?


I have frugal, xsusenet, easynews, and blocknews (which I think is the same as frugal anyhow just longer retention)

edit: but it looks like all my downloads from last night came succesfully from frugal and xsusenet (on the same level the rest are backups)


----------



## The Spud

Malcontent said:


> I download several and almost all failed. Things corrected themselves 2-3 hours later.
> 
> It was talked about on Reddit.
> 
> 
> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/20ojh0


That would make sense since the show downloaded about 3 hours after your original post. I download the Web-DL version and they aren't always immediately available, so I don't pay attention to when something downloads.


----------



## brettatk

I had 1 show out of 4 fail last night. I just downloaded it again and everything seems fine.


----------



## Malcontent

Those that didn't have issues last night most likely use indexers that didn't index the incomplete tv shows. Some indexers stopped indexing for 2-3 hours because of the propagation issues. Those resumed 'normal' indexing later allowing Sickbeard to download without issue.

Other indexers continued indexing and if Sickbeard/Nzbdrone used them, the downloads usually failed.


----------



## 3D

I wound up going with a Frugal/Tweaknews combo. If I want access to past seasons of shows, how likely is it that it would require a significant use of the Tweaknews backup (which goes back 1100 days to Frugal's 300)? I'll throw out an example that I am NOT looking to download. I'll say up front that I've been an HBO subscriber for as long as I can remember, I have HBO Go, have watched every episode of Game of Thrones, can access it any time I want from HBO Go, and have no reason to download Game of Thrones. However, if I wanted to, would trying to get access to episodes from the first two seasons be next to impossible without relying on my backup provider? Isn't it harder in general to get older episodes these days, with usenet really being best used as a source for newer material before it's taken down? I'm fully covered on the tv front and have no plans to cut the cord, so the only types of shows I'd be interested in finding are ones that no longer air regularly.


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> I wound up going with a Frugal/Tweaknews combo. If I want access to past seasons of shows, how likely is it that it would require a significant use of the Tweaknews backup (which goes back 1100 days to Frugal's 300)? Isn't it harder in general to get older episodes these days, with usenet really being best used as a source for newer material before it's taken down? I'm fully covered on the tv front and have no plans to cut the cord, so the only types of shows I'd be interested in finding are ones that no longer air regularly.


Although Frugal advertises 300 days retention, in reality it's a little longer. Why they do this? CYA? I've been able to download stuff 600-700 days reliably. What the actual limit is I don't know. Stuff at the *extreme* limit of their retention may download slower then earlier stuff.

Test this your self by download stuff over 300 days. Be careful with the server retention limit setting in Sabnbd. Don't put 300 days in there for Frugal. That will limit yourself. You can probably figure out what the reliable limit is.

Stuff targeted by DMCA is taken down regardless of what a providers retention is. But stuff is regularly being reposted. So automating your downloads with Sickbeard will eventually pick up any older stuff your looking for when it's reposted. Sickbeard can be used to watch for old episode as well has new.

I would suggest running your set up for awhile and see how well it works. You can make any adjustments you may need later.


----------



## vertigo235

As far as older shows, you will probably have to wait for them to be reposted anyhow, they get taken down pretty regularly and even the overseas providers like tweaknews are not going to have them.


----------



## vertigo235

I've noticed even free.xsusenet.com has items well past their advertized 10 day retention.


----------



## jollygrunt777

Malcontent said:


> Those that didn't have issues last night most likely use indexers that didn't index the incomplete tv shows. Some indexers stopped indexing for 2-3 hours because of the propagation issues. Those resumed 'normal' indexing later allowing Sickbeard to download without issue.
> 
> Other indexers continued indexing and if Sickbeard/Nzbdrone used them, the downloads usually failed.


I've been recently noticing issues with sickbeard not downloading as automatically as usual. I was wondering what the problem was.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## 3D

Malcontent said:


> Although Frugal advertises 300 days retention, in reality it's a little longer. Why they do this? CYA? I've been able to download stuff 600-700 days reliably. What the actual limit is I don't know. Stuff at the *extreme* limit of their retention may download slower then earlier stuff.
> 
> Test this your self by download stuff over 300 days. Be careful with the server retention limit setting in Sabnbd. Don't put 300 days in there for Frugal. That will limit yourself. You can probably figure out what the reliable limit is.
> 
> Stuff targeted by DMCA is taken down regardless of what a providers retention is. But stuff is regularly being reposted. So automating your downloads with Sickbeard will eventually pick up any older stuff your looking for when it's reposted. Sickbeard can be used to watch for old episode as well has new.
> 
> I would suggest running your set up for awhile and see how well it works. You can make any adjustments you may need later.





vertigo235 said:


> As far as older shows, you will probably have to wait for them to be reposted anyhow, they get taken down pretty regularly and even the overseas providers like tweaknews are not going to have them.


Thanks.


----------



## Malcontent

*Terabyte Tuesday*

'Newsgroupdirect' is selling 1 Terabyte usenet blocks for $35 for the next 2 days. A savings of $65 per block. From 12 AM EST on March 18 until 12 AM EST on March 20. They resell Highwinds usenet service.

http://www.newsgroupdirect.com/blog/


----------



## MikeMar

Been a while, but isn't Highwinds one of the bad services to get?

I could be WAY off though


----------



## jollygrunt777

MikeMar said:


> Been a while, but isn't Highwinds one of the bad services to get?
> 
> I could be WAY off though


That's what I have heard, but with sickbeard, I've had good luck getting the shows I wanted on various highwinds resellers. With movies though, it's hit and miss, as I haven't found a sickbeard for movies.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Been a while, but isn't Highwinds one of the bad services to get?
> 
> I could be WAY off though


Not any worse then Astraweb or Giganews/Supernews *NOW*. IMHO. With Astraweb having automated DMCA takedowns and propagation issues and Giganews/Supernews get having it's own occasional propagation problems.

In the past Highwinds was behind the others in terms of service but DMCA has pretty much leveled the playing field for the most part. Factor in Astraweb recurring propagation issues and auto DMCA take downs makes Highwinds more attractive. Highwinds resellers are more competitive in price.

With automation, not much of an issue which provider you choose. Having a Dutch backup provider will help.


----------



## Azlen

jollygrunt777 said:


> That's what I have heard, but with sickbeard, I've had good luck getting the shows I wanted on various highwinds resellers. With movies though, it's hit and miss, as I haven't found a sickbeard for movies.


The Sickbeard like program for movies is called Coach Potato. https://couchpota.to/


----------



## jollygrunt777

Malcontent said:


> With automation, not much of an issue which provider you choose. Having a Dutch backup provider will help.


Any suggestions for a good, safe Dutch reseller?

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## jollygrunt777

Azlen said:


> The Sickbeard like program for movies is called Coach Potato. https://couchpota.to/


I'll check it out. Thank you.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Malcontent

jollygrunt777 said:


> Any suggestions for a good, safe Dutch reseller?


"Xsusenet" offers a lifetime free account. They now resell Tweaknews service.

The free account is limited to 1mbit in speed and 2 connections. No data limit. 10 days retention (it's actually a little longer then advertised). That's enough to be used as a backup server if your downloading new tv shows and movies. No SSL but that shouldn't turn you off since it's most likely only going to be downloading the missing articles occasionally and Xsusenet is located in the Netherlands.

http://www.xsusenet.com/

If you need more retention/SSL you could buy a block directly from Tweaknews and get 1100 days retention.


----------



## logic88

I finally got around to trying out SABnzbd/Sickbeard. I followed this guide but I think I must have missed a step 'cause it isn't auto-downloading.

Is there an easy way to test the setup? I've setup a few shows but when I set episodes to "wanted", the NZBs are never downloaded.

I can manually download NZBs and have SABnzbd process them when I dump the NZBs into the watch folder but the auto-processing doesn't seem to be working.

Edit: Huh. It finally errored out. I guess I was missing the post-processing config step. I added the scripts folder to SABnzbd config and then renamed the sample script as well. Then a couple of episodes downloaded. Though not the one that triggered the error. I guess I'll find out over the next few days if there's anything else that I missed.


----------



## logic88

Two questions about SickBeard:

1. Should I select both the default Sickbeard NZB feed and the 3rd party NZB feed that I subscribe to? Or is just the 3rd party feed sufficient? I noticed that things are downloading twice but I'm not 100% if that's because I selected both feeds or because I was mucking around with selecting items as "wanted".

2. If I want both the SD and 720p versions of a show, do I add a show twice or is there a switch somewhere else that I can use?

Thanks!


----------



## logic88

One more question.

I noticed that SABnzbd/Sickbeard only decodes the video file itself. Is there a way to get the other files too? Things like NFOs and subtitle files can be useful.


----------



## Azlen

logic88 said:


> Two questions about SickBeard:
> 
> 1. Should I select both the default Sickbeard NZB feed and the 3rd party NZB feed that I subscribe to? Or is just the 3rd party feed sufficient? I noticed that things are downloading twice but I'm not 100% if that's because I selected both feeds or because I was mucking around with selecting items as "wanted".
> 
> 2. If I want both the SD and 720p versions of a show, do I add a show twice or is there a switch somewhere else that I can use?
> 
> Thanks!


1. You can select multiple search providers and it will only download the one it finds first. It won't download multiple times if you select multiple providers.

2. You can choose "Any" or the HD or SD version specifically but I'm not sure if you can choose to download both versions. You can always try to add one that gets the HD version and one that gets the SD and see if that works.


----------



## jimmyjjohn

Or so I've heard.


----------



## crowfan

On dognzb (or I guess really any site), is there a way to search for a specific file type (e.g., one that can be played on Apple TV without having to be transcoded)?


----------



## Azlen

crowfan said:


> On dognzb (or I guess really any site), is there a way to search for a specific file type (e.g., one that can be played on Apple TV without having to be transcoded)?


Almost everything in HD is an mkv and SD it's an mp4 or an avi. I haven't seen anything that would let you search beyond that. Anything else would be really rare anyway.


----------



## Azlen

logic88 said:


> One more question.
> 
> I noticed that SABnzbd/Sickbeard only decodes the video file itself. Is there a way to get the other files too? Things like NFOs and subtitle files can be useful.


In the post processing section you can select "move associated files" to do that.


----------



## Malcontent

Nzbdrone updated:

http://nzbdrone.com/

2.0.0.1293 - March 31 2014

New Added drone factory rescan button to Wanted
New Search for all missing episodes
New Support for Roksbox Metadata
New Failed download handling for Nzbget
New WDTV compatible metadata
New Added iCal feed for the calendar
Fixed Cleanup duplicate Series Metadata files in database on startup
Fixed Exclude @eaDir folders when adding existing series
Fixed Ignore Apple generated files when adding existing series
Fixed Calendar will show all downloading instead of top 15
Fixed Do not prevent adding of indexer when API request limit was reached
Fixed Only clear readonly flag when file has readonly flag
Fixed Downloading log file asking for password when authentication is disabled
Fixed Ended series will be refreshed from trakt every 30 days instead of daily
Fixed No longer listening on the https port when ssl is disabled.
Fixed Only vacuum the main db on startup


----------



## logic88

Azlen said:


> In the post processing section you can select "move associated files" to do that.


Cool. Thanks for the tip.

To answer my own question about downloading both SD and HD versions, it looks like this isn't possible unless you run multiple instances of SB.

https://code.google.com/p/sickbeard/issues/detail?id=379


----------



## MikeMar

Can you setup SickBeard for HD and that Dog indexer site (what the hell is the name of that one?) where you can subscribe to shows there.

I bet if you set 1 to 1 and the other to the other you will get both


----------



## Azlen

Sickbeard just downloaded the series finale of HIMYM a bit early. And it looks to be the actual episodes and not a fake.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I think Canada airs some shows an hour or two early.


----------



## logic88

MikeMar said:


> Can you setup SickBeard for HD and that Dog indexer site (what the hell is the name of that one?) where you can subscribe to shows there.
> 
> I bet if you set 1 to 1 and the other to the other you will get both


I don't this is possible with a single instance of SickBeard.

From that feature request, it doesn't sound like the developer is interested in adding this option any time soon so the workaround is to run another instance of SickBeard that listens on another port (i.e. 8081 instead of 8080).


----------



## MikeMar

logic88 said:


> I don't this is possible with a single instance of SickBeard.
> 
> From that feature request, it doesn't sound like the developer is interested in adding this option any time soon so the workaround is to run another instance of SickBeard that listens on another port (i.e. 8081 instead of 8080).


Do you use SABnzbd to download the files or Sickbeard (you can do that?)

I have Sickbeard and Couchpotato feeding files over to SABnzbd which does the downloading.

If I setup that dog indexer site with a subscription of something, it never goes near sickbeard


----------



## logic88

MikeMar said:


> Do you use SABnzbd to download the files or Sickbeard (you can do that?)
> 
> I have Sickbeard and Couchpotato feeding files over to SABnzbd which does the downloading.
> 
> If I setup that dog indexer site with a subscription of something, it never goes near sickbeard


Ah, sorry but I misunderstood your post. Now I see what you are saying.

I've been using Sickbeard to do all the processing and SABnzbd to do the downloading. I have not tried using Dognzb.cr's other features yet.

I'll try that later tonight and see how it works.


----------



## MikeMar

logic88 said:


> Ah, sorry but I misunderstood your post. Now I see what you are saying.
> 
> I've been using Sickbeard to do all the processing and SABnzbd to do the downloading. I have not tried using Dognzb.cr's other features yet.
> 
> I'll try that later tonight and see how it works.


yeah, I haven't done it either, but I can't see why it won't work since they wouldn't talk to each other and sending different files.

Good luck


----------



## vertigo235

Sickbeard hasn't had any feature updates in forever, I recently switched to a custom fork of sickbeard that has some extra features.

I'm using this fork right, now but I also have my own fork that I plan to play around with. 
https://github.com/echel0n/Sick-Beard.git

There is a thread on the sickbeard forums for this fork, and the developer is very open to adding new features, but there might be some bugs to work out. 
http://sickbeard.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8617


----------



## Malcontent

vertigo235 said:


> Sickbeard hasn't had any feature updates in forever,


That's why I switched to Nzbdrone. It's consistently being developed.

http://nzbdrone.com/


----------



## vertigo235

nzbdrone sounds great, but as of now I can't run it on my Synology NAS so it gets no attention from me


----------



## vertigo235

It appears that there has been progress though for nzbdrone on synology NAS, I will check it out as soon as it's available


----------



## harrinpj

nzb.su is still tellling me I have invites left. PM me your email address if you want one.


----------



## brettatk

Azlen said:


> Sickbeard just downloaded the series finale of HIMYM a bit early. And it looks to be the actual episodes and not a fake.


Mine did as well but take notice that it only downloaded Part 1. There is a Part 2 that Sick Beard isn't picking up. I was a bit confused after watching it thinking.. this is it? I just downloaded part 2 a little while ago that I'll be watching tonight.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Has Frugal been slow for others since yesterday? I get wild speed fluctuations. From 10KB/s to 12MB/s going up and down when grabbing recent content.


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> Has Frugal been slow for others since yesterday? I get wild speed fluctuations. From 10KB/s to 12MB/s going up and down when grabbing recent content.


I am home today and was just looking at it and noticed that! It was 90k for a bit now up to 500k

So yes, slow


----------



## Malcontent

Re: Frugal Speed issue

>router problems at datacenter tonight. employees there going in to look at things hands on.


----------



## Malcontent

Re: Frugal Speed issue

Frugal tech. says the router issue was in the US data center and should be fixed now.

I was using the European server and didn't notice any issues.


----------



## jollygrunt777

I've been having the same issue with another readnews reseller called fastusenet yesterday and this morning. 

Maybe it's a general readnews server farm problem.


----------



## 3D

DUDE_NJX said:


> Has Frugal been slow for others since yesterday? I get wild speed fluctuations. From 10KB/s to 12MB/s going up and down when grabbing recent content.


What do you normally get? I should be able to get 10MB/s but average about 3.5-4MB/s and only rarely get as high as 6MB/s. I'm pretty sure I use the U.S. server, which is supposed to be faster under normal conditions.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I usually get around 10-12 (on a good day). Some days 6-8.
My connection maxes out at 15MB/s


----------



## 3D

I wonder what I'm doing wrong.


----------



## Azlen

Anybody else get the Couch Potato April Fool's joke today?


----------



## Fofer

No, can you share it here?


----------



## Azlen

Fofer said:


> No, can you share it here?


As of today we also support downloading of adult movies. To test this, Pirates (2005) has been added.


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> What do you normally get? I should be able to get 10MB/s but average about 3.5-4MB/s and only rarely get as high as 6MB/s. I'm pretty sure I use the U.S. server, which is supposed to be faster under normal conditions.


How many connections are you using? What port number?


----------



## 3D

I'm using whatever port number was suggested by Frugal (IIRC, 563). 30 connections.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

FTR, I use 13 connections.


----------



## 3D

I'll try lowering the connections tonight and see if I get better results. Thanks for the info.


----------



## AeneaGames

brettatk said:


> Mine did as well but take notice that it only downloaded Part 1. There is a Part 2 that Sick Beard isn't picking up. I was a bit confused after watching it thinking.. this is it? I just downloaded part 2 a little while ago that I'll be watching tonight.


Had the same issue. Sickbeard uses episode information from thetvdb and it's listed there as one episode of 1 hour which is correct but the uploaders decided to split it in 2 separate files.

Other groups actually left it as one file though as it should have been.


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> I'll try lowering the connections tonight and see if I get better results. Thanks for the info.


To many connections sometimes can cause issues.

Also switch to SSL port 5563 on Frugal. Port 563 is the known universal usenet port and could be throttled by your ISP.


----------



## 3D

Will try tonight. Thanks for this, and for all the help you provide in this thread (both to me directly and to others, which I have certainly benefited from).


----------



## logic88

bengalfreak said:


> Not really. It does a good job of finding the subtitles, d/l them, and changing the name to match your video file, but it doesn't do any of it automatically, you still have to drag your video files to file bot to get it going. I'd like a completely automated solution. Don't know if its because I'm super busy or super lazy.


I've been trying FileBot and haven't had much luck. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong.

Is there a walk through somewhere for it?


----------



## cditty

Has anyone that uses sab and upgraded it within the last week noticed anything weird? I upgraded my version and now I can't connect to it except locally and sickbeard is saying there is a port error. Very frustrating.


----------



## Azlen

cditty said:


> Has anyone that uses sab and upgraded it within the last week noticed anything weird? I upgraded my version and now I can't connect to it except locally and sickbeard is saying there is a port error. Very frustrating.


Did the localhost port change at all? I've had that happen before. You just have to go in and change it back.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> If your happy with Sickbeard then no. Nzbdrone is just an alternative. I thought I would mention it for the benefit of others who might be interested in automating their downloads.
> 
> I do believe Drone is being more actively developed than Sickbeard. The developer is more responsive with users suggestions. The GUI is prettier and it runs faster. Integrates with usenet clients easier. Post processing of files is much easier without the use of scripts.


Just tried NzbDrone and while it's prettier than Sickbeard, there are a few things about it that I can't figure out. In SickBeard, if I want an episode, I change the status to "Wanted". How do you do this in NzbDrone?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Just tried NzbDrone and while it's prettier than Sickbeard, there are a few things about it that I can't figure out. In SickBeard, if I want an episode, I change the status to "Wanted". How do you do this in NzbDrone?


Tick the box (badge) in front of the episode. When clicked, the box should turn black.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Just tried NzbDrone and while it's prettier than Sickbeard, there are a few things about it that I can't figure out.


*Beginners Guide For Setting Up NzbDrone [Work In Progress]*

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oNctXXlMDFk_4FjOFcJMwu_f8Grjf9825PXVlPcNwwU/edit


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is anyone running it on a Mac? I wish someone made an installer. I don't feel like messing with individual packages.


----------



## 3D

Malcontent said:


> To many connections sometimes can cause issues.
> 
> Also switch to SSL port 5563 on Frugal. Port 563 is the known universal usenet port and could be throttled by your ISP.


Changed port and lowered connections to ten and then eight. No change. I'm not gonna' worry too much about it as 3-6 mb/s is certainly not unbearable. I don't download so much that it makes too big of a difference.


----------



## Malcontent

3D said:


> Changed port and lowered connections to ten and then eight. No change. I'm not gonna' worry too much about it as 3-6 mb/s is certainly not unbearable. I don't download so much that it makes too big of a difference.


As a Hail Mary, try switching servers. Frugal has US and European servers.

Edit:

Are the files your downloading new or old? Do you have the same download speed with new files and old?


----------



## 3D

I have downloaded relatively older stuff, but still within the 300 day retention of frugal (at least most of what I have downloaded falls into that category). I have thus far only downloaded hot off the press type of stuff on rare occasions. I don't recall ever going over 6mb/s, but some of the newer stuff might have gotten picked up while I wasn't on the computer.


----------



## cditty

Azlen said:


> Did the localhost port change at all? I've had that happen before. You just have to go in and change it back.


Actually, no. All the settings stayed the same. I ended up uninstalling it via apt-get and installed it with the ubuntu program installer(whatever it's called). SAB reinstalled and tried to run but said something was running on 8080. I checked, double-checked and even octobled-checked and there is nothing running on 8080. I have it on 8082 right now and will just blow away the complete sab install and saved files and reinstall this weekend. So frustrating when a working install gets screwed up by an upgrade.


----------



## brettatk

3D said:


> I have downloaded relatively older stuff, but still within the 300 day retention of frugal (at least most of what I have downloaded falls into that category). I have thus far only downloaded hot off the press type of stuff on rare occasions. I don't recall ever going over 6mb/s, but some of the newer stuff might have gotten picked up while I wasn't on the computer.


What kind of connection speed do you get from your ISP? Are you talking about the speeds you see in sabnzbd+?


----------



## 3D

I'm talking about the speeds I see from sabnzbd. When I run a speed test I get 50mb/s. My understanding is that I get a boost of some sort during the first minute or so of a download, which might be inflating that number, but I'd still expect to be getting at least 10mb/s with sabnzbd.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Perhaps routing between their servers and your ISP isn't optimal.


----------



## brettatk

3D said:


> I'm talking about the speeds I see from sabnzbd. When I run a speed test I get 50mb/s. My understanding is that I get a boost of some sort during the first minute or so of a download, which might be inflating that number, but I'd still expect to be getting at least 10mb/s with sabnzbd.


From the Sabnzbd FAQ's:



> "My Internet connection is 20 Mbps, and SAB only downloads at 2MB/s"?
> 
> This is bits versus bytes: ISPs advertise in bits/sec, SABnzbd shows you bytes/sec. Multiply SABnzbd's results by 8 or 10 to get bits/sec.


 8 * 6MB/s = 48 Mbps. That seems about right.


----------



## 3D

Problem solved!


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Is Frugal slow for anybody else tonight again? I'm lucky if I get 600KB/s.
I guess Game of Thrones brought it down


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Is Frugal slow for anybody else tonight again? I'm lucky if I get 600KB/s.
> I guess Game of Thrones brought it down


Yeah, Game of Thrones is to blame. Pretty sure other providers are feeling it to some extent. Speed usually returns to normal a couple of hours after Game of Thrones has been indexed.


----------



## vertigo235

I've tried to switch over to Frugal recently because it is well, cheap of course, but it doesn't hold a candle to easynews for speed. 

I enabled my easynews account tonight and it bumped right up to my bandwidth limit.


----------



## Malcontent

vertigo235 said:


> I've tried to switch over to Frugal recently because it is well, cheap of course, but it doesn't hold a candle to easynews for speed.
> 
> I enabled my easynews account tonight and it bumped right up to my bandwidth limit.


Speed is nice but I find completion more important. Especially when it comes to DMCA. Every major provider responds to DMCA. Some faster then others such as Highwinds (Easynews) and Astraweb.

The speed issues with Frugal only happen briefly when a VERY popular show like Game is released and only lasts for an hour or two.


----------



## vertigo235

I've never had a real issue with DMCA since I hit it hard right after release. Speed is important to me.


----------



## Malcontent

vertigo235 said:


> I've never had a real issue with DMCA since I hit it hard right after release. Speed is important to me.


To each his own.

What happens on those occasions you don't hit things right after release? Like if you forget or life gets in the way.

Do you ever download older stuff?


----------



## vertigo235

I've never had any real issues. I do also have a blocknews account. I recently added a block of tweak news too.


----------



## Malcontent

*Sickbeard: Build 504 Released*

Changelog:

https://github.com/midgetspy/Sick-Beard/wiki/ChangeLog


----------



## mm2margaret

As I have one of the major providers of internet access, I want to be careful when I download.

What's a good cheap vpn I can use to protect myself?


----------



## cheesesteak

mm2margaret said:


> As I have one of the major providers of internet access, I want to be careful when I download.
> 
> What's a good cheap vpn I can use to protect myself?


I use IP Vanish but they were glitchy for a couple of weeks recently and I started looking around for another vendor but they've been really good for the last two weeks so I'm still using them.


----------



## Fofer

I've heard of using VPN when Bittorrenting (as downloading also uploads as a seeder) but realistically speaking, how necessary is that for downloading via Usenet?

Have folks gotten notices from their ISP's due to downloading copyrighted content via Usenet?


----------



## Azlen

You don't need a VPN for usenet. The reason people use them with torrenting is because when you are in a torrent swarm, your IP address is revealed to everyone else in the swarm. No such issue exists with usenet.


----------



## brettatk

I've never gotten a notice from my ISP downloading via Usenet. I received several when I was torrenting which is why I switched to Usenet in the first place. I agree, no VPN is needed.


----------



## Malcontent

You don't need VPN for *downloading* content from usenet. Using SSL is enough. The majority of usenet providers don't keep logs of what content is downloaded. Most providers spell this out in their FAQ.

You might need VPN if you were *uploading* (sharing) content to usenet.

If you need VPN for other stuff then you might look at '_Private Internet Access_'. They have a good word of mouth.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/


----------



## Jeeters

I've never gotten a notice from my ISP for downloading from usenet. But my Usenet provider provides an SSL connection to their servers, so I suppose my ISP can't really see what I'm downloading if they wanted to, anyways.

I've also never gotten a notice from my Usenet provider for anything I've downloaded from Usenet.

But, my Usenet provider sent me a DMCA notice a few months ago because I went and torrented something that I couldn't get on Usenet. I couldn't figure it out at first, but I soon learn that it was because that When torrenting, I would use a VPN that my Usenet provider gave me access to as part of my premium level subscription with them.

I learned after I got the DMCA notice that although they don't keep logs on who downloads what from their Usenet servers (likely due to sheer volume), their VPN service, ironically, does keep logs on what IP addresses their VPN hands out and to whom, and cooperates when asked to ID an IP address traced to their VPN. I immediately changed my premium subcription level to something lower and cheaper (thus dumping the VPN service), and changed to using Private Internet Access who claim to not do any logging.


----------



## Fofer

Jeeters said:


> But, my Usenet provider sent me a DMCA notice a few months ago because I went and torrented something that I couldn't get on Usenet. I couldn't figure it out at first, but I soon learn that it was because that When torrenting, I would use a VPN that my Usenet provider gave me access to as part of my premium level subscription with them.
> 
> I learned after I got the DMCA notice that although they don't keep logs on who downloads what from their Usenet servers (likely due to sheer volume), their VPN service, ironically, does keep logs on what IP addresses their VPN hands out and to whom, and cooperates when asked to ID an IP address traced to their VPN. I immediately changed my premium subcription level to something lower and cheaper (thus dumping the VPN service), and changed to using Private Internet Access who claim to not do any logging.


Wow, that's crazy on so many levels! A DMCS notice from the USENET provider and not your ISP? And they were able to pin the infringement on you because you were using their own VPN service? Ironic indeed, and quite unexpected. What Usenet provider is THAT? Yeesh!


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Wow, that's crazy on so many levels! A DMCS notice from the USENET provider and not your ISP? And they were able to pin the infringement on you because you were using their own VPN service? Ironic indeed, and quite unexpected. What Usenet provider is THAT? Yeesh!


I heard Giganews does this. They will shield their customers identities but will pass along DMCA notices when using their VPN. If your a regular offender, they will cancel your accounts with no refunds.


----------



## Jeeters

Malcontent said:


> I heard Giganews does this. They will shield their customers identities but will pass along DMCA notices when using their VPN. If your a regular offender, they will cancel your accounts with no refunds.


Yes, it was Giganews and their VyperVPN service.


----------



## Fofer

Malcontent said:


> I heard Giganews does this. They will shield their customers identities but will pass along DMCA notices when using their VPN. If your a regular offender, they will cancel your accounts with no refunds.


So what, in the world, would anyone want to use their VPN service for? Sounds like a honeypot to me. Yeesh. That really sucks.

This thread now has me considering a provider switch. I've been grandfathered into Giganews for a long time now (member since 2004!) It's worked fast and fine with excellent retention. At least, it always seems to grant me the most access to the oldest uploads. I've been paying $12.99 and get 59.5 GB, with 20 Connections per month. (I'm on the "Silver" plan which is 50 GB and I think I must've earned the additional 9.5 GB/month from referrals over the years.) That price didn't initially include SSL (was a $2/month extra) but it appears that it does now. I just enabled it 

Truth be told, these days I only manually go in a few times a month (maximum) to grab a thing or two. Looking at my transfer history, it looks like I range between 0 and 15 GB per month. Only once or twice have I been in the 20 to 30 GB range. And I also note that some Usenet providers now have "unlimited" plans for less.

So it feels like it's finally time to dump Giganews. (And thankfully I have never subscribed to their VPN service.)

My go-to indexer these days is nzb.su and sometimes dognzb.cr.
I use Unison on my Mac as the downloader.

I frequently like grabbing older stuff, I am not using Usenet to "cut the cord" and download current content as much, so retention is more important to me. So is SSL, and compatibility with Unison. I also see that Unison has a setting for "backup server." What Usenet provider(s) would you recommend for me as an inexpensive yet suitable and safe replacement to Giganews?

Thanks for detailed heads-up, Jeeters, that inspired me to finally switch. And thanks for all the great info and advice, Malcontent! Your participation in this thread is really appreciated.


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> This thread now has me considering a provider switch.


With your relatively low monthly usage, you might consider buying usenet blocks instead of monthly unlimited. Blocks (quotas) are one off charges and they don't expire.

For example you could buy a 100 gig block for around $15 (one off). Whatever you download is subtracted from that 100 gigs until you use them all up. Then you would buy more usenet blocks. The blocks don't expire from non use. You can take as much time to use up all the block.

Blocks can range anywhere from 5 gigs to 3tb. Depends on how much you wish to buy.


----------



## MikeMar

And certain sites do sales, so you could buy a little and wait for a sale to buy a lot


----------



## Ment

Malcontent said:


> You don't need VPN for *downloading* content from usenet. Using SSL is enough. The majority of usenet providers don't keep logs of what content is downloaded. Most providers spell this out in their FAQ.
> 
> You might need VPN if you were *uploading* (sharing) content to usenet.
> 
> If you need VPN for other stuff then you might look at '_Private Internet Access_'. They have a good word of mouth.
> 
> https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/


There are also block VPN just like block Usenet. I signed up for 150GB at vpn.sh for a few bucks (BTC accepted) good for a year for when I need to get around region blocks.


----------



## laria

Bummer, my DOGnzb account doesn't work anymore.  I signed up 2 months ago when it was open for registration for a couple hours, but I can't login anymore or reset my password.


----------



## Fofer

Malcontent said:


> With your relatively low monthly usage, you might consider buying usenet blocks instead of monthly unlimited. Blocks (quotas) are one off charges and they don't expire.
> 
> For example you could buy a 100 gig block for around $15 (one off). Whatever you download is subtracted from that 100 gigs until you use them all up. Then you would buy more usenet blocks. The blocks don't expire from non use. You can take as much time to use up all the block.
> 
> Blocks can range anywhere from 5 gigs to 3tb. Depends on how much you wish to buy.





MikeMar said:


> And certain sites do sales, so you could buy a little and wait for a sale to buy a lot


Yes, that sounds more up my alley and is certainly more cost-conscious. I'll bet 200 GB would last me a year or more. So which reputable provider (with good retention and SSL) offer plans like that?


----------



## Ment

laria said:


> Bummer, my DOGnzb account doesn't work anymore.  I signed up 2 months ago when it was open for registration for a couple hours, but I can't login anymore or reset my password.


they trimmed their roster and then opened for new subs for a short time.


----------



## laria

Ment said:


> they trimmed their roster and then opened for new subs for a short time.


Seems kinda fast to trim someone that just signed up two months ago.


----------



## Ment

laria said:


> Seems kinda fast to trim someone that just signed up two months ago.


I'd have to search and see what their policy is about new signups but they probably assume new people would be on the site regular to start out and if they're not, its space for more interested members. Torrent sites often do the same thing. I put all my time based sign-up in a group tab with auto-login and open it once a month whether I actually use it or not.


----------



## Fofer

laria said:


> Seems kinda fast to trim someone that just signed up two months ago.


I rarely use dognzb but it's my backup for NZB.su. I paid $10 for VIP membership at dognzb though, and that seems to have protected my account from deletion-from-inactivity.


----------



## laria

Fofer said:


> I rarely use dognzb but it's my backup for NZB.su. I paid $10 for VIP membership at dognzb though, and that seems to have protected my account from deletion-from-inactivity.


Someone hooked me up with a new invite and I will do this so it doesn't get closed on me again.  :up:


----------



## laria

laria said:


> Someone hooked me up with a new invite and I will do this so it doesn't get closed on me again.  :up:


I see now what happened. When I went looking for the place to donate just now, I got a popup that said my Trial Account would last for a 10 day evaluation period, and if I wanted to keep it open longer than that then I would need to donate the $10.

I just rushed through the process during the open registration window a couple months back to get signed up while it was still open, but did not have any need to download anything right then so didn't use the site and see that.


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Yes, that sounds more up my alley and is certainly more cost-conscious. I'll bet 200 GB would last me a year or more. So which reputable provider (with good retention and SSL) offer plans like that?


http://blocknews.net/


----------



## Malcontent

laria said:


> I see now what happened. When I went looking for the place to donate just now, I got a popup that said my Trial Account would last for a 10 day evaluation period, and if I wanted to keep it open longer than that then I would need to donate the $10.
> 
> I just rushed through the process during the open registration window a couple months back to get signed up while it was still open, but did not have any need to download anything right then so didn't use the site and see that.


If you want an invite to Dognzb, PM me an email address and I'll send you one.


----------



## laria

Malcontent said:


> If you want an invite to Dognzb, PM me an email address and I'll send you one.


I got an invite earlier. But thanks!


----------



## brettatk

The same thing happened with me and dognzb. I figured it was because I didn't donate the $10. I think I'm good with NZBS(dot)org and the Sick Beard Index as my backup. If I ever have any problems downloading what I want then I might rethink and donate money to another indexer.


----------



## vertigo235

I have two indexers nzbs.org, and dognzb

You really need to have a backup because indexers have a way of disappearing when you least expect it. I added dognzb when nzbs.org said they were going to shut down, but they later retraced that statement and stuck around.


----------



## laria

Yeah, I was happy to pick up dognzb as a second source (well I'll probably use it as my primary). My previous primary was nzbs.in.


----------



## brettatk

Ok, I've been persuaded. Anybody have a dognzb invite they can send?


----------



## The Spud

PM your email address and I will send you an invite.


----------



## The Spud

Invite sent.


----------



## brettatk

The Spud said:


> Invite sent.


Thank you, I really appreciate it!

ETA:

I've donated my $10 and I'm trying to get remote push set up. I have the exact same Sabnzbd integration settings that work in nzbs.org but with dognzb I'm getting the error: Remote Push could not be enabled: connection failure. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

For some reason I needed to change my sabnzbd port in order for that to work.


----------



## Malcontent

brettatk said:


> Thank you, I really appreciate it!
> 
> ETA:
> 
> I've donated my $10 and I'm trying to get remote push set up. I have the exact same Sabnzbd integration settings that work in nzbs.org but with dognzb I'm getting the error: Remote Push could not be enabled: connection failure. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?


Are you forwarding the port in your router? The correct SAB API key in the Dognzb setup field?

In Sabnzb setup: 'General':'Sabnzbd Host'= 0.0.0.0


----------



## jollygrunt777

Ment said:


> they trimmed their roster and then opened for new subs for a short time.


 I had wondered what had happened when I couldn't log in anymore. I was thinking that I had gotten hacked some how.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## brettatk

It appears it was a problem with my local machine. I should have tried rebooting it first. Everything seems to be working now. Thanks!


----------



## cditty

I haven't seen it here, did DogNZB go away? So much for the money I paid for subscription service.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Do you not see posts above yours?


----------



## cditty

Honestly, no, but then I didn't look. Sinus issues today are making me barely functional. I'll go back and take a look. 

thanks


----------



## logic88

DUDE_NJX said:


> Do you not see posts above yours?


If you paid the $10, your account should always stay active and not get trimmed.

That said, I haven't had any problems with them. There are the occasional hiccups but since I check every 10 minutes, the next update usually works fine.


----------



## cditty

When I go to the dognzb site I get sent to a Wikipedia page.


----------



## Fofer

Are you going to https://dognzb.cr/browse ??

Working fine for me...


----------



## bengalfreak

Malcontent said:


> http://blocknews.net/


Astraweb is much cheaper for blocks. 1000 GB is only $50. I'm still using it more than 18 mos. later.


----------



## pteronaut

cditty said:


> When I go to the dognzb site I get sent to a Wikipedia page.


Are you using a new browser, a different computer or have recently cleared your cookies?

http://dognzb.cr automatically redirects to Wikipedia if it cannot detect a cookie which it leaves behind once you have successfully logged in.

http://dognzb.cr/login should get you where you want.


----------



## Fofer

Yep, https://dognzb.cr/browse is my actual browser bookmark...


----------



## bareyb

Fofer said:


> Yep, https://dognzb.cr/browse is my actual browser bookmark...


Works fine for me too.


----------



## Malcontent

bengalfreak said:


> Astraweb is much cheaper for blocks. 1000 GB is only $50. I'm still using it more than 18 mos. later.


Might be a bigger commitment then he's interested in. At least at first. Blocknews offers more choices at different price points.


----------



## bareyb

Blocknews is a lot slower to comply with DMCA takedown orders compared to Astra. Astra is usually one of the first ones to pull material off their servers once the DMCA takedowns are released.


----------



## Malcontent

Astraweb has automated their DMCA take down process. No human involvement on Astraweb's part. No human checks to see if the DMCA request is valid.


----------



## vertigo235

yeah I don't see any reason to have a block account from astraweb


----------



## Malcontent

Astraweb is getting dumped on but to be fair, many many people are happy with them.

I have to give them props because they were the ones that priced their service competitively several years ago (kleverig deal) that force pretty much all other usenet providers to lower their prices. Well, except the mother ship Giganews. They also were the first to start increasing their retention regularly. That forced other providers to upgrade their retention. 

I don't like them personally because of the automated DMCA take downs. In truth all the major usenet providers honor valid DMCA take down requests. Some faster then others. I hated that Astraweb made it so freaking easy.

Depending on what you download and how fast you do it, Astraweb can be no worse then anyone else.


----------



## Fofer

Malcontent said:


> Might be a bigger commitment then he's interested in. At least at first. Blocknews offers more choices at different price points.


Yep, thanks. I just signed up for Blocknews at the 200 GB tier. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll cancel Giganews shortly if all goes well.

Is there a backup server I should couple with Blocknews? Especially now that I'm saving so much $$ from the switch I figured it might be worth it for more retention and redundancy.


----------



## Malcontent

Fofer said:


> Is there a backup server I should couple with Blocknews? Especially now that I'm saving so much $$ from the switch I figured it might be worth it for more retention and redundancy.


Blocknews is usually the go to recommendation for a backup server. But if you want redundancy in terms of completion you might consider buying a usenet block from tweaknews.eu

Their a Dutch provider that has a reputation for having less issues with DMCA. They have a free trial you can use to see how you like the service.

Edit:

Forgot to mention that Blocknews has great customer support. Their very responsive and go out of their way to help you.


----------



## Fofer

Sweet! Thanks so much. I'm checking out tweaknews.eu now, and if I like when I see, will sign up for one of their blocks too.


----------



## brettatk

I've been very happy with Astraweb. I can't remember the last time I wasn't able to get what I wanted to get and I download quite a bit. If it ever gets to the point I am unhappy, I'll look for an alternative.


----------



## bengalfreak

Malcontent said:


> Astraweb has automated their DMCA take down process. No human involvement on Astraweb's part. No human checks to see if the DMCA request is valid.


Hasn't stopped me from getting anything. You just can't use them to get old stuff.


----------



## Fofer

bengalfreak said:


> Hasn't stopped me from getting anything. You just can't use them to get old stuff.


But if other usenet providers *do* have the old stuff, why bother with a provider who doesn't?

(At least in my case, I'm more interested in the old stuff.)


----------



## logic88

I have both a regular Tweaknews account and a small block account with Astraweb. I've actually found that for a lot of things that I'm looking for, Astraweb has it complete while Tweaknews has large chunks missing. But since Tweaknews is cheaper and good enough for my needs, I've stuck with them.


----------



## laria

I still have an Astraweb block because I got a 1 TB block back last year for like $30 when I lost a ton of TV off a dying TiVo and had to recover a bunch of shows. This was before the automated DMCA thing. I think I still have like 950 GB.  So, I'll have that block forever. After the DMCA stuff, I got a smaller block at Blocknews for a backup, although the things I was trying to get were also missing from Blocknews, and I ended up just dropping the show (Nashville) from my watchlist entirely because I was never able to complete the episodes and they never came back up on reruns for me to record again.


----------



## Ment

So Astraweb no longer has automated DMCA takedown? Had a small block acct with them a ways back but used it up ASAP as the automated stuff had popular shows unavailable with an couple hours time.


----------



## Fofer

I've been testing the combination of BlockNews and Tweaknews (with the latter as the backup.) So far so good. I'm an infrequent downloader, only manual stuff from time to time (I'm not a cord-cutter) and the handful of things I've looked for in the last few days have downloaded fine.

When this month's subscription is over, it'll be time to finally bid adieu to Giganews. This save me a lot of money. Thanks all for the great advice, everybody!


----------



## Fofer

Ment said:


> So Astraweb no longer has automated DMCA takedown?


Where'd ya glean that from? I haven't seen any post here that says that...


----------



## Malcontent

Ment said:


> So Astraweb no longer has automated DMCA takedown?


It still continues.


----------



## Ment

Fofer said:


> Where'd ya glean that from? I haven't seen any post here that says that...


brettatk said he was happy with Astra and I can't see how that can be with automated takedown.


----------



## Fofer

Maybe the things he's interested in downloading haven't been subjected to DMCA takedowns?


----------



## cditty

Thanks for the Dognzb tips. That was it. I guess my cookie expired and I didn't remember the other link. 

I have Astraweb and don't have any real complaints. I get the shows I want, when I want them.


----------



## Ment

Fofer said:


> Maybe the things he's interested in downloading haven't been subjected to DCAM takedowns?


That could be. My DL habits tend toward the premium networks which tend to attract DMCA attention.


----------



## brettatk

I download local, cable, and premium network shows and have never had an issue. I do mostly catch shows within an hour after they are released. But I have gone back and downloaded entire seasons as well without ever having a problem. Maybe I've just dodged those that attract DMCA attention. But until I have issues, I have no reason to switch from Astraweb to another Usenet provider.


----------



## laria

brettatk said:


> I download local, cable, and premium network shows and have never had an issue. I do mostly catch shows within an hour after they are released. But I have gone back and downloaded entire seasons as well without ever having a problem. Maybe I've just dodged those that attract DMCA attention. But until I have issues, I have no reason to switch from Astraweb to another Usenet provider.


Even after the automated takedowns started, I did not really have any problem with Astraweb, either. The issues that I was having with Nashville had started long before the automation, so I don't blame that.


----------



## Fofer

For me I think it's more a matter of principle:



Malcontent said:


> I don't like them personally because of the automated DMCA take downs. In truth all the major usenet providers honor valid DMCA take down requests. Some faster then others. I hated that Astraweb made it so freaking easy.


----------



## brettatk

laria said:


> Even after the automated takedowns started, I did not really have any problem with Astraweb, either. The issues that I was having with Nashville had started long before the automation, so I don't blame that.


I don't think I've ever downloaded Nashville, I record that with my TiVo. I did just test and downloaded an episode from Season 1 without any issues. Not sure why you weren't able to complete your downloads.

Does anyone have an example of something they couldn't get with Astraweb due to DMCA takedowns? I actually download quite a bit, I'm really surprised I haven't come across if it's as bad as some people say.


----------



## laria

brettatk said:


> I don't think I've ever downloaded Nashville, I record that with my TiVo. I did just test and downloaded an episode from Season 1 without any issues. Not sure why you weren't able to complete your downloads.


It was a couple of specific episodes, that I have long forgotten, but it also may be that they are only vigilant about taking down the current season episodes. I was trying to download them in relatively close to when they'd aired. A few episodes that I did get, I had no problem, but then there were just a couple stubborn ones... they weren't in Comcast's VOD, and there was only like one single episode source (compared to multiples for other eps) on the indexing sites I was using, and it was never complete.


----------



## Ment

brettatk said:


> I don't think I've ever downloaded Nashville, I record that with my TiVo. I did just test and downloaded an episode from Season 1 without any issues. Not sure why you weren't able to complete your downloads.
> 
> Does anyone have an example of something they couldn't get with Astraweb due to DMCA takedowns? I actually download quite a bit, I'm really surprised I haven't come across if it's as bad as some people say.


Back when I had Astra any popular HBO stuff got taken down pronto after broadcast.

Wonder if a reduction in DMCA request is what is actually happening. Perhaps they've found employing third parties to send scripted mass DMCA requests for them wasn't working.


----------



## The Spud

Out of curiosity I tried to download the Pilot episode of Nashville and was unable to do so. I have blocks with 4 different companies.


----------



## Fofer

Out of curiosity, I just tried the same and was successful. NZB.su search showed five results, I grabbed one, it downloaded fine, and it's playing right now.

File name: "Nashville S01E01 Pilot WEB DL XviD-iLoadz"
File size: 378.75 MB
File type: AVI

My servers are tweaknews (currently a free trial) and BlockNews. Spud, what 4 companies are you with?


----------



## brettatk

I don't watch a ton of HBO shows. I've downloaded Deadwood in the past. I haven't had any trouble downloading Silicon Valley.


----------



## brettatk

The Spud said:


> Out of curiosity I tried to download the Pilot episode of Nashville and was unable to do so. I have blocks with 4 different companies.


I just tried to download a couple of HD versions and they all failed. I tried one SD version and it downloaded without any issues. I can go without HD for an episode here and there if necessary.


----------



## The Spud

Fofer said:


> Out of curiosity, I just tried the same and was successful. NZB.su search showed five results, I grabbed one, it downloaded fine, and it's playing right now.
> 
> File name: "Nashville S01E01 Pilot WEB DL XviD-iLoadz"
> File size: 378.75 MB
> File type: AVI
> 
> My servers are tweaknews (currently a free trial) and BlockNews. Spud, what 4 companies are you with?


I only tried to download an HD version.

I have blocks with Newsgroup Direct, Blocknews, Astraweb and Tweaknews. Since I primarily download current stuff I probably don't need all 4.


----------



## Ment

ah perhaps the auto scrape scripts have to include x264 or H264 and thus miss the mSD and xvid ones.


----------



## logic88

With the recent change in dognzb's URL, I accidentally had to rely on just Womble's and the Sickbeard index for a few days. Sickbeard still grabbed all of the shows so I guess subscribing to a premium nzb provider is more for older uploads and not recent ones?


----------



## Ment

logic88 said:


> With the recent change in dognzb's URL, I accidentally had to rely on just Womble's and the Sickbeard index for a few days. Sickbeard still grabbed all of the shows so I guess subscribing to a premium nzb provider is more for older uploads and not recent ones?


yes any index or if you roll your own will contain nzb from the popular newsgroups

just by filling with nzb from
lt.binaries.boneless
alt.binaries.hdtv
alt.binaries.hdtv.x264
alt.binaries.movies
alt.binaries.tv
alt.binaries.tvseries

you probably get 95% of what people DL. Its devoting space to backfilling the other 5% that premium indexes shine.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> With the recent change in dognzb's URL, I accidentally had to rely on just Womble's and the Sickbeard index for a few days. Sickbeard still grabbed all of the shows so I guess subscribing to a premium nzb provider is more for older uploads and not recent ones?


Sickbeard's index only deals with TV shows. Not movies, games, music, books, software, ect. It can only be accessed through Sickbeard.

If your interested in downloading anything other then TV shows, then a premium indexer would be needed. With an premium indexer, you can also perform more precise searches for what your looking for.

Also for redundancy really. Sickbeard's index has on average a lot more issues from time to time then a decent premium indexer. Because it's free, pretty much everyone who installs and runs Sickbeard uses it. That's a lot of people hitting the Sickbeard index.


----------



## GoPackGo

Everyone knows that Dog's API address changed, right?

It's now https://api.dognzb.cr

I hadn't noticed at first because Sickbeard just failed over to the Sickbeard Index. It was CouchPotato not finding things that made me investigate.


----------



## vertigo235

thanks I didn't notice that


----------



## Malcontent

The Admin on Dognzb added a banner on the website for the last 10 days or so letting users know about the API address change taking affect May 1.

The banner has since been removed.


----------



## vertigo235

seems more important to have the banner after the change takes place, not before, because people would visit the site once their api would stop working.


----------



## Malcontent

NZBDrone is coming to Synology.


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/24orbk


----------



## vertigo235

I'm already running it on my synology. I like it.


----------



## 3D

I'm interested to hear what others do as far as English subtitles for non-English moments in English language films, particularly when you transcode or remux after downloading. It seems that only some movies have those subtitles as hard subtitles where one wouldn't need to do anything but transcode/remux as usual. For most titles, you'd need to open the original file with VLC and check to see if there are any forced subtitle tracks and, if so, which one. My concern is identifying the rare file that doesn't include any option for just displaying the English subtitles for the non-English portions (i.e., the file only has the all or nothing option). Are there common solutions to this issue or ways to check before downloading?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I mux subs tracks with the main movie, just in case, and turn them on if a part of the movie requires it.


----------



## 3D

That's what I'm trying to avoid, having to manually switch during discreet parts of a movie that would normally just have the subtitles for that part.


----------



## Fofer

Here's a Google Spreadsheet I bookmarked long ago:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=t8Xb85eyNFtZ3vaNK8gqkbQ&single=true&gid=0&output=html

Although it's precisely issues like this that has me avoiding building my own local movie archive. Even the concern would drive me batty.


----------



## 3D

That's a very useful link. Thanks!


----------



## logic88

I usually watch everything with subs enabled but if you just want forced subs, they are usually available at a site like subscene.com.


----------



## 3D

Interesting cite. How does that work (i.e. how do you combine the subtitle file with a pre-existing one)?


----------



## logic88

You don't really. You just pick which sub stream to use in whatever app you're using to view.

For example, if your file has only has full subs muxed in, you can download the forced sub file and then switch to that sub stream. Then only the non-English parts will be subbed.


----------



## 3D

Ok. I'm not sure if that would work for my use. I generally just keep a file for streaming to a device (apple tv or roku). If the track is already embedded in the file when I transcode or remux, I am given the option of having either handbrake or ivi include the subtitle tracks of my choice in the transcoded/remuxed file. Don't think that would work if the subtitle track I want to use is in the same folder as the movie, but not part of the same file.


----------



## logic88

What format are you using? I assume MKV?

If so, you can use something like mkvtoolnix to remux the SRT file into the MKV.

http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkvtoolnix/

Info on the GUI frontend if you're not into CLIs.

http://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkvtoolnix/doc/mkvmerge-gui.html


----------



## 3D

I'll check it out. Thanks.


----------



## JYoung

3D said:


> Ok. I'm not sure if that would work for my use. I generally just keep a file for streaming to a device (apple tv or roku). If the track is already embedded in the file when I transcode or remux, I am given the option of having either handbrake or ivi include the subtitle tracks of my choice in the transcoded/remuxed file. Don't think that would work if the subtitle track I want to use is in the same folder as the movie, but not part of the same file.


IIRC, Handbrake has an option to import separate subtitles files.


----------



## 3D

Thanks JYoung, that would be the perfect solution if I could combine the subtitle files from the link provided by logic88 with the original file through handbrake.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

That's exactly what I meant


----------



## logic88

DUDE_NJX said:


> I mux subs tracks with the main movie, just in case, and turn them on if a part of the movie requires it.





DUDE_NJX said:


> That's exactly what I meant


Ah. I think most people thought you meant that you muxed regular full subs into your files and then manually turned them on for the foreign language parts instead of using the forced sub version. At least that's what I thought.


----------



## 3D

DUDE_NJX said:


> That's exactly what I meant





logic88 said:


> Ah. I think most people thought you meant that you muxed regular full subs into your files and then manually turned them on for the foreign language parts instead of using the forced sub version. At least that's what I thought.


That's certainly what I thought. What's with all the smiles?


----------



## netw0rks

There is no such thing as Usenet. That is all.


----------



## JYoung

3D said:


> Thanks JYoung, that would be the perfect solution if I could combine the subtitle files from the link provided by logic88 with the original file through handbrake.


----------



## 3D

Thanks again.


----------



## MikeMar

Sickbeard with DOGnzb question

I have a DOGnzb account and in that an API code, I put that in a provider and get this message when it searches 
Unknown error given from Dog: API Disabled

I have it set at this, is it correct? https://dognzb.cr/

-I tried https://api.dognzb.cr and that seems to do the trick. Had to refresh the API on dog


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Sickbeard with DOGnzb question
> 
> I have a DOGnzb account and in that an API code, I put that in a provider and get this message when it searches
> Unknown error given from Dog: API Disabled
> 
> I have it set at this, is it correct? https://dognzb.cr/
> 
> -I tried https://api.dognzb.cr and that seems to do the trick. Had to refresh the API on dog


Yes, the Admin moved the API to a dedicated server and changed the address to: api.dognzb.cr

This took effect May 1.


----------



## cditty

Does anyone have a dognzb invite they can spare? I am 80 days away from being able to send one.


----------



## gossamer88

Is this a good deal?

Also, I'm a newbie when it comes to this stuff, does it last 'til you run out or does it expire?


----------



## cditty

For $30, it's not a bad deal. But, I always had issues with them having complete files. I basically use them as a backup server.

ETA: It's good until the last drop.


----------



## vertigo235

Block accounts normally do not expire, it seems like a good deal to me.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Does anyone have a dognzb invite they can spare? I am 80 days away from being able to send one.


PM me an email address.

I'm heading out the door now but will take care of it when I return home.


----------



## The Spud

gossamer88 said:


> Is this a good deal?
> 
> Also, I'm a newbie when it comes to this stuff, does it last 'til you run out or does it expire?


I use them as my primary provider and I haven't had any problems with them. This is a great deal as IIRC their Terabyte Tuesday deal is usually $40.


----------



## innocentfreak

Media Center Master
 is doing a fundraiser for new server hardware if you are looking for another indexer. http://www.gofundme.com/8veki0

They have been around awhile and his program is pretty well known among Windows Media Center users.


----------



## logic88

cditty said:


> Does anyone have a dognzb invite they can spare? I am 80 days away from being able to send one.


When do you get an invite? I joined about 100 days ago and still have 0 invites in my profile.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> When do you get an invite? I joined about 100 days ago and still have 0 invites in my profile.


6 months.


----------



## Malcontent

New Sickbeard update.

build 505 (2014-06-04)

Change Log:

https://github.com/midgetspy/Sick-Beard/wiki/ChangeLog


----------



## Pralix

Anyone notice an uptick in password protected files on usenet? To get the password you have to download crapware if Windows, if on Linux, do surveys. Seems every posting for the latest GoT episode is pw protected.


----------



## Malcontent

Pralix said:


> Anyone notice an uptick in password protected files on usenet? To get the password you have to download crapware if Windows, if on Linux, do surveys. Seems every posting for the latest GoT episode is pw protected.


Most decent indexers do an ok job of weeding them out but the scammers are always changing tactics to try and get them through. The best thing is to report them when you see them so that the admin of the indexer can deal with it.


----------



## Malcontent

*SABnzbd 0.7.18 has been released*

Features:

Support for X-Failure header (leading to an alternative NZB)
Support for detecting unwanted extensions inside RAR files
Using priority Force will override duplicate detection
Add "pause_pp" and "server_stats" to the API

Bug fixes:

Also remove colons ":" with option sanitize_safe
Notification: Respect NotifyOSD-preference and allow testing of values from UI
Prevent pseudo error message when testing "Notification Center"
Testing email based on values in UI instead of stored config
Don't trim file names when renaming them (so revert to old behavior)
Fix potential crash when unpacking due to unset variable
Pause/abort on encryption failed when pre-check was active
Allow "embedded" passwords in job titles again


----------



## dmini

if not now just...EVER? i've been trying to get one for months since i can't get sickbeard to work with my mac and need the push capability...i can wait forever. hell, i can paypal you if you want. desperate. could have a nzb.su invite in the making if you want a trade...


----------



## Malcontent

dmini said:


> if not now just...EVER? i've been trying to get one for months since i can't get sickbeard to work with my mac and need the push capability...i can wait forever. hell, i can paypal you if you want. desperate. could have a nzb.su invite in the making if you want a trade...


Invites have been temporarily disabled on Dognzb until they can find an alternative to Paypal. No ETA.

Since your having trouble with Sickbeard have you tried just using RSS to pull your tv shows? RSS should work with Nzb.su.

On Nzb.su go to "MyShows" and add your shows. Click on "RSS" on the bottom of the Nzb.su website to get the URL to use to pull the RSS feed for "My Shows". Add the Url to your Usenet client (Sabnzbd).

RSS isn't as elegant or robust has Sickbeard but it's better then nothing.

For general help with anything usenet, you can try:

http://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/


----------



## dmini

thanks so much for the update! even if it isn't exactly what i was hoping to hear 

i tried doing that actually but got errors when adding it as an rss in my SANnzbd but get errors and can't get it to pull properly...think this could be because i'm not VIP there and don't have their api access? i'm on that reddit often now...and the invite side of it as one can imagine with no luck. super happy to have gotten the nbz.su, just keeping my eye on the prize as it seems like the most perfect site for me.


----------



## Malcontent

dmini said:


> i tried doing that actually but got errors when adding it as an rss in my SANnzbd but get errors and can't get it to pull properly...think this could be because i'm not VIP there and don't have their api access?


Yes, you have to have VIP in order to use their API and RSS.


----------



## dmini

dang. well that explains ONE of my problems...thanks!


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Invites have been temporarily disabled on Dognzb until they can find an alternative to Paypal. No ETA.


What was the problem with Paypal?

I must have missed that announcement as a friend was tell me that he needs to find some place to buy some BTC so he can use Dognzb.

What's a good place to buy some BTC? Are there any sites that take credit cards or Paypal?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> What was the problem with Paypal?
> 
> I must have missed that announcement as a friend was tell me that he needs to find some place to buy some BTC so he can use Dognzb.
> 
> What's a good place to buy some BTC? Are there any sites that take credit cards or Paypal?


Paypal has a history of cancelling accounts with usenet indexers.

Dognzb has future plans for accepting credit cards but no ETA.

Dognzb recommended using 'Coinbase' to purchase Bitcoin. I have no experience with Bitcoins.

Bitcoin guide.

http://howtobuybitcoins.info/


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Paypal has a history of cancelling accounts with usenet indexers.
> 
> Dognzb has future plans for accepting credit cards but no ETA.
> 
> Dognzb recommended using 'Coinbase' to purchase Bitcoin. I have no experience with Bitcoins.
> 
> Bitcoin guide.
> 
> http://howtobuybitcoins.info/


Thanks for the info. I tried a few of the links in the guide and the sites were down. I guess with BTC regulations changing so quickly these days, it's hard to be up to date.

I wonder what is Stripe's policy on index sites? We just implemented Stripe at work not too long along and it was pretty quick and painless.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> I wonder what is Stripe's policy on index sites? We just implemented Stripe at work not too long along and it was pretty quick and painless.


It's being explored as an option.


----------



## Ment

logic88 said:


> Thanks for the info. I tried a few of the links in the guide and the sites were down. I guess with BTC regulations changing so quickly these days, it's hard to be up to date.
> 
> I wonder what is Stripe's policy on index sites? We just implemented Stripe at work not too long along and it was pretty quick and painless.


Some seedbox cos have Stripe. Also Google Checkout doesn't have Paypals dislike of filesharing services.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Dog down?


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Dog down?


Yeah, the admin is working to fixing things.



> We are working on it, hoping by later tonight it's up and running again.
> We are sorry for any issue(s) this is causing our members.
> For now, everyone is welcome to hang out on the IRC and talk with other members and our staff.


----------



## vertigo235

apparently on the site is down, the API is still up


----------



## Malcontent

Dognzb website is back up and running.


----------



## Malcontent

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/2fufoc

Looks like the usenet provider '*Newsdemon*' is up to more shady practices.

They claim they lost a disk with their billing system and lost some customer data/accounts. It just so happens it was the customers who were on $4-$5 monthly Black Friday deals. Newsdemon has in the past been creative in coming up with ways of dumping discounted/block accounts.

The only recourse according to them is to sign up again with full price accounts.

Affected accounts will continue to function until the end of the customers billing cycle.

Most customers won't know something is wrong until their billing cycle passes.

Another usenet provider 'Newsgroupdirect' switched their billing cycle from 30 days to 28.


----------



## Fofer

It's been so long that I forgot signing up for this "nMatrix" indexer, but I did get this email from them:



> We've noticed that you're enjoying the site, great to have you on board! Unfortunately the account profile you're on will soon be removed from the site completely.
> 
> Upgrading is easy, and it'll make your Usenet experience better.
> 
> For just $10 you'll get UNLIMITED API and Downloads per day. You won't get this anywhere else!
> 
> Accounts expire on the 30th October 2014.
> 
> More info on why we're removing Free accounts is on our forums.


This is the post:



> Hi all
> 
> I've been meaning to update everyone for a while now, it's been really busy on nMatrix!
> The beta site is really taking us leaps and bounds to becoming a much better indexer. Spam releases should be a thing of the past, if you spot any though - get in touch  In fact, since making the changes over 98 000 fake or spam releases have been removed from the site.
> 
> Back in April we asked how you'd like the site run. We need to stick to our guns on this one, and we believe our plan will only move nMatrix forward.
> Going forward, we'll be a Premium-only indexer with all the current Free account profiles to be removed slowly but surely.
> 
> While I know this sucks in some ways, we need to measure out server, hosting, security and development costs on the site. Sustaining a free user base isn't a viable solution at this stage
> 
> Having members upgrade, we're able to keep our servers running and expand wherever possible. I know it feels like we're letting some of you guys down, and I'm really sorry about that.
> 
> You can help sustain the site by paying a once-off fee of just $10. This is something that won't change. We won't turn around to our Premium members asking them to re-upgrade or pay more.
> Over the next while, I'll be slowly but surely removing users that are on a Free profile. An email should also be in all of your inbox's about this. Premium members, don't worry - things will continue as normal. All of your accounts are safe.
> 
> If you aren't sure which profile you're on, you can look at your user role on your profile
> 
> To keep your account, you'll need to upgrade your account.
> This can be done via by the links below:
> 
> Upgrade via PayPal
> Upgrade via Bitcoin
> 
> Open registrations will still take place at random, however free accounts will have a 14 day period to trial the site.


So my question is, is nMatrix worth paying for? Anyone with them? Are they reliable?


----------



## etsolow

I paid the upgrade fee long ago; I like em just fine. They have a Sabnzbd push feature that I like and use often.


----------



## Malcontent

I upgrade to VIP on nMatrix over a year ago and have no issues with them. They have been very reliable with working with Sickbeard/Nzbdrone/Couchpotato. While not having ground breaking features like Dognzb, they have been pretty rock solid. The admin of nMatrix has a presence on Reddit/usenet.

They are also upgrading their servers, ect.



> This weekend (17 October - 19 October) we'll be migrating to bigger and better hardware along with implementing some tweaks and bug fixes to the site.





> We realize that content needs to be grabbed quickly, and we're catering for that.
> Load balance tests have been going well, and we'll be pushing these changes out this weekend. We hope to keep downtime to a minimum, however there may be some interruption. I'll try and keep this to after hours though.


Better hardware combined with no free users should help make the site even more reliable.

I don't regret the one-off $10 fee. I've already got my moneys worth.

How many good indexer do you have? It's a good idea to have 3-4 reliable indexers just to have back-ups. Any indexer (good/bad) can shut down without warning.


----------



## Fofer

Thanks for the feedback etsolow and Malcontent. I typically use NZB.su, with dognzb.cr as my backup. For $10 I figured it'd be nice to hang onto nMatrix as well, so I just subscribed. I appreciate your answers.


----------



## mwhip

OK got a trial account going with giganews and I have downloaded sabnzbd. I just need an indexer? I looked at some of the ones mentioned here and they all seem to not be running. Even the very common nzb.su seems to have packed up. Is this common? 

Suggestions?


----------



## laria

The two that I have accounts at are still running (NZBs.in and DOGnzb.cr), but I do not have any invites.


----------



## GoPackGo

Dognzb turned off invites a while ago. However they do still allow sign-up and the one time $10 payment via Bitcoin at dognzb.cr/Bitcoin. 

I helped a friend sign up that way 2 weeks ago.


----------



## Azlen

I don't think I have any invites available but will check when I get home. Also would definitely recommend something other than giganews as your provider. They are the priciest option out there and typically take stuff down pretty quickly.


----------



## GoPackGo

Dognzb turned off invites a while ago. However they do still allow sign-up and the one time $10 payment via Bitcoin at dognzb.cr/Bitcoin. 

I helped a friend sign up that way 2 weeks ago.


----------



## Malcontent

mwhip said:


> OK got a trial account going with giganews and I have downloaded sabnzbd. I just need an indexer? I looked at some of the ones mentioned here and they all seem to not be running. Even the very common nzb.su seems to have packed up. Is this common?
> 
> Suggestions?


Nzb.su is still up and running. They just redirect when you try to get to their site directly.

Most of the big indexers closed to new sign ups and took steps to "hide" from casual surfers.

Nzb.su requires a recurring fee. If your just starting to get your feet wet, you might first try an indexer that is open and free. With no commitment. At least until you figure out if usenet is something you want to use long term.

Currently the sites are free for full access.

https://nzb.is

https://nzb.cat

Reddit has a nice area for usenet where you can ask questions and find information.

http://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/


----------



## logic88

Azlen said:


> I don't think I have any invites available but will check when I get home. Also would definitely recommend something other than giganews as your provider. They are the priciest option out there and typically take stuff down pretty quickly.


It's a bad sign when there isn't any obvious way to look at pricing from the home page. (Finally realized that you had to start a trial to see pricing.)

If you don't mind the slower speeds (8-10Mbit), I think Tweaknews is pretty decent. I've been paying 10 euros every three months.


----------



## Fofer

Azlen said:


> Also would definitely recommend something other than giganews as your provider. They are the priciest option out there and typically take stuff down pretty quickly.


Yes, due to advice from this thread I suspended my monthly Giganews subscription a few months back, and have been getting by with blocks from BlockNews (and Tweaknews as a backup) instead. I'm not a very frequent downloader anyway, only grabbing a few things here and there, but the new setup has worked fine for me and is certainly cheaper.

I'd been holding on to Giganews because I was grandfathered into a old plan with more GBs of monthly download, but I just wasn't using it and it was costing me more than I should've been paying. I should probably just go ahead and cancel the account outright now.


----------



## mwhip

Giganews gave me 3 months for $15 a month unlimited. Once that is up I will go somewhere else.


----------



## Fofer

Nice. Was that some sort of promotion, or just a deal for new customers?


----------



## logic88

That's the current new user promotion. Price goes back to $30/month after the promo ends.

The 2000+ days of retention is nice but I'm satisfied with Tweaknew's ~1200 days. I'd rather pay ~$4/month even if I get a bit less retention and a bit less speed.


----------



## vertigo235

nzbs.org is down this morning, good thing I have dog as a backup

maybe I should look into adding some additional back ups, any recommendations?


----------



## Malcontent

vertigo235 said:


> nzbs.org is down this morning, good thing I have dog as a backup
> 
> maybe I should look into adding some additional back ups, any recommendations?


Since it's back ups, a couple of free ones come to mind.

https://nzb.is/

https://www.nzbsooti.sx/

Nzb.su and Omgwtfnzbs.org are other big name indexers (like Dog and Nzbs.org) but they require a reoccurring fee. You probably don't want the cost when it's going to be a backup indexer. They also require an invite.

https://nzbgeek.info

Is a big name indexer now. Registrations are open to new sign ups but it requires a reoccurring fee.


----------



## mwhip

So what is the best way to search for stuff? Torrent was nice because it gave you top 10 and you could always see what was new. Here it seems the top 10 is arbitrary.


----------



## vertigo235

Malcontent said:


> Since it's back ups, a couple of free ones come to mind.
> 
> https://nzb.is/
> 
> https://www.nzbsooti.sx/
> 
> Nzb.su and Omgwtfnzbs.org are other big name indexers (like Dog and Nzbs.org) but they require a reoccurring fee. You probably don't want the cost when it's going to be a backup indexer. They also require an invite.
> 
> https://nzbgeek.info
> 
> Is a big name indexer now. Registrations are open to new sign ups but it requires a reoccurring fee.


cool, nzbs.org is back but I went ahead and signed up for those freebies in case I need them later.


----------



## MikeMar

Anyone having problems with CouchPotato? Didn't change any settings, but doesn't seem to be getting any movies anymore.

Anyway to check the connections from CouchPotato to DOGnzb??


----------



## KungFuCow

Anyone got an invite for Omgwtfnzbs.org? I mainly use Dog and .Su but I wouldnt mind having another good indexer. The whole bitcoin thing is kind of a turnoff tho.. its such a pain.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Anyone got an invite for Omgwtfnzbs.org? I mainly use Dog and .Su but I wouldnt mind having another good indexer. The whole bitcoin thing is kind of a turnoff tho.. its such a pain.


PM me an email address.

FYI, Omgwtfnzbs charges $10 a year for VIP access. It's not a one off fee.

There is an option to go VIP via Paypal once you get an account via invite.

What some find attractive about Omg is that they don't use Newznab as there indexing software like everyone else. They use a custom software that they coded and it works with Sickbeard/Couch/Nzbdrone. Also, the location of their servers makes it pretty much untouchable by the copyright cops.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Anyone having problems with CouchPotato? Didn't change any settings, but doesn't seem to be getting any movies anymore.
> 
> Anyway to check the connections from CouchPotato to DOGnzb??


Have you considered using Dognzb's movie watchlist "Push" feature instead of CouchPotato? I find it much more reliable.

When one of your desired movies is indexed on Dog, the nzb can be automatically sent to your usenet client (Sabnzbd,Nzbget) to begin download. Or the nzb can be bookmarked on Dog and your usenet client can retrieve it via RSS feed.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Have you considered using Dognzb's movie watchlist "Push" feature instead of CouchPotato? I find it much more reliable.
> 
> When one of your desired movies is indexed on Dog, the nzb can be automatically sent to your usenet client (Sabnzbd,Nzbget) to begin download. Or the nzb can be bookmarked on Dog and your usenet client can retrieve it via RSS feed.


Yeah I might, go with whatever works, right?


----------



## MikeMar

Ok trying to do DOGnzb to push to SABnzb

It says I need to


> You need to edit your router configuration, and forward your NZBget or SABnzbd TCP control port. Once this port has been opened, and DOGnzb can verify the connection, NZB files can uploaded to your device automatically.


I can go into my verizon router and get to this, but what is the source port? How do I figure that out?

I changed my SABnzb port to 25111


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Ok trying to do DOGnzb to push to SABnzb
> 
> It says I need to
> 
> I can go into my verizon router and get to this, but what is the source port? How do I figure that out?
> 
> I changed my SABnzb port to 25111


Since your not using a router you own (fully control), it might just be easier to use Dognzb bookmarks and pull your downloads via RSS. It's easier to setup.

On the Dognzb site, go into "My Profile" and then RSS. There you can get the URL for your bookmark RSS. Then go into Sabnzb and create a RSS feed for your Dognzb bookmarks using that URL.

Sabnzbd will check your bookmarks via RSS every 15 minutes for new movies/tv shows on Dognzb.

You just need to add movies/tv shows to your Dognzb movie/tv watchlists.

When a movie/tv show that is on your watchlists is newly indexed, they will get added to your bookmarks. Sabnzbd will grab the NZB via RSS and start downloading your movie/tv show.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> Since your not using a router you own (fully control), it might just be easier to use Dognzb bookmarks and pull your downloads via RSS. It's easier to setup.
> 
> On the Dognzb site, go into "My Profile" and then RSS. There you can get the URL for your bookmark RSS. Then go into Sabnzb and create a RSS feed for your Dognzb bookmarks using that URL.
> 
> Sabnzbd will check your bookmarks via RSS every 15 minutes for new movies/tv shows on Dognzb.
> 
> You just need to add movies/tv shows to your Dognzb movie/tv watchlists.
> 
> When a movie/tv show that is on your watchlists is newly indexed, they will get added to your bookmarks. Sabnzbd will grab the NZB via RSS and start downloading your movie/tv show.


Oh that sounds easy enough!

Thanks!!!


----------



## MikeMar

Working like a charm! Just as good as doing the push


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Working like a charm! Just as good as doing the push


It's a handy feature. You can manually bookmark stuff on Dognzb from your cell phone/tablet and it will get downloaded to your home computer.


----------



## stellie93

What's going on with torrent sites? I saw an article that they raided Pirate bay and eztv is down. Anyone know another safe site? I only torrent tv shows.


----------



## Allanon

stellie93 said:


> What's going on with torrent sites? I saw an article that they raided Pirate bay and eztv is down. Anyone know another safe site? I only torrent tv shows.


BitTorrents are not safe, you expose your IP address every time you download using BitTorrent. But if you want another place to look for torrents then try https://kickass.so/


----------



## logic88

Allanon said:


> BitTorrents are not safe, you expose your IP address every time you download using BitTorrent. But if you want another place to look for torrents then try https://kickass.so/


You can use a VPN or proxy to hide your IP.

Or you can join a private tracker.

Or do both. (Though some private trackers ban VPNs/proxies for some reason.)


----------



## bareyb

logic88 said:


> You can use a VPN or proxy to hide your IP.
> 
> Or you can join a private tracker.
> 
> Or do both. (Though some private trackers ban VPNs/proxies for some reason.)


How does one know if one is using a "Private Tracker"? I use an MMA torrents site every once in a while (prefer Usenet) but not sure if it's private or not... What makes one private versus non private?


----------



## Allanon

bareyb said:


> How does one know if one is using a "Private Tracker"? I use an MMA torrents site every once in a while (prefer Usenet) but not sure if it's private or not... What makes one private versus non private?


As you download files using BitTorrent others are allowed to download from your computer. This allows them to see your IP address. A "Private Tracker" only serves torrents to people they trust or people that register for their site. This makes it a little more safe but if someone that tracks copyrighted files gets accepted to the "Private Tracker" they will be able to record IP addresses.


----------



## stellie93

I've been using eztv and occasionally going to pirate bay for years and had no trouble. (fingers crossed). I hope they aren't gone permanently. Is there another site that uses utorrent? I don't really want to download a different program.


----------



## Azlen

stellie93 said:


> I've been using eztv and occasionally going to pirate bay for years and had no trouble. (fingers crossed). I hope they aren't gone permanently. Is there another site that uses utorrent? I don't really want to download a different program.


You are able to use utorrent on all torrent sites. It's not something that is site specific.


----------



## Azlen

logic88 said:


> You can use a VPN or proxy to hide your IP.
> 
> Or you can join a private tracker.
> 
> Or do both. (Though some private trackers ban VPNs/proxies for some reason.)


Private trackers usually ban VPN's and proxies to ensure a one account/one user policy. Many private tracker users will use seedboxes though which keeps their home IP from going out. It also makes maintaining ratios much easier.


----------



## stellie93

Keeping in mind the thread title--I'm 7--I went to the site mentioned above--kickass--and when I tried to download a torrent it downloaded a new program. How do I get it to use utorrent?


----------



## MikeMar

Not to be a jerk, but I'm sure in the Torrent thread others might be able to help you MORE

Not that there isn't overlap and people posting in this thread can't help


----------



## bareyb

Allanon said:


> As you download files using BitTorrent others are allowed to download from your computer. This allows them to see your IP address. *A "Private Tracker" only serves torrents to people they trust or people that register for their site.* This makes it a little more safe but if someone that tracks copyrighted files gets accepted to the "Private Tracker" they will be able to record IP addresses.


Well it was an "invite only" site and I had to register for it. I'm hoping it's private... I _think_ it is.


----------



## logic88

stellie93 said:


> Keeping in mind the thread title--I'm 7--I went to the site mentioned above--kickass--and when I tried to download a torrent it downloaded a new program. How do I get it to use utorrent?


Here's the other thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=280841

The quickest way to download is to use the magnet icon. It should launch uTorrent if that's the only torrent app installed on your PC.


----------



## stellie93

Thanks everybody for your help--I didn't see the other thread and thought it was all pretty much the same thing. Sorry.


----------



## HerronScott

I ran across this thread back in June and installed SABnzbd and SickBeard and signed up for a Blocknews Usenet account (100GB for $11) to serve as a backup in case the TiVo missed any shows due to conflicts or there were shows that had last-minute delays. Some of my original attempts to test the set up unfortunately didn't complete due to missing parts however I recently tried again as we missed parts of a couple of shows due to the Presendential speech and was pleasantly surprised that it worked!

First question is are there any preferred free search providers for this kind of infrequent use? So far I have the following configured in SickBeard.

Sick Beard Index
oznzb
Wombles's Index

Second, I noticed that I ended up with 2 copies of the TV show. One in a folder with the show name \<ShowName> and a second in \Downloads\TV\Complete. Is there a setting that I'm missing so I only end up with the one copy in the show's folder?

Scott


----------



## Malcontent

HerronScott said:


> First question is are there any preferred free search providers for this kind of infrequent use? So far I have the following configured in SickBeard.
> 
> Sick Beard Index
> oznzb
> Wombles's Index


Given your infrequent need to download from usenet, I would suggest eliminating Sickbeard from the equation. Sickbeard is used to automate frequent/regular downloading of content.

Since you only need to download so rarely, I would suggest just signing up to an usenet indexer(s) and do your searches and download the NZB's directly from them when needed.

A couple of free indexers that are open to new sign ups are:

https://nzb.is/

https://www.nzbsooti.sx/


----------



## HerronScott

Thanks, I'll take a look at those.

Scott


----------



## logic88

Dognzb's site is down? Maintenance or did they go away?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Dognzb's site is down? Maintenance or did they go away?


Scheduled maintenance. It was announced a week ago on their site. They posted a banner on their main page. They are doing hardware and software upgrades all day.


----------



## logic88

Ah, thanks. I guess I don't visit their site that often and they don't appear to have a Twitter account.


----------



## mwhip

Anyone have a Dognzb invite? I can trade a nzb.su invite for it.


----------



## Azlen

mwhip said:


> Anyone have a Dognzb invite? I can trade a nzb.su invite for it.


I believe invites are currently disabled due to paypal issues. The only way to get in as of now is by bitcoin and you don't need an invite if you use that.


----------



## mwhip

Azlen said:


> I believe invites are currently disabled due to paypal issues. The only way to get in as of now is by bitcoin and you don't need an invite if you use that.


Hmmm bitcoin. I have not messed with that yet. Is it worth it?


----------



## Azlen

mwhip said:


> Hmmm bitcoin. I have not messed with that yet. Is it worth it?


I haven't messed with it either so I can't really say if it's worth it. There was a pretty big issue with one of the biggest bitcoin lockers (Mt Gox) losing a bunch of money but that didn't seem to stop bitcoin from being used. I would think you would be relatively safe if you are just purchasing a small amount to be used in a transaction. The biggest issues are more likely to exist when trying to convert bitcoin back into currency.


----------



## etsolow

mwhip said:


> Hmmm bitcoin. I have not messed with that yet. Is it worth it?


If you're just looking to buy a few dollars' worth of bitcoins to make a one-time subscription payment, it's really quite simple. Go to circle.com or coinbase.com, and buy whatever fraction of a bitcoin you need. Circle even allows you to charge it on a credit card. You could have your bitcoins in 10 minutes.


----------



## mwhip

Azlen said:


> I haven't messed with it either so I can't really say if it's worth it. There was a pretty big issue with one of the biggest bitcoin lockers (Mt Gox) losing a bunch of money but that didn't seem to stop bitcoin from being used. I would think you would be relatively safe if you are just purchasing a small amount to be used in a transaction. The biggest issues are more likely to exist when trying to convert bitcoin back into currency.


I just don't want to link a bank account. I would prefer if I could buy gift cards at the store and then input that to buy bitcoins.


----------



## etsolow

mwhip said:


> I just don't want to link a bank account. I would prefer if I could buy gift cards at the store and then input that to buy bitcoins.


I've never tried it so I can't vouch, but:



> GiftCardDrainer.com allows you to buy bitcoin with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover gift cards. Uses the exchange rate provided by coinbase.com at the time that the customer's gift card is processed within 24 hours of card submission. Most cards are processed within a few hours of submission, however it can take up to 24 hours. Customer must provide a bank account number for identity verification.


----------



## scooterboy

With tvtorrents return still beyond sight, I'm considering getting back into usenet. Last time I used it was so long ago I'm unfamiliar with the new tools and need advice.

I would only use it for the occasional tv show, ebook, or audiobook so a block would be best for me. Probably from Astraweb since they take paypal.

My real question are about newsreaders and tools. Given my infrequent needs above, what would be the best tools for me? Do I need an "index"?


----------



## stellie93

Using a gift card seems like a good idea, but why would they need your bank account number? That sound fishy to me. That's what you're trying to avoid.


----------



## Malcontent

scooterboy said:


> With tvtorrents return still beyond sight, I'm considering getting back into usenet. Last time I used it was so long ago I'm unfamiliar with the new tools and need advice.
> 
> I would only use it for the occasional tv show, ebook, or audiobook so a block would be best for me. Probably from Astraweb since they take paypal.
> 
> My real question are about newsreaders and tools. Given my infrequent needs above, what would be the best tools for me? Do I need an "index"?


I'm not sure how long ago it was but now you don't need to download 1000's of usenet headers (articles) just to find what your looking for. You just need to download a small NZB file (similar to a torrent) to download content.

You should check out a usenet program called 'Sabnzbd'. It can read NZB files and download content directly from a usenet provider. There are versions for Windows and Mac. Sabnzbd will take care of everything. It will download the specific articles. It will then reassemble and decompress leaving you with the desired content.

http://sabnzbd.org/

Also, check out the browser add-on for Sabnzbd on that site. It will help you a great deal.

You will need an indexer(s). You search for the content your looking for on indexers and download a NZB file and import it into Sabnzbd to start downloading.

Most of the popular indexers need an invite. Some charge a one-off fee. Others charge a recurring fee.

There are a couple indexers that I'm aware of that are open to new sign ups and are free (currently). They may not be the best but they are an option. You can use them to get started and keep your start up costs to a minimum.

https://nzb.is/
https://www.nzbsooti.sx

Once you get your feet wet and find out if usenet will work for your needs you can ask for an invite (in this thread) to a popular indexer. The popular indexers tend to be more reliable and offer a better user experience.

It's a good idea to buy usenet blocks since your need to download is infrequent. They are one-off charges and the usenet blocks don't expire.


----------



## scooterboy

Thanks!


----------



## JohnB1000

Malcontent, to clarify, you also a need some form of Usenet subscription right ? I signed up at NZB.is and downloaded Sabnzdb but it seems I am still missing something.

So what are my best options for a Usenet service ?


----------



## Malcontent

JohnB1000 said:


> Malcontent, to clarify, you also a need some form of Usenet subscription right ? I signed up at NZB.is and downloaded Sabnzdb but it seems I am still missing something.
> 
> So what are my best options for a Usenet service ?


Yes, you need to subscribe to a usenet provider. You can sign up for an unlimited download plan that has a reoccurring subscription that allows you to download as much data as you wish.

Or if your download needs are relatively modest or sporadic you can buy a 'block' of download gigs. You basically prepay for a defined amount data usually measured in gigabytes. These 'blocks' are one-off charges and don't expire from non use. When you use up your blocks you will have to buy more to continue to download.

Until you get your feet wet and figure things out I would suggest you start by buying a small usenet 'block' to get started. Later you can decide how you wish to proceed.

I would recommend a usenet provider called 'Astraweb'. They have been around for a long time. They offer a 25 gig block of data for $10 as entry level.

http://astraweb.com/

When you sign up, you will need to enter Astraweb's server address and your user name and password, port number, connections (start with 8), into Sabnzbd 'server' set up under configuration. Once you have access to Astraweb's servers you can begin to download using NZB files.


----------



## logic88

I like Astraweb. I used to use them before I switched to Tweaknews.

But if you just want to try it out, free trials are available at Tweaknews and Giganews.

https://www.tweaknews.eu

https://www.giganews.com/signup/

Otherwise a $50/1TB block from Astraweb is a much better deal than the $10 block.

Tweaknews speeds are only OK but they are cheap. You can get a 3-month 10Mbit/sec account for only €10, which is really cheap right now due to the latest Euro crisis.


----------



## Malcontent

I suggested the $10 block to _start_ so he wouldn't be out $50 if he decided in the end that usenet wasn't his cup of tea.


----------



## logic88

Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise. Just wanted to let John know that there were free trial options available.

I actually purchased a $10/25GB Astraweb block a long time ago as a backup server but now wish that I had purchased either the $25/180GB or the $50/1TB block instead as I find it useful sometimes for stuff that's over 1500 days old.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

Astraweb has a deal for unlimited usenet at $15 every 2 months.

http://www.news.astraweb.com/specials/2mospecial.html

Unlimited DSL - US$15 every 2 months

Works out to be $7.50/month!
No Speed Limits
No Download Limits
Exactly the same as Unlimited DSL Plan
You will pay $15 for every 2 months as long as your subscription remains active. We will not raise the price.
This offer is only available using Paypal as the payment method


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise. Just wanted to let John know that there were free trial options available.


No worries.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> Astraweb has a deal for unlimited usenet at $15 every 2 months.


Wow, that is a good deal. Too bad I renewed my Tweaknews account recently.

I'm paying 3.33/month now so $7.50/month isn't that much more. Especially for the greater number of connections and higher speeds.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I pay $3.99/month for unlimited through Frugal. Maxes out my connection.


----------



## logic88

Is their retention really only 300 days?

Tweaknews is ~1100 days (from my testing) while Astraweb claims 2300+ days (I've never actually tried to grab something this old but I know that they are definitely 1700+ days).


----------



## DUDE_NJX

They guarantee 300 days, but I often was successful in pulling stuff much older than that.


----------



## vertigo235

Indeed lately I've grabbed stuff well over 1100 days from frugal.


----------



## logic88

Cool. Thanks for the info!

I'll have to take a look at them when my Tweaknews account is up for renewal.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> There are a couple indexers that I'm aware of that are open to new sign ups and are free (currently). They may not be the best but they are an option. You can use them to get started and keep your start up costs to a minimum.
> 
> https://nzb.is/
> https://www.nzbsooti.sx


Is dognzb.cr's API acting up for anyone else?

I can't seem to connect in Sickbeard. So I'm adding those two indexers. Thanks for the links.

https://www.usenet-crawler.com/ is another free indexer. It's even in Sickbeard as a default search provider.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Is dognzb.cr's API acting up for anyone else?
> 
> I can't seem to connect in Sickbeard. So I'm adding those two indexers. Thanks for the links.
> 
> https://www.usenet-crawler.com/ is another free indexer. It's even in Sickbeard as a default search provider.


Yeah, their API server has been acting up for the last week. The Admin thinks it's a load issue. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

It's always a good idea to have multiple back up indexers ready to go for situations like this.

Sickbeard has their own internal indexer that will work in a pinch. You just need to enable it in Sickbeard config. (under indexers). It's a Newznab set up.


----------



## vertigo235

Yeah it's been acting up for weeks.

Some other free indexers are

http://6box.me/

and they have another one that indexes differently

http://6box.me:88/


----------



## vertigo235

ahh also, the sickbeard indexer is a standard newznab indexer too, but doesn't require an api key. So if you're using sonarr instad of sickbeard, you can add it as a newznab indexer and put http://lolo.sickbeard.com/ in too.


----------



## Malcontent

Another free indexer:

https://nzb.ag


----------



## macrho

pfmonkey has open regs, may be worth jumping in


----------



## 2004raptor

macrho said:


> pfmonkey has open regs, may be worth jumping in


thanks. I registered. Haven't done usenet in a long time. I think I quit when I couldn't get Sickbeard to download anything. Guess I'll try to refamiliarize myself with usenet over the next week or so.


----------



## Malcontent

2004raptor said:


> thanks. I registered. Haven't done usenet in a long time. I think I quit when I couldn't get Sickbeard to download anything. Guess I'll try to refamiliarize myself with usenet over the next week or so.


If your having problems with Sickbeard, perhaps you might want to check out an alternative. 'Sonarr' (formerly Nzbdrone) does everything that Sickbeard does but better. It's constantly being developed.

https://sonarr.tv/


----------



## Malcontent

macrho said:


> pfmonkey has open regs, may be worth jumping in


PFMonkey is a rock solid indexer. Only $10 for lifetime VIP access.


----------



## vertigo235

+ for sonarr and pfmonkey

FYI, the development of Sickbeard is stalled because the only developer who was still active has retired from the project.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> FYI, the development of Sickbeard is *slowed* because the only developer who was still active has retired from the project.


FYP.

There have been 10 commits to the sickbeard project on github so far in the month of February, the latest of which was just yesterday (Feb 18). Not that they were major changes, but sickbeard is a mature program and does not need major changes at this point.

And there are the SickGear and SickRage forks if you are looking for something like SickBeard but with more active development (and supporting a lot more torrent providers than either SickBeard or Sonarr).

https://github.com/midgetspy/Sick-Beard/commits/development

https://github.com/SickGear/SickGear/commits/develop

https://github.com/SiCKRAGETV/SickRage/commits/develop


----------



## vertigo235

stalled/slowed whatever, its just not as active as it once was. its actually already been that way for quite some time.


----------



## Malcontent

Basically Sickbeard has shifted to bug fix mode. It will continue to function for quite some time.

Sonarr is actively being developed and new features are being worked on and current features are being improved. Sonarr's torrent support is still being developed and has been improving.

Whatever floats your boat.


----------



## logic88

What do you like about Sonarr over Sickbeard? Is there a particular feature that stands out?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> What do you like about Sonarr over Sickbeard? Is there a particular feature that stands out?


Take a look at the website. You can get an idea of the look and feel.

https://sonarr.tv/#features

For me Sonarr is more robust. The GUI is great. Failed download handling is useful. The calendar feature is really great at finding out what's going to air and what has been missed at a glance. Manual Search allows you to choose which release to download and from which indexer. A Minimum Age option has been added to ensure usenet uploads have enough time to propagate to your usenet server.

Hey, if your already entrenched with Sickbeard and it's working for you then there might not be a pressing need to switch. But if your interested in getting updated/improved software from active developers that will help future proof your usenet needs then you might take a look at Sonarr.


----------



## john4200

Malcontent said:


> For me Sonarr is more robust.


LOL.

That is the one thing that Sonarr most definitely is *NOT*.

The developers prioritize looking pretty over robust functionality. To give one recent example, a user was complaining that he could not add the Castle television show to Sonarr. The developer responded that it was TVDB's fault.

Of course, it turned out that it was Sonarr's fault. TVDB correctly returned a list of all the shows that had the word "castle" in them. Quite a few shows, in fact. But Sonarr arbitrarily truncated the list to (I think it was) 5 shows, and the popular TV show was not in those 5.

Why does Sonarr truncate the list you might ask? It would seem Sonarr wants to download pretty pictures to go with each show on the list, and the developers thought that downloading pictures for more than 5 shows would be too big a burden. So instead of just presenting the list to the user without the pretty pictures, and letting the user choose the show they want (and then downloading the pretty pictures), Sonarr was completely incapable of adding the show that the user wanted to add. Basic, fundamental operation sacrificed for pretty pictures. Nearly the opposite of "robust".

And there is a pattern of choices like this that the developers have made. On the bright side, it seems that they eventually fix these sorts of poor decisions if enough people complain. But saying that Sonarr is "robust" and is a good program simply because there is a lot of code changes going on is misleading. When much of the code changes are simply bug fixes or fixing poor design choices, that is not something to praise Sonarr for.

Certainly Sonarr has a few features that SickBeard lacks. But in my opinion, if anyone is considering switching from SickBeard because of a feature that is missing, they are better off switching to SickGear or SickRage rather than Sonarr.


----------



## Malcontent

john4200 said:


> LOL.
> 
> That is the one thing that Sonarr most definitely is *NOT*.


Agree to disagree. Not my experience at all. I've ran Sickbeard for years before switching and the experience is night and day for me.

Your dislike of Sonarr and it's developers is obvious but there are many happy users who would disagree.

For those thinking of switching just download and try it. If you don't like it, don't use it. It's an alternative that's out there.


----------



## john4200

Malcontent said:


> I've ran Sickbeard for years before switching and the experience is night and day for me.


Example?

BTW, I did not say that people were necessarily wrong if they like Sonarr. It certainly does have a pretty GUI, and if you prefer a .NET program to a python and web interface, then I can see why someone might prefer Sonarr (but I much prefer python and the web interface).

My disagreement was with calling Sonarr more robust than SickBeard. That is simply factually incorrect.


----------



## vertigo235

Wow did someone forget to take their medicine this morning?  

Anyhow sonarr is still young and it's getting better daily, if sickbeard suits your needs just stick with that. 

If your looking for something still evolving, has torrent support, handles failed downloads, and is open to new feature suggestions. Try sonarr.


----------



## Fofer

Thanks for the great info, Malconent and vertigo235. I appreciate it.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> If your looking for something still evolving, has torrent support, handles failed downloads, and is open to new feature suggestions. Try sonarr.


Or SickGear or SickRage, which have better torrent support than Sonarr, handle failed downloads, are open to new feature suggestions, and do not sacrifice basic functionality for pretty pictures.


----------



## Azlen

There's also an off shoot of sickbeard called sickrage and it can be found at sickrage.tv
It uses sickbeard's basic bones and is still has regular updates.


----------



## logic88

Thanks for the tip about Sickrage, that looks interesting.

But they don't have a installer and you have to pull it from Git?

I found this install guide. Is it still valid?

http://www.htpcguides.com/install-sickrage-windows-usenet-torrent-tv/


----------



## GoPackGo

Don't know about running Sickrage on Windows, but I've been running it happily on Linux since I switch to it from Sickbeard 6+ months ago. 

I didn't go to it for the Torrent support, it was the failed download handling that I wanted. Works great. I use NzbToMedia with it too, not sure if that's still a requirement to enable failed downloads though.


----------



## Azlen

logic88 said:


> Thanks for the tip about Sickrage, that looks interesting.
> 
> But they don't have a installer and you have to pull it from Git?
> 
> I found this install guide. Is it still valid?
> 
> http://www.htpcguides.com/install-sickrage-windows-usenet-torrent-tv/


If you already have sickbeard installed then most of the installation is already complete. You can even use the sabtosickbeard script you already have.
From that link just start with the "install sickrage" for the most part but I just downloaded the zip file from https://github.com/SiCKRAGETV/SickRage/ and installed that in its own directory.


----------



## innocentfreak

I figure once TheTVDB's API 2.0 launches we will see what if any improvements SB gets in the future. They are just now taking feature requests so it is still a ways off.

I have played with both and so far lean towards SB. Then again I don't care about the extra art and everything Sonarr adds. Since we have a large library it just seems to get in the way and I would much rather just see the SB list. I haven't played with Sonarr enough to see if there are more basic views or how well or if it can be viewed from an iPad.


----------



## vertigo235

yes you can view your list in a table, instead of with the posters (I agree that is pointless)

Things I like about sonarr, that SB can't do or is lacking IMO. 

- I love, love, love the calendar view, its a great way to see upcoming shows, and missing episodes, I think SB has something similar but I don't remember liking it as much as the sonarr calendar. Sonarr also uses ajax so it's updated live in your browser. 
- Torrent Support (I don't use this much but it's nice for those obscure shows that don't show up on usenet
- Quality profiles: for some shows (wife's shows) I actually prefer SD, but sometimes to get what is available I'll get an HD version, or maybe eventually I don't want to completely delete a show but I want to downgrade the quality. Sonarr lets you prioritize qualities in whatever order you want, IE SD > HD, and it will replace them accordingly. In Sickbeard you are stuck with the predefined qualities and orders. 
- The manual search option is nice, I don't recall SB's manual search options. 
- Failed Download Handling and NZBGET/SAB integration, while this can use some improvements it works great as is, SB doesn't do this at all. (Note SickRage and SickGear do I think)
- I like the series page better 
- XEM Mapping (uses thexem.de to map shows from scene to tvdb etc when the scene uses a different order), SB doesn't have this but SickGear and SickRage does I believe. Sonarr also uses the scene name exceptions from this site as well. 


Some disadvantages I can think of
- If you're not running on Windows you have to use Mono
- SB seems to be more lightweight if you're running on a NAS or small machine
- I think SB has some more refined parsing logic in some cases, since it's been around longer this makes sense, sonarr is getting better. 


RE: The Castle issue mentioned above, yes after Trakt changed to API 2.0 and basically put all their users of the API in a bind, the sonarr guys had to scramble to replace their usage of trakt API, in doing so they decided to switch back to using tvdb directly, but when they did they limited the results to 10 results. This meant that if someone searched for Castle, they might not find the show they were looking for. You would have to put Castle US (or something), or you could have just put in "tvdb:83462" and it woudl have found it, but this is more of a workaround. Anyhow, they are still working on changing and updating that. 

On that note, there were years and years of requests from SB users to change the TV source from tvdb and they were always shot down and rejected from the developers, that's why the fork of SickRage was created. The SB folks said it would require too much recoding. The sonarr guys essentially switched from trakt to tvdb in a few days when trakt changed their API, so it's understandable that there might be some hickups with the change.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

I've tried Sonarr this weekend after running SB for the past few years. I'm quite disappointed with it. No easy episode management (wanted/archived/ignored, etc.) when adding shows, after that no batch operations at all (other than whole season on/off monitoring).
It would not download Real Time no matter what setting I'd use, even when the manual search would bring up valid releases. The error given was something like "file size bigger than allowed 0KB"...
Third, and the biggest issue, it keeps failing when connecting to Dognzb, or just simply finding and downloading files. I keep getting API errors quite often, even when SB works perfectly.

At the end of the weekend, I turned off Sonarr and started SB, and within minutes I had a list of downloads going, while Sonarr didn't seem to think I needed any of the files, even though there were some 500 episodes on the "monitored" list.


----------



## vertigo235

Also, I'll make one more note, just out of the fact that it's interesting, you draw your own conclusions. 

Anyhow the most active SB developer from the past few years Zoggy, he retired from SB development, and now he is using Sonarr 

I still say use whatever fits your needs most, SB worked great for me for years, but also find sonarr to be more robust and better supported. I really like the way the developers are open to new ideas and features. It's getting better every week, IMO. 

In fact it was someone here in this thread who recommended it to me and I said I wouldn't switch until I could load it on my Synology NAS, once I was able to do that I haven't looked back.


----------



## vertigo235

DUDE_NJX said:


> I've tried Sonarr this weekend after running SB for the past few years. I'm quite disappointed with it. No easy episode management (wanted/archived/ignored, etc.) when adding shows, after that no batch operations at all (other than whole season on/off monitoring).


There are some improvements to this in the Develop branch.

RE the Dognzb API, this seems to be dognzb releated to me, I have several other indexers and it's only ever an issue with Dog, during busy times. Dog does work sometimes though.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> Things I like about sonarr, that SB can't do or is lacking IMO.
> 
> - Torrent Support (I don't use this much but it's nice for those obscure shows that don't show up on usenet


Not true. SickBeard has supported torrents for a long time. I was using it with TVTorrents until they shut down. It also supports BTN, HDBits, and TorrentLeech.

And SickGear and SickRage have built-in support for a lot more torrent providers. More than Sonarr.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> I still say use whatever fits your needs most, SB worked great for me for years, but also find sonarr to be more robust and better supported.


It is absurd to claim that Sonarr is more robust than SickBeard.

Sonarr did not work at all for several days when Trakt changed the API. SEVERAL DAYS NOT WORKING. That is the opposite of robust. And again, it was poor design choices made by the Sonarr developers. SickBeard uses TVDB which has turned out to be a much more robust choice than Trakt. Praising Sonarr for quickly switching to TVDB when Trakt went down is completely missing the point. SickBeard had the robust design. Sonarr had the fragile design and the developers had to scramble to fix it. That is not something to praise. More worrying is that the developers plan (or may have already started?) to run their own server that Sonarr must connect to. Yet another brittle, single-point of failure they will introduce in their design. Sonarr may be several things, but robust is NOT one of them.

For a robust, mature program, choose SickBeard.

For something like SickBeard but with additional features, improved torrent support, and active new development, choose SickGear or SickRage.

If you highly value a pretty GUI and/or prefer a .NET program, choose Sonarr.


----------



## vertigo235

john4200 said:


> Not true. SickBeard has supported torrents for a long time. I was using it with TVTorrents until they shut down. It also supports BTN, HDBits, and TorrentLeech.
> 
> And SickGear and SickRage have built-in support for a lot more torrent providers. More than Sonarr.


Fair enough, I never used SB torrent support, but you're right, I was thinking about the pirate bay forkby mrorange (which was forked to SickRage by echelon), and then there is SickGear which is similar to both of those forks as well. I forgot the original SB had any torrent support at all.

Regardless, it's the blackhole variety which I don't really like, and you have to have processing scripts to make everything work properly, a bit to manage. Sonarr does all that for me (robust!).

Honestly It's hard to keep up with all the SickBeard variants anymore, I'm glad I don't have to bother with that.


----------



## brettatk

I'm not sure what there is to keep up with with SickBeard. I can't even remember the last time I had to use the GUI. Perhaps it's because I'm not using it with Torrents, I don't know. I just add my show and that's it, I know it'll be downloaded after it airs.


----------



## logic88

Azlen said:


> If you already have sickbeard installed then most of the installation is already complete. You can even use the sabtosickbeard script you already have.
> From that link just start with the "install sickrage" for the most part but I just downloaded the zip file from https://github.com/SiCKRAGETV/SickRage/ and installed that in its own directory.


It turns out that my SickBeard install doesn't include python or cheetah but after installing those packages, I got SickRage up and running. Haven't had a chance to test the exclusive features yet but the one thing that I wanted was subtitle support. Unfortunately, I can't get the subtitle scrapper to work.

Are you downloading subs? If so, was there anything that you had to enable besides the sub provider plugin?

Thanks!


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

The invite system is enabled again on Dognzb.


----------



## 3D

Been using Frugal Usenet for a little over a year without issue, but recently SABnzbd is failing to connect. When I run a test of the server, I get the following message:

"The page at 127.0.0.1:8080 says: 502 reader1.frugalusenet.com: Access denied to your node - [email protected]." Still waiting to hear back from frualusenet support. Any ideas of what the problem could be?


----------



## MikeMar

You try using a different port?


----------



## 3D

Yes.


----------



## 3D

Turned out to be an issue with my password. Fixed.


----------



## vertigo235

I was having too many problems with frugal so I ditched them and bought a year of supernews for $99 instead. 

RE the issues with Frugal, they were throwing a bunch of timeouts and being very slow on busy nights.


----------



## MikeMar

vertigo235 said:


> I was having too many problems with frugal so I ditched them and bought a year of supernews for $99 instead.
> 
> RE the issues with Frugal, they were throwing a bunch of timeouts and being very slow on busy nights.


Makes sense.

I run it on my desktop that I only turn on like once a week, so just leave it on over night and it gets all my queued up stuff, so speed isn't an issue for me


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Some things are taken down soon after they're posted, so I like to leave mine running 24/7.


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> Some things aren't available soon after they're posted, so I like to leave mine running 24/7.


For that very rare time when that happens, I'm usually able to grab a repost

But when GOT comes back on, I will probably leave it on Sunday nights


----------



## vertigo235

Yeah Frugal was already bad on Sunday nights lately, that's part of the reason I ditched them. It use to only be bad on GOT nights. I can't imagine how bad it will be when GOT starts back up again.


----------



## 3D

This was the first issue I've had with Frugal.


----------



## logic88

vertigo235 said:


> Indeed lately I've grabbed stuff well over 1100 days from frugal.


Do you recall what you grabbed?

My Tweaknews account just expired and for whatever reason, they didn't send me a discount offer so I went over to Frugal to try them out.

Speed seems fine but when I did a retention test, everything over 300 days old was already expired.

Do they have different expiry times for different groups?


----------



## vertigo235

I don't recall, maybe they switched to a different backbone because of all the timeout issues I was having. 

I have since canceled Frugal and bought a year at supernews instead.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Do you recall what you grabbed?
> 
> My Tweaknews account just expired and for whatever reason, they didn't send me a discount offer


FYI,

Highwinds bought out Tweaknews recently. It's probably why they didn't send you a discount offer.


----------



## Wil

Malcontent said:


> Highwinds bought out Tweaknews recently. It's probably why they didn't send you a discount offer.


I think Tweaknews went down several months ago, but just more recently completed the downgrade to Highwind standards.

Isn't mostly everything Highwinds now?


----------



## vertigo235

Afraid so, at least all the big names are.


----------



## MikeMar

Highwinds is the one that sucks right?

I'm on Frugal/Blocknews with Astraweb backup, which backends are those?


----------



## vertigo235

Highwinds just has the automated DMCA takedown process that works really well, so it sucks for people looking for older stuff. 

Basically nullifies any retention they have, but most of the bigger companies, not just highwinds have automated takedowns now. Including Astraweb and Supernews.


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> Highwinds is the one that sucks right?
> 
> I'm on Frugal/Blocknews with Astraweb backup, which backends are those?


Frugal/Blocknews is Highwinds. Astraweb still owns their own backend.

Every usenet provider complies with DMCA requests. Pretty much all DMCA requests are processed by automated systems by the usenet providers. It's just a matter of how quickly those requests are processed.

Highwinds has backed off on super quick take downs a *tiny* bit. Before, things were removed as quick as 90 minutes (give or take) after being posted. Users have reported popular stuff is still available after 12 hours. But it's still being removed from Highwinds, just not quite as quickly as before.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> Highwinds bought out Tweaknews recently. It's probably why they didn't send you a discount offer.


Ah, I didn't realize that. Thanks for the info.

It's too bad, I liked Tweaknews. The retention (~1100 days) and speed was decent enough for the discounted price (less than $4/month, depending on the exchange rate).

With Frugalnews' retention at only ~300 days, I'm still shopping for a new provider. Might have to go back to Astraweb.


----------



## logic88

logic88 said:


> With Frugalnews' retention at only ~300 days, I'm still shopping for a new provider. Might have to go back to Astraweb.


Yeah, the ~300 days retention is not going to cut it. I find that lots of times I'm looking for things that are older. I'm going to back to Astraweb.

I don't have a superfast connection (~11Mbit) so the $20 for 3 months 10Mbit deal will save me a couple of bucks over the $15 for 2 months unlimited deal.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Lately, Sonarr hasn't been downloading automatically most of the stuff. I need to manually go to Wanted and select the missing episodes in order for it to fetch them and start downloading. Does anyone know what might be going on? I may go back to Sickbeard. I never had to babysit it as often as I do with Sonarr.


----------



## The Spud

I've noticed that some of the stuff is taking longer to show up on Usenet in the quality I prefer. I've started using torrents a little more.


----------



## vertigo235

I noticed some indexer just don't show the releases right away because TVRage API is down or something, an indexer like pfmonkey shows them as soon as they are found and then fills in the TVRage ID later.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Lately, Sonarr hasn't been downloading automatically most of the stuff. I need to manually go to Wanted and select the missing episodes in order for it to fetch them and start downloading. Does anyone know what might be going on? I may go back to Sickbeard. I never had to babysit it as often as I do with Sonarr.


Anything in the Sonarr logs that stands out?

Which indexer are you using? Dognzb's API server is over loaded. It can be hit or missing. Especially during prime time. New servers are being deployed soon which should fix things.

If your only using Dog for an indexer try adding another one to see if it helps things.

Post your issue over at the Sonarr support forum. You will get help.

I'm not experiencing any of your issues. Sonarr has been working well. Most of the issue I've had are do to Thetvdb info not being up to date.


----------



## vertigo235

Yeah, Dog's API has been pretty bad the last few months.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Yeah I only use Dog's API, but it shouldn't matter since a manual search uses the same API and works instantly, while Sonarr may not find anything on its own a week after the release has been out.

I'll look at the logs when I'm home.


----------



## KungFuCow

Ive noticed the same thing... Sonarr requires a lot of manual searches. I never had much luck with SickBeard... Hopefully Sonarr gets things ironed out.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Yeah I only use Dog's API, but it shouldn't matter since a manual search uses the same API and works instantly, while Sonarr may not find anything on its own a week after the release has been out.
> 
> I'll look at the logs when I'm home.


Sonarr searches the 100 newest nzbs on each RSS sync (auto). If new nzbs falls past that 100 number because Dog's API server doesn't return any results in a timely manner then you won't get any new tv downloads. The nzbs will age out.

When you search manually, the 100 newest limit isn't used. That's why you can find them when searching manually.

Until Dog deploys new servers, you will need to add another indexer to Sonarr to take up the slack.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Ive noticed the same thing... Sonarr requires a lot of manual searches. I never had much luck with SickBeard... Hopefully Sonarr gets things ironed out.


It's not likely a Sonarr issue. Most likely an indexer problem.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

So what other indexers are currently available? I lost track of where I have accounts.


----------



## logic88

I currently have these search providers in my Sickbeard setup:

dognzb.cr
Usenet-Crawler
nzbsooti
nzb.is

The last three are free.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> I currently have these search providers in my Sickbeard setup:
> 
> dognzb.cr
> Usenet-Crawler
> nzbsooti
> nzb.is
> 
> The last three are free.


Nzb.is - has recently started charging for VIP access. Free users are now limited to 100 api hits a day. 10 nzb downloads a day.

You can also use Sickbeards internal indexer. It will work in Sonarr. It's free. No API key needed. Leave it blank.

http://lolo.sickbeard.com


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Nzb.is - has recently started charging for VIP access. Free users are now limited to 100 api hits a day. 10 nzb downloads a day.
> 
> You can also use Sickbeards internal indexer. It will work in Sonarr. It's free. No API key needed. Leave it blank.
> 
> http://lolo.sickbeard.com


What kind of server do you add it as?


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> What kind of server do you add it as?


Newznab - Custom


----------



## Malcontent

Another free Newznab indexer.

https://6box.me/


----------



## Robin

I've been skimming through the thread but it's...a lot.

I haven't used Usenet in over a decade (but I used it heavily then.)

Anyone care to give me a quick primer on the current state?

I only download one or two shows a week so I don't need much data. Paying by the GB as opposed to the month would probably be better.

Software recs? Do I need to worry about detection like with torrents?


----------



## KungFuCow

I use SABnzbd as my download client and Sonaar for my TV show tracking. I do my movie grabbing manually.

Youre also going to need a good indexing site. If you arent a member of one, Im sure someone would be glad to provid you an invite to one of the better trackers. 

Id also look into service offerings. There are only a few companies providing access with a lot of companies reselling their service. I use an overseas company, I forget which one but they dont seem to pull DMCA requests QUITE as fast as US based companies.


----------



## jollygrunt777

KungFuCow said:


> I use SABnzbd as my download client and Sonaar for my TV show tracking. I do my movie grabbing manually.
> 
> Youre also going to need a good indexing site. If you arent a member of one, Im sure someone would be glad to provid you an invite to one of the better trackers.
> 
> Id also look into service offerings. There are only a few companies providing access with a lot of companies reselling their service. I use an overseas company, I forget which one but they dont seem to pull DMCA requests QUITE as fast as US based companies.


Sounds like sonaar is an alternative to sickbeard? I use the latter for tv shows, and similar to you, I grab movies manually from a private nzb site. I use the European site usenetbucket as my main usenet provider. I pay around 5 bucks for 40mbps service from this provider and download at a 4.5mb/sec. I get the shows I want before the dmca kicks in.


----------



## logic88

Robin said:


> I've been skimming through the thread but it's...a lot.
> 
> I haven't used Usenet in over a decade (but I used it heavily then.)
> 
> Anyone care to give me a quick primer on the current state?
> 
> I only download one or two shows a week so I don't need much data. Paying by the GB as opposed to the month would probably be better.
> 
> Software recs? Do I need to worry about detection like with torrents?


I recommend using SABnzbd as the download client. Pair it with either Sickbeard or Sonarr index searcher for automated downloading.

I personally use a mix of free and paid indexers.

For downloads, I'm currently using Astraweb. I've found them to have good retention and completeness. They have a 1TB/$50 option available.

Reddit has this map of available providers. It looks like Astraweb runs their own backbone.

As for DMCA, I've never heard of anyone getting a notice for downloads. They go after the uploaders, not the downloaders.


----------



## Robin

Thanks!

That was what I thought I'd heard about DMCA.


----------



## KungFuCow

im not worried about DMCA notices, Im worried about DMCA takedowns. Most US based providers automatically pull content when a DMCA violation is submitted so content can disappear REALLY quickly. The euro servers seem to be a little slower responding to takedown notices, at least thats been my experience.


----------



## MikeMar

KungFuCow said:


> im not worried about DMCA notices, Im worried about DMCA takedowns. Most US based providers automatically pull content when a DMCA violation is submitted so content can disappear REALLY quickly. The euro servers seem to be a little slower responding to takedown notices, at least thats been my experience.


I used Frugal/Block with Astra on the backup and I have had 0 problem getting GoT eps a day or two after airing. So that's been good


----------



## DUDE_NJX

dog down?

eta: nm,it's back


----------



## Malcontent

DOGnzb - [Feature Addition]

*Secondary Push Server Now Available*



> Primary and Secondary Push Queues.
> 
> The ability to add a secondary Push Queue has been enabled for DOGpass members. Manual pushing to either of your two servers or Queue Management is now possible. Watchlist support will be coming later on. (*Pretty useful for pushing individual NZBs manually to friends or family members*).


----------



## KungFuCow

To the person that recommended Usenet Bucket, thanks! I switched to them and tried it out for a month and they have better retention that my previous provider. Went ahead and paid for a year up front.


----------



## logic88

I've been seeing some weirdness with Astraweb lately. Some articles are disappearing from both their US and EU servers that I didn't expect to be gone. For some odd reason, they are on Easynews, which surprised me.

Is there a difference between the various resellers? For example, would signing up for Usenet Bucket be any different than EasyUsenet aside from price? Do resellers run their own servers for retention or are they dependent on XS News?


----------



## vertigo235

I switched to super news a while ago and it has been great.


----------



## Malcontent

Astraweb has gone down hill. They have technical issues more regularly now and can be a little slow to fix. I suspect they don't have the user base (money) they use to have at their peak. Their tech support isn't the best.

Light users probably won't notice most if any issues when they occur. Heavy users probably will from time to time.

DMCA is still an issue with *all* usenet providers. Highwinds has since backed off the speedy take downs of the past. Things are still removed but not for several hours. It used to be as quick as 60-90 minutes.

Highwinds has been on a spending spree for the last few years and has acquired just about every small independent usenet backbone.

I would suggest considering Supernews (Giganews) or Newshosting (Highwinds). They both have solid infrastructures and can max out your speed. I don't believe they sell usenet blocks. Only unlimited accounts. Both have special offers for $9.99 a month. I think Usenetserver has a free trial on their main webpage. If you can, automate as much of your usenet downloads as you can so you can grab stuff quickly.

$9.99 a month specials:

http://www.supernews.com/super-special/

https://www.newshosting.com/partners/

I've tried UsenetBucket and it was pretty reliable and inexpensive (depending on the speed plan). Release groups seem to favor uploading to Buckets backbone provider. But it seems their DMCA take downs are now quicker then Highwinds. If your automated then it doesn't matter.


----------



## vertigo235

The supernews deal I did was $99 for a year.

http://www.supernews.com/super-special/


----------



## jollygrunt777

KungFuCow said:


> To the person that recommended Usenet Bucket, thanks! I switched to them and tried it out for a month and they have better retention that my previous provider. Went ahead and paid for a year up front.


YW


----------



## Malcontent

Some people may not like to prepay in advance. If they later become dissatisfied with the service or a better option comes up they can jump ship. 

I've become gun shy committing to yearly when it comes to usenet subscriptions. But that's my hang up.


----------



## Malcontent

'Usenetserver' has a yearly unlimited plan for $95.40. With free Free VPN Service.

https://www.usenetserver.com/partners/


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Some people may not like to prepay in advance. If they later become dissatisfied with the service or a better option comes up they can jump ship.
> 
> I've become gun shy committing to yearly when it comes to usenet subscriptions. But that's my hang up.


Im usually the same way but UB is weird.. you cant do an ongoing subscription. Its month to month without auto renewal so just to save myself the hassle, I paid for a year.



Malcontent said:


> 'Usenetserver' has a yearly unlimited plan for $95.40. With free Free VPN Service.
> 
> https://www.usenetserver.com/partners/


This is the provider I just left to go to UsenetBucket. I was really happy with them from all aspects.. the service was great, their support was great.. I just went to UB because they had better retention.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> This is the provider I just left to go to UsenetBucket. I was really happy with them from all aspects.. the service was great, their support was great.. I just went to UB because they had better retention.


Usenetserver says they have 2472 Days Retention. Usenetbucket says they have 1100 days. Did you mean completion?


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Usenetserver says they have 2472 Days Retention. Usenetbucket says they have 1100 days. Did you mean completion?


Got my hosters mixed up. Ive been with so many they all kind of run together. I was referring to UseNetNow.

My apologies....


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Got my hosters mixed up. Ive been with so many they all kind of run together. I was referring to UseNetNow.
> 
> My apologies....


No worries.


----------



## cheesesteak

I bought a new computer. I've set up SABnzbd exactly like the old computer's version. Same settings, same ports etc... The .nzb files download and kick off SABnzbd but the wanted file just sits in the queue, never downloading. I go to SABnzbd -> Config -> Servers -> Show Details for my blocknews.net account. Clicking the Test Server button results in a "(10061, "Failed to connect (10060, 'timed out') - @blocknews.net:5563) message. The new computer has Win 8.1 and McAfee firewall software. The old is a Win 7 box and Windows firewall. I added SABnzbd to McAfee's programs to let through the firewall but still no go. I thought the firewall might be the problem so I disabled it but still no go. I've probably missed a step somewhere along the line. Any ideas on what I've missed? As far as I can tell the settings are identical. I have the two computers sitting next to each other and have compared the screens side by side.


----------



## Malcontent

Check to make sure the NZB's are not being paused. There is a master pause button at the top right of the SABnzbd GUI. If it's enabled by accident, Nzbs will just sit there. There would be a "paused" message in the SABnzbd browser tab.

Do you have Blocknews "enabled" (checked marked) in settings?

Double check your server settings in SABnzbd. Correct Username? *Correct password*? Do you have *SSL* option enabled in the server settings since port 5563 is a SSL port for Blocknews? Have you tried SSL port 443?

The "test server" button in SABNZB never works for *me* with Blocknews/Frugalusenet. I get error messages even with the correct info. Using it for me seems to cause connection issues. I've reported it to support but they can't recreate the issue. I make a point of never clicking the 'Test Server' button for Blocknews/Frugalusenet.

If all else fails, try changing your Blocknews password and never click the 'Test Server' option again for Blocknews. If you change your password, allow at least 10 minutes for the change to fully take place on their servers.



cheesesteak said:


> I bought a new computer. I've set up SABnzbd exactly like the old computer's version. Same settings, same ports etc... The .nzb files download and kick off SABnzbd but the wanted file just sits in the queue, never downloading. I go to SABnzbd -> Config -> Servers -> Show Details for my blocknews.net account. Clicking the Test Server button results in a "(10061, "Failed to connect (10060, 'timed out') - @blocknews.net:5563) message. The new computer has Win 8.1 and McAfee firewall software. The old is a Win 7 box and Windows firewall. I added SABnzbd to McAfee's programs to let through the firewall but still no go. I thought the firewall might be the problem so I disabled it but still no go. I've probably missed a step somewhere along the line. Any ideas on what I've missed? As far as I can tell the settings are identical. I have the two computers sitting next to each other and have compared the screens side by side.


----------



## cheesesteak

Found it! I had "blocknews.net" as the host instead of "usnews.blocknews.net".

Thanks


----------



## logic88

Does anyone monitor the PBS show _Frontline_ with Sickbeard or Sonarr?

For some reason, my Sickbeard install isn't showing the 5/26 episode in it's index. Not sure why. I tried to force an update but it's still missing.

Is anyone else seeing the episode for their install?

Thanks.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Does anyone monitor the PBS show _Frontline_ with Sickbeard or Sonarr?
> 
> For some reason, my Sickbeard install isn't showing the 5/26 episode in it's index. Not sure why. I tried to force an update but it's still missing.
> 
> Is anyone else seeing the episode for their install?
> 
> Thanks.


I don't follow the show but a quick search seems to show that the episode isn't out on usenet yet. Not at least on the indexers I've checked. The episode would be S33E09.

Shows like this can take a few days to appear on usenet after they air.

Sickbeard will grab the episode when it's indexed on Usenet.


----------



## bobino

Malcontent said:


> I don't follow the show but a quick search seems to show that the episode isn't out on usenet yet. Not at least on the indexers I've checked. The episode would be S33E09.
> 
> Shows like this can take a few days to appear on usenet after they air.
> 
> Sickbeard will grab the episode when it's indexed on Usenet.


My installation of sickbeard rarely finds the show Frontline. It hasn't found a single episode for season 2015. Since most other shows are found easily, I'm guessing something is broken with this show. Has anyone seen this problem?

-Bob


----------



## Fofer

By "something broken" do you mean "no one's uploading it?"


----------



## vertigo235

All joking aside, it really is amazing how "reliable" it is that someone will upload these shows. 

Keep in mind, the scene doesn't share their stuff on Usenet or torrent, it's someone who has access to all the scene releases that does it. 

I can see how someone might think that something is "broken" when someone doesn't upload a show they watch


----------



## MikeMar

vertigo235 said:


> All joking aside, it really is amazing how "reliable" it is that someone will upload these shows.
> 
> Keep in mind, the scene doesn't share their stuff on Usenet or torrent, it's someone who has access to all the scene releases that does it.
> 
> I can see how someone might think that something is "broken" when someone doesn't upload a show they watch


Wow, am I that out of touch, what is "the scene"?


----------



## vertigo235

MikeMar said:


> Wow, am I that out of touch, what is "the scene"?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warez_scene


----------



## vertigo235

It's basically all a "game" to compete with other release groups to see who can release a show/movie the fastest to certain standards. All for bragging rights, that's why the releases come out so quickly, and sometimes before the air date.


----------



## MikeMar

vertigo235 said:


> It's basically all a "game" to compete with other release groups to see who can release a show/movie the fastest to certain standards. All for bragging rights, that's why the releases come out so quickly, and sometimes before the air date.


ohhh yeah, different groups, thought there was something behind all that!

I am NOT out of the know, I feel better now


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> I don't follow the show but a quick search seems to show that the episode isn't out on usenet yet. Not at least on the indexers I've checked. The episode would be S33E09.
> 
> Shows like this can take a few days to appear on usenet after they air.
> 
> Sickbeard will grab the episode when it's indexed on Usenet.


Thanks for looking but I was actually referring to the episode index in Sickbeard. It's not showing the 5/26 episode as aired yet. It doesn't even know that it exists. The last episode that it thinks has aired (and has listed) is the 5/19 episode. That's the odd part. I can understand if the episode isn't available from the indexers since it's possible that someone hasn't uploaded it but the fact that it's missing completely from Sickbeard is weird. A lot of times, I look at what's in the "Wanted" backlog and if I'm interested enough in the episode, I go looking for it in other places.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Thanks for looking but I was actually referring to the episode index in Sickbeard. It's not showing the 5/26 episode as aired yet. It doesn't even know that it exists. The last episode that it thinks has aired (and has listed) is the 5/19 episode. That's the odd part. I can understand if the episode isn't available from the indexers since it's possible that someone hasn't uploaded it but the fact that it's missing completely from Sickbeard is weird. A lot of times, I look at what's in the "Wanted" backlog and if I'm interested enough in the episode, I go looking for it in other places.


Sickbeard pulls it's show information from thetvdb.com. It looks like a Mod. over there has locked the Frontline series and no one can update the episode listings. The last entry is for 5-19-2015. Until a Mod. updates the episode listing or unlocks it, Sickbeard won't auto download any new episodes.

http://thetvdb.com/?tab=season&seriesid=80646&seasonid=608680&lid=7


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Sickbeard pulls it's show information from thetvdb.com. It looks like a Mod. over there has locked the Frontline series and no one can update the episode listings. The last entry is for 5-19-2015. Until a Mod. updates the episode listing or unlocks it, Sickbeard won't auto download any new episodes.
> 
> http://thetvdb.com/?tab=season&seriesid=80646&seasonid=608680&lid=7


Ah, that's what happened. Thanks for the explanation, that was helpful!


----------



## Malcontent

*Edit: All out of Invites.*

I have 3 invites for the indexer *omgwtfnzbs*.org.

If anyone is wants one just PM me an email address.

VIP will allow access to their API which can be used with Sickbeard, Sickrage, Sonarr.


----------



## Malcontent

*Dognzb* is open to registrations for the time being.

dognzb.cr/register


----------



## KungFuCow

So... my ISP just updated me to 300/20 and UsenetBucket just isnt getting it done in the speed department. Can anyone recommend a primary for me that might be able to utilize this speed? Im eyeing NewsHosting.. I dont think Ive ever had them before tho.


----------



## vertigo235

Supernews is very fast, I'll let you know in a few weeks when I get upgraded to 300/20 if I can max it out.


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Supernews is very fast, I'll let you know in a few weeks when I get upgraded to 300/20 if I can max it out.


What kind of speeds have you seen from them so far? About 160mbit is as fast as Ive been able to get UsenetBucket to go and its usually around 120mbit.

I dont know who the heavy hitters are any more. I was a Giganews guy for years but Ive tried almost all of them... Ive been mainly using EU services for the last couple of years to slow down DMCA takedowns. I want to use Usenetbucket as my backup. I still have about 8 months left on my subscription.


----------



## vertigo235

Currently I only have 30/5 internet tier, it will max that out, but I also have QOS enabled so I usually see a little less than that as my router keeps a little bandwidth on standby for QOS of other items.

Also, I never see any slowdowns on busy nights, like Sundays (GOT etc).


----------



## KungFuCow

LOL.. apparently I was with Newshosting back in 2006.. just discovered I still have an account with them. Last bill was in 2006.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> So... my ISP just updated me to 300/20 and UsenetBucket just isnt getting it done in the speed department. Can anyone recommend a primary for me that might be able to utilize this speed? Im eyeing NewsHosting.. I dont think Ive ever had them before tho.


Probably your best bet to max out your speed is with NewsHosting/Usenetserver (same company - Highwinds) or Supernews. Supernews is owned by Giganews.


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Probably your best bet to max out your speed is with NewsHosting/Usenetserver (same company - Highwinds) or Supernews. Supernews is owned by Giganews.


Thanks for the advice.

I signed up for Newshosting and running it as my primary, I can get about 200mbit. If I throw UsenetBucket into the mix, it slows down so Ive made UsenetBucket my backup server.


----------



## vertigo235

You could try adjusting the number of connections too.


----------



## vertigo235

KungFuCow said:


> What kind of speeds have you seen from them so far? About 160mbit is as fast as Ive been able to get UsenetBucket to go and its usually around 120mbit.
> 
> I dont know who the heavy hitters are any more. I was a Giganews guy for years but Ive tried almost all of them... Ive been mainly using EU services for the last couple of years to slow down DMCA takedowns. I want to use Usenetbucket as my backup. I still have about 8 months left on my subscription.


Got my 300/20 speeds and supernews can indeed max it out.


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Got my 300/20 speeds and supernews can indeed max it out.


How many connections? Giganews was really aggressive with their takedowns... thats why I left them. I was always really happy with the service. Maybe since Ive gone to Sonarr and Couch Potato the takedowns wouldnt be so bothersome.


----------



## vertigo235

KungFuCow said:


> How many connections? Giganews was really aggressive with their takedowns... thats why I left them. I was always really happy with the service. Maybe since Ive gone to Sonarr and Couch Potato the takedowns wouldnt be so bothersome.


I think 12 on us and 8 on eu.


----------



## logic88

Looks like DogNZB is in trouble. They yanked lifetime subs and now want to charge an annual fee.

https://dognzb.cr/board/index.php?/topic/2835-important-changes-regarding-lifetime-payments/



> Pricing is the same as DOGpass was: $15 for 1 year, $35 for 3 years, and $50 for 5 years. For now, payment still involves a third party website that manages the transactions for an extra $10 service charge (included with the cost of the T-Shirt). Unfortunately, I've been vocal here in the past about the problems we've had with PayPal, Coinbase etc. So for now, that's the only option, so it's better to just do a 3 or 5 years extension if you can while we look for payment alternatives.


Has anyone paid again yet? I'm probably OK with paying $50 for 5 years but given how they yanked the lifetime offer, I'm a bit leery that they will just close up shop in a couple of years.


----------



## vertigo235

I won't be giving them another cent.


----------



## Fofer

Pffft. Sayonara, no thanks, buh-bye.


----------



## Kamakzie

So are your guys reasoning for not re-upping with them because you feel they are switching and baiting?


----------



## Fofer

This:



logic88 said:


> given how they yanked the lifetime offer, I'm a bit leery that they will just close up shop in a couple of years.


There were other ways for them to have handled this better. Pro-rated refunds, or fair conversions to something else, perhaps? Like lifetime access to a "lite" tier, for example.

As it stands, I am satisfied with nzb.su anyway. DogNZB gets no more of my money.


----------



## Kamakzie

I went through this a couple years ago with nzbrus.. Very reminiscent.


----------



## Wil

logic88 said:


> I'm a bit leery that they will just close up shop in a couple of years.


I admire the chutzpah. Hey, I stole your money, so give me some more money.


----------



## vertigo235

I have three other great indexers that don't pull this crap. If I end up with zero and dog is the only other option, I'm sure they will take my money then just as easily as they will now. 

But I don't see that happening, ever.


----------



## innocentfreak

Kamakzie said:


> I went through this a couple years ago with nzbrus.. Very reminiscent.


This is why I am hesitant to give them anything more. I have 300 days so it should be plenty of time to see what happens over the next year. Maybe by then they will get a real payment processor.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

vertigo235 said:


> I have three other great indexers that don't pull this crap.


Care to share which ones?


----------



## vertigo235

nzbs.org and pfmonkey.com

I also have omgwtfnzb which was up front about their model (you pay yearly I think) and has not changed anything. 

6box.me is a free alternative too which is good.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Hmm.. it looks like my pfmonkey and nzb.su accounts no longer exist


----------



## laria

I'm not going to pay DOGnzb any more money because I don't use it enough. I was ok paying $10 for a lifetime sub, but I get stuff off Usenet probably less than 5 times a year.

Although right now it's my only account because I just discovered my nzb.su account is gone now too.


----------



## MikeMar

I just use usenet in spurts at this point, you can still manually use Dog right?

Care less about automated overall


----------



## laria

laria said:


> Although right now it's my only account because I just discovered my nzb.su account is gone now too.


Ah, my NZBs.in one is still there. :up:


----------



## laria

MikeMar said:


> I just use usenet in spurts at this point, you can still manually use Dog right?
> 
> Care less about automated overall


Oh, I never use automated. But I guess I assumed my account would be unable to be accessed after it expired.


----------



## MikeMar

laria said:


> Oh, I never use automated. But I guess I assumed my account would be unable to be accessed after it expired.


I haven't paid Dog a dime, I haven't paid anyone anything outside of Frugal/Block/Astra for the actual data part of it.


----------



## laria

MikeMar said:


> I haven't paid Dog a dime, I haven't paid anyone anything outside of Frugal/Block/Astra for the actual data part of it.


Weird. When I signed up for Dog, there was something about needing to pay to keep the account open, I thought.


----------



## vertigo235

Looks like my Dog account will be good for another 166 days, I guess that's a decent probation period, but I doubt I'll pay.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

They decided to keep accounts active after all. After the expiration date, no more API calls or automated features. Just browsing the site and RSS feeds.


----------



## MikeMar

DUDE_NJX said:


> They decided to keep accounts active after all. After the expiration date, no more API calls or automated features. Just browsing the site and RSS feeds.


Ahh so that's probably what I have, just the free version and manually go and grab stuff from there


----------



## Fofer

Two updates this morning:

UPDATE: Recent registrants have had their accounts extended by 2 years. Hopefully this will help with new users feeling slighted and "bait and switched".

UPDATE: Accounts will no longer be pruned when the account expiration date arrives. Those users will be moved to a Lite plan, which is 0 API calls (just manual browsing and RSS feeds). This may change, but for now, this is what we can do.

https://dognzb.cr/board/index.php?/topic/2835-important-changes-regarding-lifetime-payments/

Well done :up:

The Lite plan is all I've ever really needed / used.


----------



## vertigo235

Leaves the door open to pay later should one decide there actually is any Value there. Also I'm not really cool with their available methods of payment, they will need to work that out first before I would even consider it.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

The Lite plan will support 25 API calls per day.


----------



## logic88

vertigo235 said:


> nzbs.org and pfmonkey.com
> 
> I also have omgwtfnzb which was up front about their model (you pay yearly I think) and has not changed anything.
> 
> 6box.me is a free alternative too which is good.


Too bad nzbs.org and pfmonkey.com are invite-only.

Is 6box.me open for registrations? I just tried and it gave a vSphere error.


----------



## Malcontent

Another reliable indexer is NZBFinder

They opened up after NzbMatrix closed and have been very reliable. They are upfront about charging an annual fee. 10 Euro a year gets you 5000 API hits a day and unlimited downloads.

You can sign up for free and get 10 API hits a day and 3 downloads.


----------



## logic88

Well, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I ended up paying for a "lifetime" VIP subscription to nzb.is for 10&#8364;.

We'll have to see how long "lifetime" is.


----------



## laria

I've paid for two "lifetime" subscriptions now that went away (nzbmatrix and now Dog). I think I'm done with them.


----------



## Kamakzie

Does anyone else do automated push besides dog? I really don't want to set up other programs like couch potato etc If I don't have to.


----------



## Malcontent

Kamakzie said:


> Does anyone else do automated push besides dog? I really don't want to set up other programs like couch potato etc If I don't have to.


I don't know of any other indexer that has automated push.

Newznab indexers have RSS feeds that you can add tv shows/movies to and will be downloaded when RSS feeds are polled (when shows and movies are indexed) from Sabnzbd, ect. Look for "My Shows" or "My Movies" on just about any Newznab indexer. You won't have the level of control or features you would find on Dognzb.

Nzbgeek has a more sophisticated RSS feed system then the average Newznab indexer. It's called "Geekseek". It's still not on Dog's level but is better then stock Newznab.

Nzbgeek charges an annual fee but they do have a 14 day free trial.

https://nzbgeek.info


----------



## logic88

I'm currently with Astraweb and I've noticed that they have a lot of problem with certain posts. So many problems that that they had to post a status update about it. Their explanation is that XSNews/Easyusenet isn't propagating their articles properly.

http://helpdesk.astraweb.com/index.php?_m=news&_a=viewnews&newsid=66

Has anyone else noticed a problem with XSNews/Easyusenet posts? If not, which provider do you use? I'm thinking about switching to News Demon.


----------



## innocentfreak

There are several posts in reddit.com/r/usenet about it.

The consensus seems to be the issue lies with Astraweb.


----------



## brettatk

I've been wondering why I've had so many failed downloads lately, I guess that explains it. Not much I can really do about it. I've been with Astraweb for many years. Thing is that I haven't been charged by them in about 4 years. I always use to renew yearly with the unlimited option for around $90. I think my credit card expired one year and I never went in and changed it. I'm going to ride it out for as long as I can. When the day comes it stops working I'll look somewhere else. Hard to beat free and it must not be too important to them.


----------



## innocentfreak

Quick question somewhat on and off topic. 

I am looking to build a dedicated Plex Windows PC to handle 3-4 streams at once while at the same time running SickBeard/Sonarr/CouchPotato. 

What are you guys running? I looked at the Intel Nuc machines but they don't support a 3.5 drive and I figured I would use a SSD for the OS and a WD Black drive for the landing drive for Sabnzbd. I have my Synology for storage, but I don't want to run anything on it and would prefer a separate machine.


----------



## Malcontent

The indexer *Pfmonkey* has opened for new registrations. I'm not certain how long that will last (probably will close registrations after Christmas).


----------



## vertigo235

innocentfreak said:


> Quick question somewhat on and off topic.
> 
> I am looking to build a dedicated Plex Windows PC to handle 3-4 streams at once while at the same time running SickBeard/Sonarr/CouchPotato.
> 
> What are you guys running? I looked at the Intel Nuc machines but they don't support a 3.5 drive and I figured I would use a SSD for the OS and a WD Black drive for the landing drive for Sabnzbd. I have my Synology for storage, but I don't want to run anything on it and would prefer a separate machine.


I use my Synology 415+, and I also have my desktop as secondary which also does syncs and now optimization transcodes.


----------



## Kamakzie

Malcontent said:


> The indexer *Pfmonkey* has opened for new registrations. I'm not certain how long that will last (probably will close registrations after Christmas).


Closed already, does anybody have an invite they would share?


----------



## Malcontent

Kamakzie said:


> Closed already, does anybody have an invite they would share?


It looks like they opened 225 slots and they were filled quickly.

PM me an email address.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

*Frugalusenet* has doubled it's retention from 300 days to 600 days with no price increase. Now allows 50 connections.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> *Frugalusenet* has doubled it's retention from 300 days to 600 days with no price increase. Now allows 50 connections.


I always forget, does having it set at 10 vs 50 connections make a difference?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> I always forget, does having it set at 10 vs 50 connections make a difference?


It may help if you had a really fast internet connection. Something like Google fiber speed. I don't see the need for 50 connections for the average home user. It marketing.


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> It may help if you had a really fast internet connection. Something like Google fiber speed. I don't see the need for 50 connections for the average home user. It marketing.


yeah mine isn't that fast, so I'll just keep it at 10, works fine enough

I tried 20 once and made no difference


----------



## KungFuCow

Ive bounced from place to place trying to max out my connection and cant do it. Fastest speed Ive seen is about 23MB/s down and thats really rare. Usually its about 16MB/s. Even switched to Super News after someone here said they were able to get close to 300mbit from them.


----------



## vertigo235

Yeah I can max out supernews for sure 300mbit connection but it does slow down during peak hours. 

Early morning and during the day though it's easy to max out.


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Yeah I can max out supernews for sure 300mbit connection but it does slow down during peak hours.
> 
> Early morning and during the day though it's easy to max out.


How many connections are you using?


----------



## vertigo235

KungFuCow said:


> How many connections are you using?


I think around 12


----------



## logic88

brettatk said:


> I've been wondering why I've had so many failed downloads lately, I guess that explains it. Not much I can really do about it. I've been with Astraweb for many years. Thing is that I haven't been charged by them in about 4 years. I always use to renew yearly with the unlimited option for around $90. I think my credit card expired one year and I never went in and changed it. I'm going to ride it out for as long as I can. When the day comes it stops working I'll look somewhere else. Hard to beat free and it must not be too important to them.


I guess this only works when the card auto-fails? I emailed them to cancel my Astraweb account (I'm back to Tweaknews for now) and my account stopped working on the day that it was supposed to. Oh well.


----------



## cheesesteak

Where does SABnzbd store error messages? I've been having issues with SABnzbd this past week. I'll download an nzbd file and the yellow SABnzbd icon shows up in the icon tray in the bottom right corner. I also see SABnzbd.exe in the Windows Task MAnager. A few seconds later, the icon turns green but hovering the cursor over that icon shows that 0 bytes are being downloaded. About 20 seconds after that, the green icon totally disappears and SABnzbd.exe disappears from task manager. The SABnzbd web page never even tries to load.

I had this problem two weeks ago off and on. I'd also get a message that some other app was using the port and to try loading from the cmd line and using port 9001. That didn't work. A reboot would temporarily fix the issue. I noticed that I was on an old version of SABnzbd and updated to the latest version. Everything worked as normal for a while and now I'm back to the issue of SABnzbd never loading. I can't even get to the configuration page to try changing ports. I located the sabnzbd.ini file but I'd like to know what the actual error I'm getting is before I mess around with settings in there.

This started about two weeks ago. I haven't installed anything new on this computer recently other than Windows updates and I've had the same issue across two versions of SABnzbd..


----------



## cheesesteak

My SABnzbd problems seem to have stemmed from the latest update to my vpn software. I restored my system back to a May 12th restore point. Updating SABnzbd to the latest version worked at that restore point. It died when I updated the vpn. I emailed the IPVanish people. They stated that people have been complaining about their latest update and are working on a fix. We'll see what happens when that comes down the pike.


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> My SABnzbd problems seem to have stemmed from the latest update to my vpn software. I restored my system back to a May 12th restore point. Updating SABnzbd to the latest version worked at that restore point. It died when I updated the vpn. I emailed the IPVanish people. They stated that people have been complaining about their latest update and are working on a fix. We'll see what happens when that comes down the pike.


I don't think you really need to use VPN when downloading from Usenet. For torrents, yes. As long as you use SSL with usenet that should be enough. Since your downloading from Usenet and not uploading (sharing) your not at risk. Usenet providers don't monitor what you download just how much. With SSL your ISP can't tell what your downloading.

Using a VPN with usenet adds more overhead that you don't really need but if it makes you feel safer then the peace of mind is worth it.


----------



## ACoolDude

Malcontent said:


> As long as you use SSL with usenet that should be enough.


This has been my experience, years and years using usenet over SSL, no VPN - no issues.

2 warning emails on consecutive days over same song downloaded via a torrent without a VPN by my son. (When he could have just listened to on Spotify at the time )


----------



## jeremy3721

Newbie to Usenet. Any current recommendations or who I should use and who has open registration right now? Looks like a few folks recommend Supernews on Reddit so thinking about trying that out


----------



## vertigo235

Supernews is really good for new releases , they are fast and reliable, but the older stuff is missing due to DMCA takedowns. 

In currently use supernews and astraweb.


----------



## jeremy3721

Any hints on how to find the good version of a file in the sea of crap? I need to.do more.research obviously but I don't understand why some files are password protected.


----------



## Worf

The reason you got a warning letter was torrents - because you're uploading data, what the media companies do is camp out on popular torrents and record down all the IPs who send them data. You pretty much have to set your torrent client to leech only and upload 0 data to not get caught.

Usenet is pure downloads, so even without SSL, you won't get a warning letter - the only way they can tell what you downloaded would be to actually spy on your internet connection which would mean you have far bigger problems than just downloading files. 

As for passwords, the main reason is content identification - on usenet, you can bet media companies are scanning all the uploads and doing takedowns of copyrighted files. The easiest way around it is to put a password on the archive which means manual intervention is required to scan the files, which takes effort and is unlikely to be done. You may note that filenames are also randomized - again, for the same reason.


----------



## Malcontent

Frugalusenet offers 600 days of retention for $5.00 a month. It has great customer service. Since all of my downloads are automated 600 days is plenty for me.

If you use a good indexing site you shouldn't have problems with passwords. The indexer will filter most of them out for you.


----------



## logic88

Worf said:


> As for passwords, the main reason is content identification - on usenet, you can bet media companies are scanning all the uploads and doing takedowns of copyrighted files. The easiest way around it is to put a password on the archive which means manual intervention is required to scan the files, which takes effort and is unlikely to be done. You may note that filenames are also randomized - again, for the same reason.


My impression is that uploads are password protected to force users to visit certain sites. Either to gather ad impressions or to entice users to pay for a subscription.

As Malcontent mentions, good indexing sites should filter out these files.


----------



## Malcontent

*Blocknews Independence Day 2016 - Block Special - 100Gb for $8*

https://billing.blocknews.net/signup/I7TSNQaO

Anyone who only downloads occasionally from usenet might be interested in buying some non expiring usenet blocks (quota). $8 for 100 Gb is a good deal.

Blocknews resells Highwinds. Blocknews is very reliable and they have excellent customer service.


----------



## laria

This is a different provider than Astraweb, right? I'm still working on a 1 TB block I bought from Astraweb in some sale a few years ago. I still have 963 GB left.


----------



## Malcontent

laria said:


> This is a different provider than Astraweb, right?


Yes.


----------



## laria

Malcontent said:


> Yes.


Ooops. 

I went to buy it and I thought, hrm, I did have a BlockNews account as a backup before, I better make sure whatever it was I bought is all gone.

I apparently bought 25 GB and only have used 2.8 of it. Glad I double checked!


----------



## tigercat74

Anybody use Sonarr with an Apple computer? I'm thinking of using it to download shows but all I have is a MacBook Pro. Does it work well or should I look into getting a Windows machine. Thanks in advance.


----------



## vertigo235

tigercat74 said:


> Anybody use Sonarr with an Apple computer? I'm thinking of using it to download shows but all I have is a MacBook Pro. Does it work well or should I look into getting a Windows machine. Thanks in advance.


It should work fine I know a few people who use it on Mac with no problems.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

I use it on a mini and have no problems.


----------



## tigercat74

Jeff_in_Bklyn said:


> I use it on a mini and have no problems.


Is it easy to setup? Do you have to install anything to get it to work?


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

tigercat74 said:


> Is it easy to setup? Do you have to install anything to get it to work?


Just Mono. But is just a setup installer. No command line.


----------



## tigercat74

Jeff_in_Bklyn said:


> Just Mono. But is just a setup installer. No command line.


Thanks. Got it working.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

tigercat74 said:


> Thanks. Got it working.


:up:


----------



## logic88

What are folks using for indexers? I was using nzb.is but they recently broke something in their API so Sickbeard/SABnzbd can't grab NZB files automatically. No idea when they'll get around to fixing it.

Thanks!


----------



## vertigo235

nzbs.org and pfmonkey.com


----------



## logic88

Thanks for the info but unfortunately both are invite-only. I'll keep an eye on new registration announcements.

(Unless someone here has an invite to spare? )


----------



## laria

nzbs.in and dogznb.cr but I don't have any invites.


----------



## vertigo235

I also have a dog account but didn't re up when they decided to shake everyone down for more money


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Thanks for the info but unfortunately both are invite-only. I'll keep an eye on new registration announcements.
> 
> (Unless someone here has an invite to spare? )


P.M me an email address for a PFMonkey invite. VIP is a one off $10.


----------



## vertigo235

Hmm I didn't know we could give invites. I'll check my account when I get home.


----------



## Nitro Zeus

Hello - I just registered for this board as I was looking for some information on NZB sites. I noticed the posts about PF Monkey invites. I realize this is my first post but would it possible for someone to send me an invite?

Regards, 
NZ


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

I'm out of invites for PFMonkey.


----------



## jeremy3721

Nitro Zeus said:


> Hello - I just registered for this board as I was looking for some information on NZB sites. I noticed the posts about PF Monkey invites. I realize this is my first post but would it possible for someone to send me an invite?
> 
> Regards,
> NZ


I'd be interested as well after Zeus is taken care of


----------



## logic88

Well, thanks to Malcontent, I just joined so it'll likely be a loooong time before I get any invites.

But when I do, I'll let folks know.

(Perhaps NZ will have a few more posts by then as well. )


----------



## tigercat74

If anybody else has a PF Monkey invite, I would really appreciate one.


----------



## bobino

tigercat74 said:


> If anybody else has a PF Monkey invite, I would really appreciate one.


Yeah, me too. I live a life on the edge of legality thanks to the generosity of strangers. Help me continue.

-Bob


----------



## innocentfreak

My dog is about to expire. I have never done btc before and wasn't sure the best way to go about it. Any recommendations on services to buy from?


----------



## KungFuCow

innocentfreak said:


> My dog is about to expire. I have never done btc before and wasn't sure the best way to go about it. Any recommendations on services to buy from?


I use Circle... its pretty painless.


----------



## The Spud

I have used Newsgroupdirect blocks as my primary for years. I also have a small block with Astraweb and a larger block with usenet.farm.

I let my Newsgroupdirect block run out with the thinking that I would switch to Frugal. As they are both Highwinds, other than retention, I shouldn't notice much difference. Now I discover that usenet.farm uses Highwinds for it's older stuff. I just recently had a hard drive crash so I do need a bit better retention in the short term. I suppose I could increase my block with Astraweb or even go with their $15/2 month unlimited deal.

An other suggestions?


----------



## KungFuCow

Im using Supernews and NewsNinja and really happy with the completion and retention.


----------



## vertigo235

I use supernews and astarweb, and never have any issues but it's not exactly the cheapest pair.


----------



## logic88

I just came across a block service called Usenet.Farm (appears to be Dutch).

Prices are low enough (500GB for €10.50 due to year end promo, normally €15) and retention/completion seem good enough that I took a chance (since Astraweb's completion has been kinda spotty lately).

They offer a 10GB trial so you can try them out first before needing to purchase.

Just Usenet - Usenet.Farm

They take Paypal but not a regular credit card so that's a bit of a hassle. But I have a Paypal account so I just used that to pay them the €10.50 ($11.27 USD is what Paypal charged on my card).


----------



## KungFuCow

Ive been using Newsgroup Ninja and have been super happy with it. $7.99 a month, unlimited. Theyre a Highwinds reseller but Ive found completion to be very good and things to hang around for a while.


----------



## Azlen

logic88 said:


> I just came across a block service called Usenet.Farm (appears to be Dutch).
> 
> Prices are low enough (500GB for €10.50 due to year end promo, normally €15) and retention/completion seem good enough that I took a chance (since Astraweb's completion has been kinda spotty lately).
> 
> They offer a 10GB trial so you can try them out first before needing to purchase.
> 
> Just Usenet - Usenet.Farm
> 
> They take Paypal but not a regular credit card so that's a bit of a hassle. But I have a Paypal account so I just used that to pay them the €10.50 ($11.27 USD is what Paypal charged on my card).


I have switched over to usenet.farm as well. They are one of the only, if not the only service that pulls from both Xsnews and Highwinds as well as their own server.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

It looks like there is a fork of 'Sonarr' that is called *'Radarr'*.

'Radarr' is going to be handling just movies instead of Tv shows. Looks like an alternative for Couchpotato.

It's still in early development but it looks promising.

GitHub - galli-leo/Radarr: Smart PVR for newsgroup and bittorrent users.

Releases · galli-leo/Radarr · GitHub

Radarr • /r/radarr


----------



## vertigo235

Another new couchpotato alternative is watcher. GitHub - nosmokingbandit/watcher


----------



## GoPackGo

Why all the hate for CouchPotato?


----------



## vertigo235

GoPackGo said:


> Why all the hate for CouchPotato?


Personally I think Couchpotato is just too bloated at this point, I want something more simple.

Also I've been annoyed that there is no easy way to backup and restore CouchPotato, I just didn't feel like setting it all up again because it can be a PITA getting it set up right.

Both Watcher and Radarr have a backup option that backs up everything you need to move your install somewhere else or restore after a rebuilt etc.


----------



## cditty

Anyone here using Sonarr and Dog? I'm having an issue where it's not finding new shows.


----------



## dcushing

cditty said:


> Anyone here using Sonarr and Dog? I'm having an issue where it's not finding new shows.


Are you using Windows or Linux? If Linux, check your version of mono. There is a known bug that interferes with some search sites. I use Dog and run it on my linux server with no problem.


----------



## cditty

Running Mac. Can you send me a link to the bug? I searched and everything I found was over 2 years old.


----------



## dcushing

cditty said:


> Running Mac. Can you send me a link to the bug? I searched and everything I found was over 2 years old.


Here is a pretty long discussion on it (it gets fairly testy at points).
Latest development version


----------



## Malcontent

Dog's API server has been acting flaky lately. Searches can be hit or miss sometimes. Try again later. It's response times are pretty slow. I believe it's under alot of stress from all the users that Dog has. Users have complained in their forum.

I believe the Admin wrote his own API server a couple of years ago because the default API server wasn't cutting it. Looks like it may be an issue again.


----------



## cditty

I just cleared the logs and ran a search. First thing that pops out to me is that the NewznabRssParser says invalid API key: Insufficient privileges. Then the next line shows an invalid API key, even though I've put one in the indexer screen. 

Searching for another show, shows the same results. 

Once I add my API from that same settings screen, I get results. Any thoughts?


----------



## cditty

Well, apparently, somehow, I managed to get my account downgraded for 24hrs over this api stuff. I don't know how as I was just cutting and pasting the urls. Guess I'll wait until tomorrow and see how this turns out.

Thanks


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I just cleared the logs and ran a search. First thing that pops out to me is that the NewznabRssParser says invalid API key: Insufficient privileges. Then the next line shows an invalid API key, even though I've put one in the indexer screen.
> 
> Searching for another show, shows the same results.
> 
> Once I add my API from that same settings screen, I get results. Any thoughts?


*EDIT:* Yeah make sure you use the correct API key or you will get a temporary ban. Empty search results are an issue though.

Like I mentioned earlier, Dog's API server has been flaky lately.

It's likely a Dog issue and not yours. Post about your issue on Dog's forum. Other users have complained about the same issues.



Code:


https://dognzb.cr/board/index.php?/topic/3495-query-string-parameter-order-on-api-calls/


----------



## cditty

While I wait for the limited access to clear, I went ahead and manually searched for my missing shows. I am getting "
Import failed, path does not exist or is not accessible by Sonarr: /data/Videos/Shows/Downloads/Gotham.S03E01.Mad.City.Better.To.Reign.In.Hell.720p.AMZN.WEBRip.DD5.1.x264-NTB".

When I look in the show directory, the file is there. The downloads folder is where I download everything to for it to be sorted out. There is one of those lines for every show I get now.


----------



## vertigo235

Probably a permissions issue on your download folder, update the permissions.


----------



## cditty

Didn't make any difference. The errors go away once I remove it from sab but I don't want to have to remember to do that every time. And I have it set up to remove from the download client once completed. 

Is it me or is this thing just not ready for prime time?


----------



## john4200

cditty said:


> Is it me or is this thing just not ready for prime time?


Depends on whether you get it working in the next few hours.


----------



## cditty

I found the problem to my import issue. My path was wrong. I copied it from my NAS but it had an additional directory I didn't notice. 

I just wish it had a little better set of instructions/documentation. It's nice looking and slick, but some of the descriptions need help.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Anyone here using Sonarr and Dog? I'm having an issue where it's not finding new shows.


How are things going?

Dognzb Admin had added AM/PM to the dateformat in the RSS feed and it broke things.

It was fixed a few hours ago.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Can anyone recommend some indexing services? Preferably ones that don't require registration or are currently open. Unless you have invites to premium ones? 
My old indexers slowly died out. Still have Dog, but refused to pay under the new model, so it's ok for basic stuff.


----------



## laria

Hrm, I still had one at nzbs.in or nzb.su, I forget which, but they seem to have removed me. The only one I have now is Dog.


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Can anyone recommend some indexing services? Preferably ones that don't require registration or are currently open. Unless you have invites to premium ones?
> My old indexers slowly died out. Still have Dog, but refused to pay under the new model, so it's ok for basic stuff.





Code:


https://nzb.ag/register

It's free and the Admin says it will remain that way.


> API, effectively unlimited (perhaps 20k daily in future)
> API is load balanced across 3 front-end servers
> Experienced admin(s) with nn+ and nzedb, active contributors.
> Please use a valid email address you check! We occasionally send out email updates for maintenance and this is all we ask! Nothing more annoying than receiving hundreds of emails when we dispatch them in advance.


----------



## cditty

So far so good. I'll just have to keep an eye on it and search for missed shows from time to time. Don't know how many shows that finally showed up to download weeks later.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> So far so good. I'll just have to keep an eye on it and search for missed shows from time to time. Don't know how many shows that finally showed up to download weeks later.


It's a good idea to have more then one indexer installed in Sonarr, ect. If there is a problem with one indexer there would be a backup in place.


----------



## cditty

I was just looking at adding nzb.ag to the mix but I couldn't get my sonarr to accept the api url for them.


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> I was just looking at adding nzb.ag to the mix but I couldn't get my sonarr to accept the api url for them.


You have to use SSL.



Code:


https://nzb.ag


----------



## cditty

Malcontent said:


> You have to use SSL.
> 
> 
> 
> Code:
> 
> 
> https://nzb.ag


Thanks. That took care of it. And as of this minute, it's picking up my missing episodes from last night. Any idea what the cuttoff is? When does it quit looking for past episodes?


----------



## Malcontent

cditty said:


> Thanks. That took care of it. And as of this minute, it's picking up my missing episodes from last night. Any idea what the cuttoff is? When does it quit looking for past episodes?


Sonarr looks for the latest 100 newly indexed shows on each RSS sync to your indexers. If your missing shows fall outside of that range, nothing will be downloaded. Shows get re-posted often to usenet and these will fall within that 100 range and would be downloaded.

If you search manually Sonarr will search your indexers fully for missing shows regardless of how old the posts are on your indexers.

Select the *"Wanted"* menu button at the top of Sonarr and you can see all the missing episodes and choose to search for them manually.


----------



## cditty

Ah. That makes more sense. I thought that it quit looking for older shows, say 3 weeks old. I can deal with it doing it the way it does. 

Thanks for all the help.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

laria said:


> Hrm, I still had one at nzbs.in or nzb.su, I forget which, but they seem to have removed me. The only one I have now is Dog.


Was it NZBS.in? Mine was also closed out of the blue. Anyone know why?


----------



## laria

Jeff_in_Bklyn said:


> Was it NZBS.in? Mine was also closed out of the blue. Anyone know why?


I had accounts at both... one was closed on me a while ago and one was closed fairly recently, not sure which was which. Sounds like it might have been .in that was the recent one if yours was also closed.


----------



## KungFuCow

Im using NZBHydra and have Sonarr and CP pointed to that. That way it querys Hydra which queries all my indexers.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Im using NZBHydra and have Sonarr and CP pointed to that. That way it querys Hydra which queries all my indexers.


I considered using Nzbhydra but the single point of failure stopped me.


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> I considered using Nzbhydra but the single point of failure stopped me.


Its been very stable. I havent had a single issue with it. Ive been running it this way a few months.


----------



## cheesesteak

I recently moved and my usenet download speed has gone in the crapper. I used to get a constant 11 MB/s at my old home. Now it may start at 11 or 8 or 5 or 3 MB/s and then eventually slow to a crawl somewhere in the 50 - 500 KB/s range. Do I need to change some setting(s) in SABnzbd simple because I moved to a new town? I thought I'd ask here before changing things blindly.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

cheesesteak said:


> I recently moved and my usenet download speed has gone in the crapper. I used to get a constant 11 MB/s at my old home. Now it may start at 11 or 8 or 5 or 3 MB/s and then eventually slow to a crawl somewhere in the 50 - 500 KB/s range. Do I need to change some setting(s) in SABnzbd simple because I moved to a new town? I thought I'd ask here before changing things blindly.


Not saying its going to help but many have found NZBGet to be faster downloading then SAB, me included. Maybe give it a shot?


----------



## Malcontent

cheesesteak said:


> I recently moved and my usenet download speed has gone in the crapper.


Wired or WiFi?

Are the downloads new content that have not been DMCA?

Are you using the same ISP? Have you run any speed tests besides usenet?

Are you using SSL? If not, give it a try.

How many connections are you using to download from your usenet server? You can try increasing the number a little to see if it makes a difference.

You can try changing the Port number you use for usenet in Sabnzbd. Check which ports your usenet provider supports. Also, try alternative usenet servers that your provider has. Most usually have multiple servers to download from.


----------



## cheesesteak

I don't know what's going on. I decided to address this today after tiring of crappy performance. I was going to change ports but sabnzbd prompted me for credentials and wouldn't accept what I entered. From that point on, it wouldn't load the console without prompting for userid and password that it didn't like. I decided to try downloading some files as a test to see if sabnzbd was hosed and was surprised that everything I've downloaded this morning has been at my usual zippy 11.3 MB/s. I can't load the console but right clicking on the icon shows me the download speed and it's always my expected speed so far. I might have to reinstall sabnzbd but that'll be a pain in the butt if I can't see my current settings.


----------



## HerronScott

cheesesteak said:


> I don't know what's going on. I decided to address this today after tiring of crappy performance. I was going to change ports but sabnzbd prompted me for credentials and wouldn't accept what I entered. From that point on, it wouldn't load the console without prompting for userid and password that it didn't like. I decided to try downloading some files as a test to see if sabnzbd was hosed and was surprised that everything I've downloaded this morning has been at my usual zippy 11.3 MB/s. I can't load the console but right clicking on the icon shows me the download speed and it's always my expected speed so far. I might have to reinstall sabnzbd but that'll be a pain in the butt if I can't see my current settings.


You can get the username and password from the sabnzbd.ini file.

C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\sabnzbd

Scott


----------



## innocentfreak

I started switching to Sonarr since the v1 API on TVDB will be sunsetting soon. 

My biggest complaint is the web UI takes forever to load on a remote PC. Sometimes it loads instantly, but other times it just seems to sit with the background image. I run SAB on the same PC and connect to that without issues. Has anyone found any tricks to speed up the UI? It just feels superslow compared to sickbeard.


----------



## HerronScott

innocentfreak said:


> I started switching to Sonarr since the v1 API on TVDB will be sunsetting soon.
> 
> My biggest complaint is the web UI takes forever to load on a remote PC. Sometimes it loads instantly, but other times it just seems to sit with the background image. I run SAB on the same PC and connect to that without issues. Has anyone found any tricks to speed up the UI? It just feels superslow compared to sickbeard


Regarding your first statement, does that mean that Sickbeard will stop working when that happens? I only use Sickbeard and SABnzbd on the rare occasion that I miss a show so I haven't really kept up with developments since I got both installed.

Scott


----------



## Malcontent

innocentfreak said:


> I started switching to Sonarr since the v1 API on TVDB will be sunsetting soon.
> 
> Has anyone found any tricks to speed up the UI? It just feels superslow compared to sickbeard.


You could try clearing Sonarr logs regularly. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.


----------



## innocentfreak

HerronScott said:


> Regarding your first statement, does that mean that Sickbeard will stop working when that happens? I only use Sickbeard and SABnzbd on the rare occasion that I miss a show so I haven't really kept up with developments since I got both installed.
> 
> Scott


I am guessing it might. I don't know what it would take to point the program to the new API. I am also guessing it is using a different api address, but won't know until we get closer to the sunset date.


----------



## vertigo235

HerronScott said:


> Regarding your first statement, does that mean that Sickbeard will stop working when that happens? I only use Sickbeard and SABnzbd on the rare occasion that I miss a show so I haven't really kept up with developments since I got both installed.
> 
> Scott


You can try sickrage or sickgear if you don't want to switch to sonarr.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> You can try sickrage or sickgear if you don't want to switch to sonarr.


Or Medusa, which seems to have more and better developers than the other SickBeard forks.

Medusa


----------



## vertigo235

That's one I have not heard of.


----------



## john4200

vertigo235 said:


> That's one I have not heard of.


It has come on strong in the last 6 months. Several of the Medusa developers previously contributed to the SickRage fork (not the echelon one), but the owner of that fork, miigotu, is something of a tyrant, so they started Medusa (PyMedusa at first, you will still see that name on github).

The lineage is something like this: SickBeard -> SickRage(echelon) -> SickRage(miigotu) -> Medusa

If you check the "pulse" of Medusa on github, you can see that it is currently a lot more active than the other SickBeard forks (and has been for around 6 months), and the commits are more spread out over developers rather than almost all coming from one developer.


----------



## MikeMar

So my NAS got all screwed up (long story) but short version is I lost all my movies/TV shows I had. I mean 90% of them I'd never watch again, so no problem there. But have to re-download a bunch of stuff

So right now I just have Frugal as my main thing and then Blocknews and Astra in block accounts as backups

So if you were going to download a LOT over like a month or two, what's a great large retention unlimited service to get for a month or two?


----------



## Malcontent

MikeMar said:


> So my NAS got all screwed up (long story) but short version is I lost all my movies/TV shows I had.
> 
> So if you were going to download a LOT over like a month or two, what's a great large retention unlimited service to get for a month or two?


With DMCA long retention isn't a guarantee of successfully downloading older content. You already are using Highwinds and Astraweb backbones.

Using another provider that uses a different backbone would be my suggestion.

I would suggest looking at XS News. It's Dutch.

They offer a free 14 day trial. You might be able to download most of what you need during that trial.

Home - XS News


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

MikeMar said:


> So my NAS got all screwed up (long story) but short version is I lost all my movies/TV shows I had. I mean 90% of them I'd never watch again, so no problem there. But have to re-download a bunch of stuff
> 
> So right now I just have Frugal as my main thing and then Blocknews and Astra in block accounts as backups
> 
> So if you were going to download a LOT over like a month or two, what's a great large retention unlimited service to get for a month or two?


Have been using Newsgroup Ninja without any problems. And I download alot. But yeah DCMA does kill older stuff.


----------



## KungFuCow

john4200 said:


> Or Medusa, which seems to have more and better developers than the other SickBeard forks.
> 
> Medusa


Are you running this on Windows by any chance? I cant get it to run and I cant find an install guide for it anywhere. Going to look at the SickRage guide and see if that helps any.


----------



## HerronScott

KungFuCow said:


> Are you running this on Windows by any chance? I cant get it to run and I cant find an install guide for it anywhere. Going to look at the SickRage guide and see if that helps any.


 I just installed it using the Windows Installer and the service won't start (stays at Paused).

python.exe for service Medusa exited with return code 3221225794.

Haven't had time to follow-up yet.

Scott


----------



## john4200

KungFuCow said:


> Are you running this on Windows by any chance? I cant get it to run and I cant find an install guide for it anywhere. Going to look at the SickRage guide and see if that helps any.


No, I run it on my linux server.

The developers are pretty helpful. Try writing an issue report and see what they say:

Issues · pymedusa/Medusa · GitHub


----------



## HerronScott

I decided to try and run it manually versus the service first. Running start.py seemed to start it as I got a lot of starting/updating information on the python console window and it opened the following in a web browser - http://localhost:8081/home/ but it's a blank dark screen (which is better than not finding anything).

Scott


----------



## BrettStah

You don't have anything else running using that same port, huh?


----------



## KungFuCow

Same issue I'm having. I changed the port to something I know is free and it doesn't connect for me either. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## john4200

Could it be a Windows firewall issue?


----------



## Malcontent

A browser add-on? Like an ad blocker, ect? Cookies?


----------



## KungFuCow

No.. SickRage, which I think this is a fork of, works fine.


----------



## john4200

Are you using http: or https:

I think Medusa made significant changes from SickRage to the SSL/TLS code.

Also, do you have an existing SickBeard or SickRage database file (sickbeard.db)? If so, you should probably delete it (or back it up and delete it), because it could confuse Medusa.


----------



## KungFuCow

john4200 said:


> Are you using http: or https:
> 
> I think Medusa made significant changes from SickRage to the SSL/TLS code.
> 
> Also, do you have an existing SickBeard or SickRage database file (sickbeard.db)? If so, you should probably delete it (or back it up and delete it), because it could confuse Medusa.


I am running Sonarr. That might explain things.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## HerronScott

john4200 said:


> Also, do you have an existing SickBeard or SickRage database file (sickbeard.db)? If so, you should probably delete it (or back it up and delete it), because it could confuse Medusa.


I'm curious how would it find it? It's not a port or firewall issue as the page comes up but is just a dark background (at least once I started it manually).

Scott


----------



## cheesesteak

HerronScott said:


> You can get the username and password from the sabnzbd.ini file.
> 
> C:\Users\<yourusername>\AppData\Local\sabnzbd
> 
> Scott


I used the userid/password in the one and only sabnzbd.ini file on my computer and it still wouldn't accept my credentials. I also used the credentials that were in my LastPass vault with no success. I'll just reinstall SABnzbd at a later date.

I think I figured out my usenet download performance issue. I download to an external USB drive. I noticed that file transfers to this drive were at the same ridiculously slow 700 KB/s speeds as my usenet downloads whiles file transfers using my c:, d: and NAS drives were normal, much faster speeds. I switched the USB drive to a 3.0 port and things got zippy again. I don't remember if I had that drive connected to a 2.0 or 3.0 drive before I moved. I definitely don't remember reading anything in the drive's manual that said to only use a 3.0 port or performance will suck. I'm just going to replace and move stuff off it since I don't trust it any more.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

cheesesteak said:


> I used the userid/password in the one and only sabnzbd.ini file on my computer and it still wouldn't accept my credentials. I also used the credentials that were in my LastPass vault with no success. I'll just reinstall SABnzbd at a later date.
> 
> I think I figured out my usenet download performance issue. I download to an external USB drive. I noticed that file transfers to this drive were at the same ridiculously slow 700 KB/s speeds as my usenet downloads whiles file transfers using my c:, d: and NAS drives were normal, much faster speeds. I switched the USB drive to a 3.0 port and things got zippy again. I don't remember if I had that drive connected to a 2.0 or 3.0 drive before I moved. I definitely don't remember reading anything in the drive's manual that said to only use a 3.0 port or performance will suck. I'm just going to replace and move stuff off it since I don't trust it any more.


You should look into using ramdisk with sabnzbd.


----------



## cheesesteak

Figured out my Sabnzbd console problem. First, it helped to find the right .ini file. Then I tried the username/password combinations I found in there until one worked. Windows used to automatically fill that information in and I stopped paying attention so when it stopped, I had no idea what values to use and it wasn't my default userid/pw combination I usually use for unimportant things. Thanks for the help and suggestions.


----------



## HerronScott

cheesesteak said:


> Figured out my Sabnzbd console problem. First, it helped to find the right .ini file. Then I tried the username/password combinations I found in there until one worked. Windows used to automatically fill that information in and I stopped paying attention so when it stopped, I had no idea what values to use and it wasn't my default userid/pw combination I usually use for unimportant things. Thanks for the help and suggestions.


Was yours located in a different path than where I indicated? And it had more than one pair of values?

Scott


----------



## mwhip

nzb.su seems to failing me. I get tons of failed downloads on things that have been downloaded thousands of times. Anyone using a good alternate?


----------



## laria

They wiped out my account at nzb.su and also at nzbs.in, all I have now is dognzb.


----------



## gossamer88

mwhip said:


> nzb.su seems to failing me. I get tons of failed downloads on things that have been downloaded thousands of times. Anyone using a good alternate?


That was happening to me as well. Creating a new account worked for me.


----------



## mwhip

gossamer88 said:


> That was happening to me as well. Creating a new account worked for me.


I pay for VIP is that transferable?


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

ABNZB is open for registration. The free account gives 100 API hits and 50 downloads a day.


----------



## Malcontent

mwhip said:


> nzb.su seems to failing me. I get tons of failed downloads on things that have been downloaded thousands of times. Anyone using a good alternate?


How old are the things your trying to download? It could simply be DMCA take downs. If it's DMCA then it wouldn't matter what indexer you are using.


----------



## gossamer88

mwhip said:


> I pay for VIP is that transferable?


Not sure. Mine is a free one.


----------



## Malcontent

mwhip said:


> Anyone using a good alternate?


indexers - usenet


----------



## mwhip

Malcontent said:


> How old are the things your trying to download? It could simply be DMCA take downs. If it's DMCA then it wouldn't matter what indexer you are using.


Last week


----------



## Malcontent

mwhip said:


> Last week


Things can be DMCA'd a few hours after being posted.


----------



## logic88

Anybody using PFMonkey for Sickbeard indexing?

I've been getting a SSL error for the past week or so.

I tried posting the error message but for whatever reason, the Sucuri Website Firewall that TCF uses claims that the error message is an "Exploit attempt denied by virtual patching" and blocks it.

The last good API call was back on 9/14.

I'm not seeing this error with dognzb.cr so maybe it's a problem with PFMonkey?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Anybody using PFMonkey for Sickbeard indexing?
> 
> I've been getting a SSL error for the past week or so.
> 
> I tried posting the error message but for whatever reason, the Sucuri Website Firewall that TCF uses claims that the error message is an "Exploit attempt denied by virtual patching" and blocks it.
> 
> The last good API call was back on 9/14.
> 
> I'm not seeing this error with dognzb.cr so maybe it's a problem with PFMonkey?


Have you tried restarting Sickbeard?

Monkey had some database issues a few days ago which have since been fixed.

This is posted on PFMonkey's landing page:

Attn: Sonarr/Radarr Users
September 16th, 2017 at 02:09 PM

If you are noticing your Sonarr/Radarr is complaining that it cannot contact the PFMonkey API server, please restart your Sonarr/Radarr Applications.


----------



## logic88

Unfortunately restarting doesn't help.

The error is "sslv3 alert handshake failure while loading URL" (can't post the whole error message because of TCF's firewall filter).

If I paste the URL into Chrome, it seems to return the data fine so I guess it's some sort of weird SSL conflict between Sickbeard's SSL libraries and PFMonkey's Comodo cert.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Unfortunately restarting doesn't help.
> 
> The error is "sslv3 alert handshake failure while loading URL" (can't post the whole error message because of TCF's firewall filter).
> 
> If I paste the URL into Chrome, it seems to return the data fine so I guess it's some sort of weird SSL conflict between Sickbeard's SSL libraries and PFMonkey's Comodo cert.


Have you ever considered switching to Sonarr? Development on Sickbeard has slowed a bit.

Sonarr is actively developed.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Have you ever considered switching to Sonarr? Development on Sickbeard has slowed a bit.
> 
> Sonarr is actively developed.


Yeah, I guess I will have to take a peek at Sonarr if this persists.

It's one of those "it's been working great for a few years so I don't want to change or touch anything" deals.

Thanks for the nudge.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Anybody using PFMonkey for Sickbeard indexing?
> 
> I've been getting a SSL error for the past week or so.


The PFMonkey Admin has posted that this issue should now be resolved. Try restarting Sickbeard again and see if things are working.


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> The PFMonkey Admin has posted that this issue should now be resolved. Try restarting Sickbeard again and see if things are working.


Ah, thanks, so he has. That forum wasn't very active so after posting there, I thought I would ask here. Perhaps my post there nudged him to look into it?


----------



## KungFuCow

Id still switch to Sonarr


----------



## HerronScott

KungFuCow said:


> Id still switch to Sonarr


Any good primers on switching from Sickbeard to Sonarr?

Scott


----------



## innocentfreak

I would suggest just run them side by side and slowly switch shows over as you become comfortable. I would also add new shows to Sonarr first.


----------



## KungFuCow

innocentfreak said:


> I would suggest just run them side by side and slowly switch shows over as you become comfortable. I would also add new shows to Sonarr first.


Yea.. you can also import your current library into Sonarr and I believe that will add them as monitored and they will be added to your calendar automatically.

Ive even started dabbling with Radarr as a CP alternative.


----------



## GoPackGo

KungFuCow said:


> Ive even started dabbling with Radarr as a CP alternative.


I switched to Sonarr, stubbornly, earlier this year after a SickBeard update broke things for a few days. I've been happily using Sonarr ever since.

I haven't brought myself to use Radarr yet. Curious to hear how it goes.


----------



## KungFuCow

GoPackGo said:


> I switched to Sonarr, stubbornly, earlier this year after a SickBeard update broke things for a few days. I've been happily using Sonarr ever since.
> 
> I haven't brought myself to use Radarr yet. Curious to hear how it goes.


Verdict is still out. CouchPotato has quit cleaning, renaming and moving stuff I download thats not on my CP list so thats troubling. Im going to keep messing with it. I may end up wiping it and reinstalling to start over from scratch.


----------



## GoPackGo

I've been using nzbtomedia along with CP for as long as I can remember. CP goes and grabs the NZB, hands it off to SAB, and then SAB's script calls nzbtomedia to clean, rename and move the file, after which nzbtomedia either tells CP that the download succeeded or failed, in which case CP will grab the next release.


----------



## cditty

GoPackGo said:


> I haven't brought myself to use Radarr yet. Curious to hear how it goes.


I switched to Radarr over the weekend. Got a little surprise when it wanted to get over 100gb. Uhhhh, make sure you adjust the sizes to fit your needs.


----------



## innocentfreak

Who is everyone using to buy bitcoins these days? I used circle previously but it looks like they no longer offer it. Coinbase charges a pretty hefty fee so I didn't know if there was a better preferably free option.


----------



## Kamakzie

innocentfreak said:


> Who is everyone using to buy bitcoins these days? I used circle previously but it looks like they no longer offer it. Coinbase charges a pretty hefty fee so I didn't know if there was a better preferably free option.


If you are doing it for dognzb they are doing a special right now where you can send them an Amazon gift card instead. Also if you do a three year or five year extension you get one year free added on.


----------



## Malcontent

Coinbase seems to be good.

Coinbase - Buy/Sell Digital Currency


----------



## Malcontent

*Blocknews, Frugal and Usenetnow - Black Friday & Holiday Sale*

Black Friday 2017 - Usenet Specials



> Frugal Usenet - $3.99 per month unlimited accounts. Once sold out, $40 per year through the rest of the year. The change will most likely happen Friday morning some time.
> 
> Usenetnow- $8.99 per month OR $48 per 6 months, available through rest of the year.
> 
> Blocknews- 500 gig dime sale. Basically, at 11 PM EST Thursday night, 500 GB block accounts start at $1. and then every few sales, the price will rise by 25 cents up to a maximum price of $20.17 for the rest of the year (1 per customer).


----------



## The Spud

There's a lot of BF Usenet specials going on right now. I think this is better than the Frugal/Blocknews/UsenetNow deal. Of note, they have a 4TB block for $40. They had a 2 hour deal yesterday where unlimited was $30/year.

NewsDemon: Highwinds/Omicron 3386+ Days Retention, 50 Connections

$3.85 Unlimited + VPN Monthly
$40 Unlimited + VPN Yearly
$40 Non Expiring Block 4TB
Link: NewsDemon Landing page


----------



## MikeMar

Was going to take advantage of the blocknews deal but looked and still have 400+ gig and also have 400+ gig on astra
Combine that with Frugal, I think I'm set for a long time! Rarely have to use the block or astra bytes


----------



## HerronScott

Malcontent said:


> *Blocknews, Frugal and Usenetnow - Black Friday & Holiday Sale*
> 
> Black Friday 2017 - Usenet Specials


Thanks! Got 500GB for $15.

Scott


----------



## Fofer

Blocknews has been working great for me, haven't had any retention problems, and am always able to download what I'm looking for. I just checked and only had 5 GB left, so this sale came around at the right time. I just grabbed an additional 500 GB for $16. At the rate I download, that should last me more than a year. 

I'm sure there are even better deals out there (like NewsDemon's 4TB sale) but I didn't feel like changing providers when the one I've been using has been working out so well.


----------



## KungFuCow

Just wanted to take a poll and see who people are using for providers these days. I know a providers reliability can change at the drop of a hat. Im currently using newsgroup.ninja, Supernews and UsenetFarm but Id like to go back to just one provider if possible or maybe one provider with a backup block account. Switching from Sonarr to SickRage kicked off about 3TBs worth of downloads that just finished so I definitely need at least one unlimited provider.


----------



## The Spud

I use Supernews unlimited @74.99/year and I also have blocks at UsenetFarm & Astraweb.

On Thanksgiving I was planning on picking up another block at UsenetFarm, but I learned that Newsdemon was having a 2 hour sale for unlimited @30/year so I did that instead. When my Supernews subscription comes up for renewal I'll have to decide if I really want 2 unlimited services.


----------



## Sparky1234

The Spud said:


> There's a lot of BF Usenet specials going on right now. I think this is better than the Frugal/Blocknews/UsenetNow deal. Of note, they have a 4TB block for $40. They had a 2 hour deal yesterday where unlimited was $30/year.
> 
> NewsDemon: Highwinds/Omicron 3386+ Days Retention, 50 Connections
> 
> $3.85 Unlimited + VPN Monthly
> $40 Unlimited + VPN Yearly
> $40 Non Expiring Block 4TB
> Link: NewsDemon Landing page


Some like NewsGuy locks in your annual rate forever with auto renewal.


----------



## KungFuCow

Sparky1234 said:


> Some like NewsGuy locks in your annual rate forever with auto renewal.


Looks like their biggest plan is 500GB a month. I need about 6x that at least some months.


----------



## Sparky1234

KungFuCow said:


> Looks like their biggest plan is 500GB a month. I need about 6x that at least some months.


Wow that's a lot of data...


----------



## KungFuCow

Sparky1234 said:


> Wow that's a lot of data...


Yes. And not typical. I don't know why switching to Sick Rage caused that big media refresh. I suspect I messed up something in my quality settings.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Sparky1234

KungFuCow said:


> Yes. And not typical. I don't know why switching to Sick Rage caused that big media refresh. I suspect I messed up something in my quality settings.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Is that for business use?


----------



## KungFuCow

Sparky1234 said:


> Is that for business use?


No

I typically dont download near that much but Im probably still 800GB-1TB a month.


----------



## The Spud

Sparky1234 said:


> Some like NewsGuy locks in your annual rate forever with auto renewal.


Yeah, Newsdemon does too. Apparently in the past they have had a reputation for cancelling high volume accounts. The owner, Greg, was on Reddit on Thanksgiving assuring people that they don't do that anymore. Even if they do, I don't think I would qualify as high volume, especially since this will be a backup account.


----------



## Sparky1234

KungFuCow said:


> No
> 
> I typically dont download near that much but Im probably still 800GB-1TB a month.


Wow, that's a lot of data. I sip at maybe 20-35GB per month which is streaming too.


----------



## KungFuCow

Sparky1234 said:


> Wow, that's a lot of data. I sip at maybe 20-35GB per month which is streaming too.


I guess it depends on what you're after. I dont even have streaming data calculated into that.

I like to mirror a few repos as well which also eats up some bandwidth.


----------



## Fofer

Sparky1234 said:


> Is that for business use?


Just curious: what kind of "business" would involve downloading 3+ TB of content via Sick Rage and Usenet on a monthly basis?


----------



## vertigo235

I use supernews Astra and tweaknews


----------



## Sparky1234

Fofer said:


> Just curious: what kind of "business" would involve downloading 3+ TB of content via Sick Rage and Usenet on a monthly basis?


Hence the question?


----------



## KungFuCow

Sparky1234 said:


> Hence the question?


Not in any way shape or form related to business anything.

Could be my estimates are high. As I moved Sab to run natively from my NAS instead of from a VM running on my NAS, I dont have historical data to go back to. I can say that the SickRage incident was the largest download Ive ever had that I can remember. Still dont know why it happened but thankfully it seems to have calmed down. I even deleted a bunch of stuff that I didn't really care about just to keep it from refreshing.


----------



## KungFuCow

CouchPotato Vs Radarr vs Watcher vs ??????????

Thoughts?


----------



## vertigo235

Radarr > Watcher > Couchpotato for me


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Radarr > Watcher > Couchpotato for me


Does Radarr allow you to add older movies to your wanted list? Ive tinkered with Radarr but wasnt ever really sure where its maturity was.

It looks like CP is circling the drain so I think its about time for the big thing to rise up.


----------



## vertigo235

You can add any movie to your wanted list


----------



## KungFuCow

Going to set it up and run it alongside Watcher for a bit to see if I can get it working right.

Anyone got any invites for omgwtfnzbs?


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Anyone got any invites for omgwtfnzbs?


Invites are currently closed.


----------



## innocentfreak

Malcontent said:


> Coinbase seems to be good.
> 
> Coinbase - Buy/Sell Digital Currency


Yeah I ended up using them they just tack on a bunch of fees which I was hoping to avoid like you could previously with Circle. I think it cost an extra $5 in fees when everything was said and done.


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Invites are currently closed.


You got me into another indexer many years ago. Id sure appreciate the opportunity to get into omgwtfnzb if it arises.

Many thanks again


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> You got me into another indexer many years ago. Id sure appreciate the opportunity to get into omgwtfnzb if it arises.
> 
> Many thanks again


Sure. But no ETA on when that might happen. Invites were closed mid November. BTW, they only accept Bitcoin now.

Any particular reason for your interest?


----------



## KungFuCow

Malcontent said:


> Sure. But no ETA on when that might happen. Invites were closed mid November. BTW, they only accept Bitcoin now.
> 
> Any particular reason for your interest?


Seems like a popular one and you can never have too many. I dont know a lot about NZB sites other than the ones Im on. For all I know, there may be some great Newznab sites Im not on. Tried setting up my own to run locally but never could get it going.


----------



## jeremy3721

Any updates on recommended providers?. I currently have blocknews and supernews but having trouble finding complete files lately.


----------



## robojerk

I've been lazy and cheap lately.
Using xsusenet.com as my news-server and abnzb.com for index. Both free.


----------



## MikeMar

robojerk said:


> I've been lazy and cheap lately.
> Using xsusenet.com as my news-server and abnzb.com for index. Both free.


That's for searching vs the provider to download right?


----------



## robojerk

yup.


----------



## Fofer

MikeMar said:


> That's for searching vs the provider to download right?


abnzb.com = index = searching
xsusenet.com = news-server = provider to download


----------



## mwhip

Frugal usenet has been solid for me the last year.


----------



## Hoffer

So, there are free usenet providers? Are there limitations like speed, retention, amount of data downloaded?

I bet 15 years ago, ybrew recommended usenetserver and I signed up with them and still use them. I think I pay $90 for a year. It is fast and has great retention.


----------



## MikeMar

Hoffer said:


> So, there are free usenet providers? Are there limitations like speed, retention, amount of data downloaded?
> 
> I bet 15 years ago, ybrew recommended usenetserver and I signed up with them and still use them. I think I pay $90 for a year. It is fast and has great retention.


Go to the site, says all the details for free


----------



## vertigo235

I'm still using an Astra/supernews combo, and I have a block with tweaknews that rarely gets used.


----------



## Malcontent

FYI,

Astraweb was recently sold to Highwinds and now uses the Highwinds backbone. It's no longer independent.

I believe Tweaknews was also bought by Highwinds a few years ago.


----------



## robojerk

Hoffer said:


> So, there are free usenet providers? Are there limitations like speed, retention, amount of data downloaded?


It's free, it's slow, there are limitations.
However I watch enough tv through OTA and legit streaming I can wait for slow downloads.


----------



## vertigo235

Malcontent said:


> FYI,
> 
> Astraweb was recently sold to Highwinds and now uses the Highwinds backbone. It's no longer independent.
> 
> I believe Tweaknews was also bought by Highwinds a few years ago.


Good to know , I was keeping Astra because it had older articles , if I start to see that is no longer true then I'll drop them.

Supernews is really fast and reliable but it doesn't have a lot of older articles that Astra seemed to have retained prior to the rise of DMCA.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Frugal has been really great. $3/month unlimited, and high retention.


----------



## MikeMar

Yeah frugal is great, gets 95% of stuff no problem, get some random movies/tv shows eps that won't work and I have to try a few versions but no prob


----------



## laria

I mostly use my account for very small files, I don't think I'm ever going to get through the 1 TB block I got from Astraweb forever ago.  

Actually I just checked, I got the block in August 2012 and I still have 950 GB remaining.


----------



## dfreybur

I used to use eternal-september but eventually I was no longer willing to download a newsreader. I no longer read my groups every year but the last bunch of times I just used the web interface to google groups and selected newsgroups. All the usual problems of not having any filtering but so few attack UseNet any more it hardly matters.


----------



## GoPackGo

I wish someone could explain the economics of Usenet hosting to me. It seems like there is so much data being added everyday, that it grows exponentially, and you’d always be adding more space to keep up with the growth.


----------



## MikeMar

GoPackGo said:


> I wish someone could explain the economics of Usenet hosting to me. It seems like there is so much data being added everyday, that it grows exponentially, and you'd always be adding more space to keep up with the growth.


Like the server that is hosting the content?

Answer - storage is cheap


----------



## robojerk

GoPackGo said:


> I wish someone could explain the economics of Usenet hosting to me. It seems like there is so much data being added everyday, that it grows exponentially, and you'd always be adding more space to keep up with the growth.


I remember hearing somewhere that when you're moving a lot of data, the cost per gigabyte from server to client becomes less than 1¢.


----------



## MikeMar

robojerk said:


> I remember hearing somewhere that when you're moving a lot of data, the cost per gigabyte from server to client becomes less than 1¢.


I think he's talking more about the storage amount to hold all the files to start with


----------



## dfreybur

GoPackGo said:


> I wish someone could explain the economics of Usenet hosting to me. It seems like there is so much data being added everyday, that it grows exponentially, and you'd always be adding more space to keep up with the growth.


Usenet comes from a time when folks ran it because they had a data center for other reasons. Data centers keep upgrading technology. The best for production. The previous generation for backup and development. Two generations back got assigned to whatever the IT folks wanted to do, so those got to be NNTP Usenet servers. In other words it was done free at universities and such. I had friends at JPL and Caltech who had usenet servers as I started my civilian career there long ago when this was the state of Usenet.

Eventually people were willing to pay subscription fees for Usenet so it became worth having servers run it. Generally only companies that did hosting had the facilities. The current terms for that are co-location and cloud but long ago the term was rack space. Now there's a company named Rackspace that no longer actually rents space in data center racks. My day job is supporting enterprise data centers that are big enough to have their own space in racks.

But time passed and technology evolved. In a web enabled world few are willing to install a package to use anything. I am no longer willing to install a Usenet client on my company issued laptop and I no longer keep a personal server active at home. Subscription income for Usenet service has dropped steadily for over a decade now. The economics are that there is no longer the customer base for Usenet.

There was a time when the world's best experts at pretty much anything were on Usenet. I was active on comp.unix.admin and some others. People in the instant pot or sous vide threads would have been on rec.feed.cooking or rec.food.cooking.equipment. RFC is the only newsgroup I followed that's still active.

But that was before web forums and facebook groups were invented. Now the world's best experts are on forums. I am active on linuxquestions.com, here, a Masonic forum and so on. Now the best social connectivity is on facebook groups. I stay a fossil active on LinkedIn instead. So Usenet as a service slowly ages and withers.

Usenet has some moderated groups. I am moderator of record for two defunct groups. I am on the active moderation team for two infrastructure groups - I have not even logged into the interfaces in over a year at this point. I just get occasional junk mail about someone sending spam to one of them. To be able to moderate groups I need to know a fair bit about newserver administration so I used to be an expert at it. Now it's not even on my resume any more.


----------



## smbaker

GoPackGo said:


> I wish someone could explain the economics of Usenet hosting to me. It seems like there is so much data being added everyday, that it grows exponentially, and you'd always be adding more space to keep up with the growth.


In many cases, retention may be limited. Pulling up one of the major providers, Giganews, for example, says 3+ years for binaries. While even that sounds like an astounding amount of data, it's still a factor that may constrain the amount of growth, and at some point (if piracy via torrent becomes more popular than piracy via Usenet and interest in the Usenet declines) could even begin to contract.

In most commercial online storage situations, you'd be in hot water if you lose a customer's data. However, much of what's on the Usenet is not lawful content, so it's not clear what redundancy guarantees they need to provide. If a hard drive fails and you lose a week's worth of 2015's stolen music, who is going to complain? If redundancy is relaxed, then that could significantly cut down storage concerns as well.

Plus, as others have said, storage is very cheap.

I remember when the Usenet was the place to go to for discussion, and the source of knowledge. If you had a question, the Usenet was where you'd post it, and you'd often get an answer within minutes... and connectivity was usually provided by your ISP. The times sure have changed.


----------



## HerronScott

Any opinions on a replacement for SickBeard? I looked a few years ago but seems like there are a number of options/forks now. SickRage, SickChill, Medusa, Sonarr… (more?).

Scott


----------



## Malcontent

HerronScott said:


> Any opinions on a replacement for SickBeard? I looked a few years ago but seems like there are a number of options/forks now. SickRage, SickChill, Medusa, Sonarr&#8230; (more?).
> 
> Scott


Sonarr - Dive in

Sonarr has been working great for me for the last several years.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

HerronScott said:


> Any opinions on a replacement for SickBeard? I looked a few years ago but seems like there are a number of options/forks now. SickRage, SickChill, Medusa, Sonarr&#8230; (more?).
> 
> Scott


Sonarr the the way to go these days.


----------



## robojerk

Sonarr


----------



## HerronScott

Thanks everyone for the recommendation! 

Scott


----------



## dfreybur

I gave up on loading a newsreader on my laptop. The view through Google Groups may not support any type of filtering but there's only one group I follow annually that still gets traffic. rec.food.cooking.

Usenet in general was killed by trolls and spammers then once the traffic dropped towards zero even they left. To paraphrase the season 3 Babylon 5 intro - Usenet was our last great hope for free speech. It failed. But it became our hope for moderation.


----------



## logic88

Looks like PFMonkey is dead? Any other good indexing sites available?


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Looks like PFMonkey is dead? Any other good indexing sites available?


Yeah, the Admin announced 2 weeks ago that he was shutting down the site. He didn't have the free time to maintain it anymore.

For a good indexer your going to have to pay a subscription of around $10-$12 a year. There a few that need an invite but their are still some that are open to new people.

There are a couple of decent ones that are open. They have been around for 5+ years.

NZBgeek

Their website can be a little sluggish but they have good releases. They are going to be running a Black Friday deal on their subscriptions. They have nice community forum on their site.

Login - NZB Finder | Hi-Def Usenet!

It's a reliable site that also has good releases. It's fast and dependable. The website has a clean design.

You can sign up to both and take a look around and see if you like them or not.


----------



## vertigo235

nzbgeek is a good one, +1 for that one


----------



## The Spud

But wait for Black Friday deals

r/usenet - Usenet Discussion


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Yeah, the Admin announced 2 weeks ago that he was shutting down the site. He didn't have the free time to maintain it anymore.
> 
> For a good indexer your going to have to pay a subscription of around $10-$12 a year. There a few that need an invite but their are still some that are open to new people.
> 
> There are a couple of decent ones that are open. They have been around for 5+ years.
> 
> NZBgeek
> 
> Their website can be a little sluggish but they have good releases. They are going to be running a Black Friday deal on their subscriptions. They have nice community forum on their site.
> 
> Login - NZB Finder | Hi-Def Usenet!
> 
> It's a reliable site that also has good releases. It's fast and dependable. The website has a clean design.
> 
> You can sign up to both and take a look around and see if you like them or not.


Thanks for the links. NZBgeek seems OK but it's not obvious if they support SickBeard/Sonarr. I assume they do but it just seem odd there wasn't a help page.


----------



## Malcontent

logic88 said:


> Thanks for the links. NZBgeek seems OK but it's not obvious if they support SickBeard/Sonarr. I assume they do but it just seem odd there wasn't a help page.


Yeah, they support both Sickbeard/Sonarr. In your profile you will be able to see your personal API key and API address used in Sickbeard/Sonarr.

Set Up help for Geek:

NZBgeek


----------



## logic88

Malcontent said:


> Yeah, they support both Sickbeard/Sonarr. In your profile you will be able to see your personal API key and API address used in Sickbeard/Sonarr.
> 
> Set Up help for Geek:
> 
> NZBgeek


Ah, I guess the view changes once you pay.

I went ahead and purchased a lifetime sub and I can now see my API info whereas previously, there was nothing there.

Thanks for the tip!


----------



## KungFuCow

Been a while since this thread was bumped. Anyone got any invites for any of the new indexers? I believe I have a few .su ones. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brettatk

I have a couple of invites available for nzbplanet. If interested just let me know.


----------



## DUDE_NJX

brettatk said:


> I have a couple of invites available for nzbplanet. If interested just let me know.


I'm interested, please.


----------



## brettatk

DUDE_NJX said:


> I'm interested, please.


PM me your email and I'll send it over.


----------



## brettatk

Out of invites. Hope they work out for everyone!


----------



## mr.unnatural

I haven't looked at this thread in ages. I didn't realize that Usenet was still a viable option for acquiring stuff via magical means. I just use a VPN and a BT client and use extreme caution about what I download. Lots of good stuff out there if you know where to look. I could become a total cord cutter and rely on just the internet to get all of my programming, but I still subscribe to cable and Netflix and get Amazon Prime so I'm covered for about 99% of the things I watch.


----------



## vertigo235

I hear it works really great!


----------



## MikeMar

I still use it, love the SSL and don't have to worry about any BT stuff or a VPN
Just costs me $4/month


----------



## vertigo235

You really need automation though, things do disappear.


----------



## MikeMar

vertigo235 said:


> You really need automation though, things do disappear.


nah, usually can find a few that work if you have problems, sometimes just takes a few tries. I probably download stuff maybe weekly. I don't leave my laptop on
I'd say 5% of the things I download I have to try a few


----------



## DUDE_NJX

vertigo235 said:


> You really need automation though, things do disappear.


This. And when properly set up, it works EXTREMELY well.


----------



## brettatk

vertigo235 said:


> You really need automation though, things do disappear.


Agreed. I still use Sickbeard and it grabs everything within a day after it airs. About a month ago my computer was down for about two weeks. Once it came back up most of my shows failed due to DMCA. I could not find any working links for those episodes.


----------



## logic88

brettatk said:


> Out of invites. Hope they work out for everyone!


I sent you a PM that day you said you had a few invites but I guess I was too late?

If you ever get any more, please let me know. Thanks!


----------



## minimeh

logic88 said:


> I sent you a PM that day you said you had a few invites but I guess I was too late?
> 
> If you ever get any more, please let me know. Thanks!


I have one invite to nzbplanet. PM me your email address and it's yours.


----------



## mr.unnatural

MikeMar said:


> I still use it, love the SSL and don't have to worry about any BT stuff or a VPN
> Just costs me $4/month


My VPN costs me less than $3 a month and it allows me to surf the web with total anonymity. If you download anything that is copyrighted off the web you should be using a VPN no matter how you obtain it. Otherwise you're just leaving yourself wide open to get caught and prosecuted. The one thing about using a VPN that I find annoying is that some websites won't allow me access if I have the VPN active. I have to pause any downloads, exit the BT client, and disconnect from the VPN server to access the site and then turn it back on and resume the downloads after I leave the site.

I'm able to find complete series of shows years after they've aired using BT sites. I can usually find most shows in 1080p with 5.1 audio, but not always. I can get full 4k BD movie rips in 2160p with HDR and 7.1 or Atmos and not badly compressed movies that are only a few GB. I'm not saying that it's better than Usenet because I've never tried Usenet, but it sounds like you have to grab them on Usenet when they become available in a small window or else you can't get them. Shows on Torrent sites disappear all the time if they're not reseeded so it's a mixed bag no matter where you go or what you use.


----------



## MikeMar

mr.unnatural said:


> My VPN costs me less than $3 a month and it allows me to surf the web with total anonymity. If you download anything that is copyrighted off the web you should be using a VPN no matter how you obtain it. Otherwise you're just leaving yourself wide open to get caught and prosecuted. The one thing about using a VPN that I find annoying is that some websites won't allow me access if I have the VPN active. I have to pause any downloads, exit the BT client, and disconnect from the VPN server to access the site and then turn it back on and resume the downloads after I leave the site.
> 
> I'm able to find complete series of shows years after they've aired using BT sites. I can usually find most shows in 1080p with 5.1 audio, but not always. * I can get full 4k BD movie rips in 2160p with HDR and 7.1 or Atmos and not badly compressed movies that are only a few GB.* I'm not saying that it's better than Usenet because I've never tried Usenet, *but it sounds like you have to grab them on Usenet when they become available in a small window or else you can't get them.* Shows on Torrent sites disappear all the time if they're not reseeded so it's a mixed bag no matter where you go or what you use.


Never had ANY problem getting a show/movie, might take a few tries for certain shows but get it and can be months after airing or years
Movies are pretty easy too

And depending on the show/movie usenet has all the same quality stuff, I never get a movie that is only a few GB, usually the 1080p 9-18gb size file.
I believe that most stuff STARTS on usenet first 

oh and never had any legal troubles using SSL for all my connections (I find that safer than using a VPN and connecting to countless other people)
Glad BT/VPN works for you, but it's almost the same thing and definitely the same file options


----------



## Fofer

mr.unnatural said:


> I'm not saying that it's better than Usenet because I've never tried Usenet, but it sounds like you have to grab them on Usenet when they become available in a small window or else you can't get them.


I use Usenet most of the time and rarely (if ever) encounter this issue. The few times I've seen a video no longer downloadable, I've been able to find a duplicate upload that's still there...


----------



## logic88

mr.unnatural said:


> My VPN costs me less than $3 a month and it allows me to surf the web with total anonymity. If you download anything that is copyrighted off the web you should be using a VPN no matter how you obtain it. Otherwise you're just leaving yourself wide open to get caught and prosecuted. The one thing about using a VPN that I find annoying is that some websites won't allow me access if I have the VPN active. I have to pause any downloads, exit the BT client, and disconnect from the VPN server to access the site and then turn it back on and resume the downloads after I leave the site.
> 
> I'm able to find complete series of shows years after they've aired using BT sites. I can usually find most shows in 1080p with 5.1 audio, but not always. I can get full 4k BD movie rips in 2160p with HDR and 7.1 or Atmos and not badly compressed movies that are only a few GB. I'm not saying that it's better than Usenet because I've never tried Usenet, but it sounds like you have to grab them on Usenet when they become available in a small window or else you can't get them. Shows on Torrent sites disappear all the time if they're not reseeded so it's a mixed bag no matter where you go or what you use.


I use a proxy instead of a VPN because in the past, BT clients couldn't tell if the VPN was down whereas with a proxy, everything will come to a grinding halt when the proxy goes down.

Have BT clients improved in this respect?


----------



## mr.unnatural

logic88 said:


> I use a proxy instead of a VPN because in the past, BT clients couldn't tell if the VPN was down whereas with a proxy, everything will come to a grinding halt when the proxy goes down.
> 
> Have BT clients improved in this respect?


The only thing that I can say about that is that every time I'm on my PC it tells me I'm in a different location than my physical address. To me that says that my VPN is functioning correctly and that I'm connected via a remote server. I've never seen it tell me I was in my actual location with the VPN connected so as far as I can tell it's never gone down.


----------



## mr.unnatural

MikeMar said:


> Never had ANY problem getting a show/movie, might take a few tries for certain shows but get it and can be months after airing or years
> Movies are pretty easy too
> 
> And depending on the show/movie usenet has all the same quality stuff, I never get a movie that is only a few GB, usually the 1080p 9-18gb size file.
> I believe that most stuff STARTS on usenet first
> 
> oh and never had any legal troubles using SSL for all my connections (I find that safer than using a VPN and connecting to countless other people)
> Glad BT/VPN works for you, but it's almost the same thing and definitely the same file options


I'm glad to know that there are other viable options out there. I have thought about dabbling with Usenet but never got around to setting it up. My BT client and the sites I use with my VPN have been working for me so I haven't seen the need to switch. I still get the vast majority of my media through legit sources via paid subscriptions so it's not that big of a deal for me anyway.


----------



## logic88

mr.unnatural said:


> The only thing that I can say about that is that every time I'm on my PC it tells me I'm in a different location than my physical address. To me that says that my VPN is functioning correctly and that I'm connected via a remote server. I've never seen it tell me I was in my actual location with the VPN connected so as far as I can tell it's never gone down.


Yeah, 99.9% of the time (or even higher), the VPN is fine. But it's just one of those things that if the VPN endpoint goes down, I don't want to keep seeding. It's like a seatbelt or any other safety device, I don't ever want to use it but if I do need it, I want to be glad that it was available.


----------



## mwhip

What usenet search engine you guys using? I was pretty with abnzb but it seems to be lacking now. I would take an invite too if it is invite only place. Thanks.


----------



## MikeMar

Dognzb for me


----------



## mwhip

MikeMar said:


> Dognzb for me


Any invites on that?


----------



## minimeh

You need only go to dognzb.cr/register.
[EDIT]
Out of curiosity, I opened a private window and went to the register link. I was presented with a blank page. I got the link from a message posted by dogzipp (owner/operator of dognzb) himself. I thought it was golden. It was posted 3 months ago. Maybe there was an open period ongoing?








Sorry about that.


----------



## HerronScott

I was able to register just now with dognzb using that link (and thanks!)?

Scott


----------



## MikeMar

I think I have some more invites to Dog if anyone needs them, just PM your email


----------



## MikeMar

Anyone happen to have a Drunkenslug or simplynzbs invite?


----------



## MikeMar

Drunkenslug refestratuib is currently open!

Register - DS


----------



## jeremy3721

MikeMar said:


> Drunkenslug refestratuib is currently open!
> 
> Register - DS


I guess the message "The bar is closed" means I missed it?


----------



## laria

MikeMar said:


> Drunkenslug refestratuib


Did you start drinking before the post?


----------



## MikeMar

Haha damn autocorrect
Registration!


----------



## KungFuCow

Anyone using Torznab and can explain exactly what it is?


----------



## vertigo235

KungFuCow said:


> Anyone using Torznab and can explain exactly what it is?


Torznab is an xml format for Torrent files, not nzb files. The latter is what you use for usenet.

So in short, Torznab has nothing to do with Usenet.


----------



## MikeMar

use NZBGET to download Usenet, like it a lot


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Torznab is an xml format for Torrent files, not nzb files. The latter is what you use for usenet.
> 
> So in short, Torznab has nothing to do with Usenet.


Weird.

At least I'm not out of the loop then.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## gossamer88

xsusenet has been down two days now. Anyone know another free alternative?


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Does anyone have invites to Drunkenslug (or any other good indexer)?


----------



## Malcontent

DUDE_NJX said:


> Does anyone have invites to Drunkenslug (or any other good indexer)?


PM me an email address and I'll send you an invite to Drunkenslug.


----------



## KungFuCow

So after being with Newsgroup Ninja for years they can no longer take my payment suddenly and have basically told me to hit the bricks.

Im considering Tweaknews as my primary with Supernews as my backup. Does anyone have any thoughts? Ive really had great luck with Ninja so this is a bit disheartening. Im not really concerned about the cost, I just want to make the right choice.


----------



## Jeff_in_Bklyn

I have been using EasyNews for years, no problems. $4.99 a month includes unlimited NTTP, a web biased search engine, and a VPN.

Usenet Newsgroups Made Easy - Free Usenet Trial!


----------



## KungFuCow

For some reason I thought Highwinds was to be avoided but looking, thats who Newsgroup Ninja was with as well.

I feel like i may have had Easynews before. I was trying to find a non US provider which is why I was looking at Tweaknews. 

Im going to take a look at them tho and go back through my history and see if I have used them before.


----------



## Malcontent

I've been using Frugal Usenet for years and have gotten great service. Their customer support is great and will go above and beyond.

They recently add a free "bonus" server. The bonus server is connect to UsenetFarm backbone. It has a 1TB monthly limit. The limit is reset monthly. This bonus server has 3000 days of retention. The limit is only for the bonus server. The main Frugal server is unlimited.

So, you get access to 2 different backbones for the same price. Highwinds and UsenetFarm.

Home - Affordable Usenet Accounts


----------



## MikeMar

Malcontent said:


> I've been using Frugal Usenet for years and have gotten great service. Their customer support is great and will go above and beyond.
> 
> They recently add a free "bonus" server. The bonus server is connect to UsenetFarm backbone. It has a 1TB monthly limit. The limit is reset monthly. This bonus server has 3000 days of retention. The limit is only for the bonus server. The main Frugal server is unlimited.
> 
> So, you get access to 2 different backbones for the same price. Highwinds and UsenetFarm.
> 
> Home - Affordable Usenet Accounts


I had Frugal for like 3-4 years and it's very solid
I actually switched to Ninja at the start of the year and no problems there

So I would recommend either, and since you are blocked out of Ninja then go Frugal


----------



## KungFuCow

Im super bummed about Ninja. I got a canned response and emailed back and asked if I could change payment methods and got the same canned response.

Vlad must have been having a busy day.


----------



## KungFuCow

Ended up going with Frugal. Cant beat it for the price. Ill take another look if I need something with more retention but 2000 days is pretty damn good.


----------



## Malcontent

KungFuCow said:


> Ended up going with Frugal. Cant beat it for the price. Ill take another look if I need something with more retention but 2000 days is pretty damn good.


Frugal's bonus server has 3000 days of retention with a 1 TeraByte per calendar month limit. It's included free with your subscription. It's on a different backbone then the main Frugal server. You can configure it as a backup server and it will kick in for things over 2000 days, ect.


----------



## KungFuCow

I set it at a higher priority in Sab. Hopefully it only tries to hit it if the other two providers dont have what Im looking for.


----------



## EWiser

Need to get good NZB directory.


----------



## MikeMar

Frugal for FREE for 5 days (and can do it again after 5 days) until he feels like stopping it!!!


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/usenet/comments/fnsdma


----------



## DUDE_NJX

Newshosting.com is advertising $2.99/mo including VPN (when paid for 1 yr). Lowest price I've ever seen.

1 YEAR UNLIMITED
Reg Price: $239.28
$2.99/mo

85% Lifetime Discount 
Unlimited Downloads
Unlimited Speeds
55 Connections
4252 Days Binary Retention
Free Newsreader with Search
Free SSL Encryption
NO Tracking

Zero-Log VPN Service Included


----------



## KungFuCow

DUDE_NJX said:


> Newshosting.com is advertising $2.99/mo including VPN (when paid for 1 yr). Lowest price I've ever seen.
> 
> 1 YEAR UNLIMITED
> Reg Price: $239.28
> $2.99/mo
> 
> 85% Lifetime Discount
> Unlimited Downloads
> Unlimited Speeds
> 55 Connections
> 4252 Days Binary Retention
> Free Newsreader with Search
> Free SSL Encryption
> NO Tracking
> 
> Zero-Log VPN Service Included


Didnt need it, got it anyway. The longer retention hopefully takes some load off of Frugal's backup server Ive been hammering.


----------



## vertigo235

I went ahead and signed up for Frugal Usenet for a year, their 5 day free campaign got me, I used it for 10 days and the Bonus server was nice, apparently it is a usenet.farm server, they have a partnership with them.


----------



## vertigo235

I think I will drop astraweb soon, I still have supernews (which really sucks for retention but i've paid for a year), and tweaknews block as well.


----------



## Catul

I signed up for Frugal after their 5-day deal too, was getting great speeds and completion. Frugal is now my main server, and I also have unlimited NewsGroupDirect. In addition, I have block accounts on Astraweb and TweakNews. I can't keep the backbones straight, is there anyone else I can add that isn't redundant with my already-redundant setup?


----------



## john4200

Catul said:


> I can't keep the backbones straight, is there anyone else I can add that isn't redundant with my already-redundant setup?


Usenet-Tree

That chart that shows companies, backbones, providers, and resellers. Getting content from different backbones is helpful. Also, you should make sure to have at least one source that uses NTD (Notice and Takedown) rather than DMCA. The chart puts a bar under the provider if they use NTD (eg., Tweaknews). Don't worry that Omicron owns three backbones -- treat each of the three backbones as somewhat independent (they are linked by hybrid/backup connections but that usually just means that if the initial backbone does not have something, they will then try the backup/hybrid).

In your case, Astra and Frugal are mostly redundant. In the future, choose one or the other.

You are doing pretty well with the rest. Tweaknews is a good choice since it is on a different backbone and it uses NTD. NewsgroupDirect is on the unique UsenetExpress backbone, so that adds diversity.

So you have pretty good diversity already. If you really want more, you could add something from Abavia (eg., Cheapnews), Uzo Reto (eg., vipernews), usenet.farm (although I think frugal's bonus server uses farm), or giganews/supernews.

Here is another possibly useful reference: providers - UsenetTalk


----------



## laria

I bought a 1 TB block from Astraweb in August 2012 and a 25 GB backup block from Blocknews in December 2012.

I still have 947 GB at Astraweb and 22 GB at Blocknews.  I don't think I'm ever going to run out!


----------



## vertigo235

No need to add Usenet.farm, that is what the frugal bonus server is.


----------



## EWiser

Any NZB search engine have openings?


----------



## HerronScott

Anyone know if something happened with DogNZB? Seems like my account might have been deleted as I noticed it my connection was failing in Sonar and when I tried to log in on the website, it fails (and I never get a mail for a password reset).

Do they purge accounts if they aren't used very often (probably was a year ago)?

Scott


----------



## vertigo235

HerronScott said:


> Anyone know if something happened with DogNZB? Seems like my account might have been deleted as I noticed it my connection was failing in Sonar and when I tried to log in on the website, it fails (and I never get a mail for a password reset).
> 
> Do they purge accounts if they aren't used very often (probably was a year ago)?
> 
> Scott


Probably


----------



## MikeMar

I use Dog all the time and I'm fine FYI


----------



## HerronScott

I moved from SickBeard to Sonar a while back and it's working with SABnbzd, but getting an error at the end of downloads.

"Loading config from C:\SickBeard\autoProcessTV\autoProcessTV.cfg

Opening URL: http://localhost:8081/home/postprocess/processEpisode?nzb
Unable to open URL: <urlopen error [Errno 10061] No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it>"

Minimally I believe I need to remove the sabTosickBeard.exe script since it's trying to connect to SickBeard at the end, but I'm wondering about the autoProcessTV.cfg mentioned in the error unless that's coming from the same script.

Also, is there any configuration of SABnbzd that should be done for Sonar?










Thanks!

Scott


----------



## vertigo235

Just switch to nzbget


----------



## laria

Paxonator said:


> Hey Laria, new member here. I was reading through this thread last night and saw your account was removed from a couple of indexers. I know a couple of indexers don't want their names mentioned on public forums so that may be why your account was removed from one of them. Just thought I'd share that as a possible reason why you lost on of the accounts.
> 
> I should consider doing blocks like yourself as well. I don't think I download enough to justify my subscriptions.


Thanks for the heads up... although I'm not sure how anyone would know what my account was at any of the sites? I don't use this username anywhere but here (and have long regretted just pulling a name out of a book I was reading 20 years ago when creating an account here!)


----------



## Paxonator

Just wanted to say that's this thread has taught me quite a bit, and hopefully I can help answer questions.

Everyone's post count is also very intimidating though!


----------



## Paxonator

MikeMar said:


> Anyone happen to have a Drunkenslug or simplynzbs invite?


I have a Simplynzbs invite if still want one.


----------



## HerronScott

Paxonator said:


> I have a Simplynzbs invite if still want one.


Sure. 

Scott


----------



## scooterboy

Question: I'm looking to download the entire series of Ed (4 seasons), starring Tom Cavanaugh. It can't be found to purchase anywhere, so I don't feel bad about getting it a different way. I do have an iptorrent account, but there's only been 13% of it on there for over a year and it doesn't look like anyone is going to seed it again.

But before I go through the bother of trying to set up a newsreader etc, I'd like to know if it's even out there on usenet at all. Can any of you tell me if it is?


----------



## KungFuCow

scooterboy said:


> Question: I'm looking to download the entire series of Ed (4 seasons), starring Tom Cavanaugh. It can't be found to purchase anywhere, so I don't feel bad about getting it a different way. I do have an iptorrent account, but there's only been 13% of it on there for over a year and it doesn't look like anyone is going to seed it again.
> 
> But before I go through the bother of trying to set up a newsreader etc, I'd like to know if it's even out there on usenet at all. Can any of you tell me if it is?


Im gonna say no which is kind of mind blowing...


----------



## logic88

scooterboy said:


> Question: I'm looking to download the entire series of Ed (4 seasons), starring Tom Cavanaugh. It can't be found to purchase anywhere, so I don't feel bad about getting it a different way. I do have an iptorrent account, but there's only been 13% of it on there for over a year and it doesn't look like anyone is going to seed it again.
> 
> But before I go through the bother of trying to set up a newsreader etc, I'd like to know if it's even out there on usenet at all. Can any of you tell me if it is?


S04E15, S04E16, and S04E17 are available. Haven't checked any of the earlier episodes.


----------



## vertigo235

Hmm. Challenge !


----------



## KungFuCow

vertigo235 said:


> Hmm. Challenge !


Wait, I lied. I didnt look under SD. Lemme see how much there is.


----------



## vertigo235

I think it's all there.


----------



## KungFuCow

So Im gonna say yea. I didnt go through each episode but I do see what looks like all the complete seasons and I checked one episode to make sure it was still out there.

It was last uploaded over 5 years ago so youre going to need a provider with good retention and NZBHydra wont find it. Youll have to dig through whatever indexer you use (And all of them dont have it)

I started at the end of the results and worked backwards. There are some newer uploads but they dont look like all the episodes but the original one I mentioned above appears to have them all. I think you could piece it all together.


----------



## markp99

NZBGeek indexes a good chunk of each of the 4 seasons, but not complete:

S01:E01, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
S02:E01, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20
S03:E01, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22
S04:E01, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

I did not attempt to DL a single via sabnzb / news.newshosting.com; they may be expired.


----------



## logic88

KungFuCow said:


> It was last uploaded over 5 years ago so youre going to need a provider with good retention and NZBHydra wont find it. Youll have to dig through whatever indexer you use (And all of them dont have it)


Yeah, for some reason, I had to grab it manually. SABnzbd won't download it. (Yeah, I know that's out of date. I just haven't gotten around to installing something newer and supported. )


----------



## logic88

markp99 said:


> NZBGeek returns a good chunk of each of the 4 seasons, but not complete:
> 
> S01:E01, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
> S02:E01, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20
> S03:E01, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22
> S04:E01, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
> 
> I did not attempt to DL a single one of these to see if there were any seeds


DOGnzb has all the episodes. So it's probably hit or miss with other indexers.


----------



## mwhip

There is a lot of those shows from the mid-aughts that were on the brink of HD revolution. Were they filmed on tape or film? Film can be converted to HD and tape not so much.


----------



## KungFuCow

logic88 said:


> Yeah, for some reason, I had to grab it manually. SABnzbd won't download it. (Yeah, I know that's out of date. I just haven't gotten around to installing something newer and supported. )


Sab is still supported. They just released a new beta yesterday. Im not sure NZBGet is anymore. I tried to switch to that at one point but the new Sab is really good so I just stuck with it.

Either way, I sent you a link to the indexer I was using. Apparently their registration is open right now so you dont need an invite.


----------



## logic88

KungFuCow said:


> Sab is still supported. They just released a new beta yesterday. Im not sure NZBGet is anymore. I tried to switch to that at one point but the new Sab is really good so I just stuck with it.


Ah, thanks. I just remembered it wasn't SAB that isn't supported. It's my ancient Win7 VM that I'm using. I think I had problems installing Python 3 (as SAB3 requires it). Also had problems upgrading the VM so haven't gotten around to troubleshooting since SAB2 still works (for the most part).


----------



## KungFuCow

logic88 said:


> Ah, thanks. I just remembered it wasn't SAB that isn't supported. It's my ancient Win7 VM that I'm using. I think I had problems installing Python 3 (as SAB3 requires it). Also had problems upgrading the VM so haven't gotten around to troubleshooting since SAB2 still works (for the most part).


Sab includes Python now so you dont need to install it separately. You might want to give it another look. Its mostly the same but unpacks, etc way faster.


----------



## scooterboy

KungFuCow said:


> Sab is still supported. They just released a new beta yesterday. Im not sure NZBGet is anymore. I tried to switch to that at one point but the new Sab is really good so I just stuck with it.
> 
> Either way, I sent you a link to the indexer I was using. Apparently their registration is open right now so you dont need an invite.


Thanks! I haven't used a newsreader in about 20 years, so I have some catching up to do.


----------



## KungFuCow

scooterboy said:


> Thanks! I haven't used a newsreader in about 20 years, so I have some catching up to do.


Its come a long way. Get a good indexer or 3, a couple of good Usenet providers and you're all set. I use Sonarr for TV, Radarr 3 (V2 is junk) for movies and Sab for downloading.


----------



## pgogborn

I never trust a claim of "In Stock" it can be the opening move in a bait and switch.

However for a $80 in stock claim try
Ed DVD - Seasons 1 to 4 - Complete Tom Cavanagh TV Show


----------



## robojerk

Any try the app Prowlarr? It's still in development. It's similar to nzbhydra2, but has an affiliation to Sonarr and Radarr supposedly. I read it has features similar the app Jackett (converts torrent indexers to a newsbin/usenet query and you can link that to nzbhydra2 or any other app that queries usenet indexers)


----------



## vertigo235

ED, I was able to get all but 4 episodes


----------



## Win Joy Jr

Getting back in the game after a few years. Any recommendations / invites for indexers? And good news servers?

Primary: TV
Secondary: Movies


----------



## KungFuCow

Win Joy Jr said:


> Getting back in the game after a few years. Any recommendations / invites for indexers? And good news servers?


I use Frugalnews, newshosting and supernews. For indexers, I have a ton. Dog, NZB.Su, Drunken Slug, AltHub, NZBPlanet, omgwtfnzbs, simplynzb and nzbgeek. Dunno if I have any invites but if I do, I can help you out.

nzb.su (Which at one point I think was the best one out there) has open registration.


----------



## Win Joy Jr

KungFuCow said:


> I use Frugalnews, newshosting and supernews. For indexers, I have a ton. Dog, NZB.Su, Drunken Slug, AltHub, NZBPlanet, omgwtfnzbs, simplynzb and nzbgeek. Dunno if I have any invites but if I do, I can help you out.
> 
> nzb.su (Which at one point I think was the best one out there) has open registration.


I used nab.su in the past, so I just re-up'd with them. I'm looking at Frugal News (need to see who I used in the past).

Anyone on a Mac recommend a newsreader?


----------



## MikeMar

KungFuCow said:


> I use Frugalnews, newshosting and supernews. For indexers, I have a ton. Dog, NZB.Su, Drunken Slug, AltHub, NZBPlanet, omgwtfnzbs, simplynzb and nzbgeek. Dunno if I have any invites but if I do, I can help you out.
> 
> nzb.su (Which at one point I think was the best one out there) has open registration.


I have a free drunkenslug setup (use as backup) but my connection isn't working anymore
What URL do you have setup for the API
I tried both Login - DS and Login - DS


----------



## laria

Huh, I used to have an nzb.su account but at some point it disappeared. I thought the site was gone.

As for downloading on a Mac, I just use SABnzbd. I don't do this very often... I have a 1 TB block at Astraweb and a 25 GB backup block at BlockNews that I got in 2012. In 2021, I still have 946 GB at Astraweb and 22 GB at BlockNews.


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## MikeMar

I actually only have an account with Dog and that's it. 
I had a bunch of free ones setup but those broke over time (accounts removed, free stopped, etc)

But I can get everything I need from Dog so haven't found the need for a 2nd one


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## KungFuCow

MikeMar said:


> I have a free drunkenslug setup (use as backup) but my connection isn't working anymore
> What URL do you have setup for the API
> I tried both Login - DS and Login - DS


"Login - DS"


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## KungFuCow

robojerk said:


> Any try the app Prowlarr? It's still in development. It's similar to nzbhydra2, but has an affiliation to Sonarr and Radarr supposedly. I read it has features similar the app Jackett (converts torrent indexers to a newsbin/usenet query and you can link that to nzbhydra2 or any other app that queries usenet indexers)


I set Prowlarr up this morning just to see what its all about.

I dont know that its quite as good as NZBHydra yet. The UI is very polished and it does integrate directly with Radarr and Sonarr so there is that.

im going to keep it around just to see where it goes.


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## Win Joy Jr

If anyone has a Dog invite I would love to try them out.


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## laria

Sorry, I don't appear to have any invites. I used to have a VIP membership, but it expired... I'm guessing invites maybe were a perk of that.


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## robojerk

KungFuCow said:


> I dont know that its quite as good as NZBHydra yet.


I did say it was still in development.


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## KungFuCow

robojerk said:


> I did say it was still in development.


Yea.. and I wasnt really expecting it to be. Hydra is in constant development but I could see it getting better if it integrates tightly with Sonarr and Radarr which it does seem to do.

The UI is nicer than Hydra tho.


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## Win Joy Jr

laria said:


> Sorry, I don't appear to have any invites. I used to have a VIP membership, but it expired... I'm guessing invites maybe were a perk of that.


Thank you for checking.


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## Jolt

Im also looking for a Dog invite if anyone has one. TIA.


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## trainman

pgogborn said:


> I never trust a claim of "In Stock" it can be the opening move in a bait and switch.
> 
> However for a $80 in stock claim try
> Ed DVD - Seasons 1 to 4 - Complete Tom Cavanagh TV Show


Note that if these actually exist, they're just as bootleggy as Usenet downloads. (There's never been an official release of "Ed," primarily due to the music rights.)


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## laria

It boggles my mind that some shows like this can't be found easily!


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## Hercules67

Looking for an invite. Someone had given me one circa 2017, but I wasted it, lol. Need one now.


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## Malcontent

Hercules67 said:


> Looking for an invite. Someone had given me one circa 2017, but I wasted it, lol. Need one now.


Login a good site that needs no refers. Long life and history. It will serve you well.


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## gossamer88

About a year ago my work colleague suggested these services as way to get started...still recommended?

Sign up for Supernews account
https://www.supernews.com

Sign up for VIP account on
https://nzb.su

Download Sabnzb
SABnzbd - The free and easy binary newsreader

Download Couch Potato
CouchPotato

Download Sickbeard
http://www.sickbeard.com/


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## dcushing

I am not sure that Sickbeard is still working. I use Sonarr.

Sonarr - Dive in

For movies, I use the movie version of Sonarr, which is Radarr.

Radarr


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## dougtv

I've been wanting a decent quality version of The Drew Carey Show. The closest I got was recording reruns on LAFF network OTA but they also did not renew rights to the series. My understanding is same reason why they never had a DVD release (exception of (A) Season 1 and (B) One single "Best of" disc containing a couple episodes) is because of the amount of music scenes, lip sync music video segments, and bar/tavern background songs used in the series. There have been bootleg versions on torrents before that were rips from when TBS Superstation aired them, but they are really bad quality. I have only couple of the last seasons in HDTV quality from the original ABC broadcast...but the best seasons of this show are probably going to be Season 2 through 5. 

If anyone knows how to obtain The Drew Carey Show, that would be wonderful to know.


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## MikeMar

And I think Frugal is a solid unlimited one, had it for a while. Currently use Newsgroup Ninja


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## robojerk

gossamer88 said:


> About a year ago my work colleague suggested these services as way to get started...still recommended?


Sonarr and Radarr have become the more popular programs IMO.

I also like nzbhydra2 but it might seem redundant.

There's other popular *arr applications - List
The ones I like are
Bazarr - subtitle management. Plex downloads them in some db file. I like them with the actual videos.
Tdarr - Manages the conversion of entire libraries to certain codecs like h265/hevc. a h265 file is about half the size of h264


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## GoPackGo

Tdarr has truly opened my eyes to how superior h265 is over h264. It's about 1/3 of the way through converting my movie library and has already saved 3.7TB of space. 

Now I need to figure out how to get Radar to prefer h265 releases going forward. So far haven't seen where to do that.


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## KungFuCow

robojerk said:


> Sonarr and Radarr have become the more popular programs IMO.
> 
> I also like nzbhydra2 but it might seem redundant.
> 
> There's other popular *arr applications - List
> The ones I like are
> Bazarr - subtitle management. Plex downloads them in some db file. I like them with the actual videos.
> Tdarr - Manages the conversion of entire libraries to certain codecs like h265/hevc. a h265 file is about half the size of h264


There is a program that integrates more tightly with Sonarr and Radarr than NZBHydra called Prowlarr. It will integrate your indexers directly into Radarr and Sonarr (And probably the other two pieces of software I forget that do music and audiobooks).

I will use Hydra for searches but I have Prowlarr aggregating all of my indexers for Sonarr and Radarr.


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## KungFuCow

GoPackGo said:


> Tdarr has truly opened my eyes to how superior h265 is over h264. It's about 1/3 of the way through converting my movie library and has already saved 3.7TB of space.
> 
> Now I need to figure out how to get Radar to prefer h265 releases going forward. So far haven't seen where to do that.


What plugins are you using?


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## markp99

KungFuCow said:


> called Prowlarr


Added Prowlarr to the mix today. Easy enough. I use a single Indexer (Nzbgeek), so no advantage, really. Maybe facilitated newsgroup searching is nice, but Radarr and Sonarr work fine for my needs.

I do use iptorrents occasionally when Radarr does not provide a hit. I see that iptorrents can be added to Prowlarr, but did not have success in the 4 minutes I played around with it today. Anyone have success here? Tips?


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## GoPackGo

KungFuCow said:


> What plugins are you using?


Just the default h265 one. I followed SpaceInvaderOne's tutorial on YouTube.


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## vertigo235

GoPackGo said:


> Tdarr has truly opened my eyes to how superior h265 is over h264. It's about 1/3 of the way through converting my movie library and has already saved 3.7TB of space.
> 
> Now I need to figure out how to get Radar to prefer h265 releases going forward. So far haven't seen where to do that.


With a custom format










Then under your quality profile you can assign additional points to releases that contain your custom formats.


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## vertigo235

As you see I prefer not x265 because it's really expensive to transcode unless you have a HW decoder/encoder.


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## GoPackGo

vertigo235 said:


> As you see I prefer not x265 because it's really expensive to transcode unless you have a HW decoder/encoder.


The Nvidia card I have in my server seems to handle it just fine.


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## robojerk

I have a large video library, I was looking at having to purge or buy more drives. Then I discovered Tdarr and it cut the files down to 50%. so now I can double the library before running out of space.

Also if you have good upload speed (I dont, and most residential plans dont) to stream directly to others, depending on the size of your files, the bandwidth you could also cut down to 50% while maintaining original quality, assuming the viewer is using compatible hardware (anything sold in the last few years).


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## robojerk

KungFuCow said:


> There is a program that integrates more tightly with Sonarr and Radarr than NZBHydra called Prowlarr. It will integrate your indexers directly into Radarr and Sonarr (And probably the other two pieces of software I forget that do music and audiobooks).
> 
> I will use Hydra for searches but I have Prowlarr aggregating all of my indexers for Sonarr and Radarr.


I like how nzbhydra2 keeps stats on where it gets successful grabs from. I have actually changed nzb indexers because of that. Does Prowler do the same or does it just aggregate the indexers?


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## KungFuCow

markp99 said:


> Added Prowlarr to the mix today. Easy enough. I use a single Indexer (Nzbgeek), so no advantage, really. Maybe facilitated newsgroup searching is nice, but Radarr and Sonarr work fine for my needs.
> 
> I do use iptorrents occasionally when Radarr does not provide a hit. I see that iptorrents can be added to Prowlarr, but did not have success in the 4 minutes I played around with it today. Anyone have success here? Tips?


Whats nice about Prowlarr is that if you add a new indexer, it automatically gets added to Sonarr and Radarr without you having to do anything.


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## KungFuCow

robojerk said:


> I like how nzbhydra2 keeps stats on where it gets successful grabs from. I have actually changed nzb indexers because of that. Does Prowler do the same or does it just aggregate the indexers?


It kind of does but not as well as NZBhydra. It just shows you where it searches.

TBH, this is one of those things that just works. I got it working and havent really dug into it too much so there may be functions Im missing.


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## MikeMar

I probably should setup Prowlerr or Hydra but I haven't added/edited my indexers in like 3 years and everything as KungFuCow just said, just works, so not going to change it


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## MikeMar

So for those using requesterr he just updated this last night (I bugged him a bit about it) and you can now do multiple commands and locations in one instance
I am running horror kids and movies all to 3 different folders and default profiles!

And at some point he also added a nicer selection screen

Edit: He just updated it and removed that tmdb search, so a lot cleaner


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## Hercules67

robojerk said:


> I have a large video library, I was looking at having to purge or buy more drives. Then I discovered Tdarr and it cut the files down to 50%. so now I can double the library before running out of space.
> 
> Also if you have good upload speed (I dont, and most residential plans dont) to stream directly to others, depending on the size of your files, the bandwidth you could also cut down to 50% while maintaining original quality, assuming the viewer is using compatible hardware (anything sold in the last few years).


Is there a tutorial somewhere on how to use Tdarr?


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## Hercules67

Malcontent said:


> Login a good site that needs no refers. Long life and history. It will serve you well.


I could not get NBZ to work for me. Maybe I have no idea how to search?

It does have a "GB" limitation on downloads?


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## robojerk

Hercules67 said:


> Is there a tutorial somewhere on how to use Tdarr?


Tdarr - Getting started
There's 3 programs in the download. Tdarr_Updater Tdarr_Node and Tdarr_Server
Tdarr_Updater is used to upgrade obviously.
Tdarr_Server is how you interface with the program
Tdarr_Node is the worker that actually does everything.

I'm guessing you'll be running this on a single computer, so download, run the updater just in case, then open Tdarr_Server and Tdarr_Node.
From there open the web page and go to plugins and choose the appropriate ones you'll want. by clicking on CopyID

If you have an nvidia GPU card that is supported you'll want to use a NVENC encoders

If you have an Intel CPU that supports QSV (QuickSync) use those encoders

If you cant use the above options just choose a CPU encoder
AMD GPU's are unfortunately not supported (yet?), just use CPU encoder
Go to libraries then add the path, then in Transcode options you can enable/disable the plugins you chose earlier.

If you want to get fancy you can have several PC's working together to process your files. In that case you need download on the other PC(s) then edit settings for Tdarr_node. The just run Tdarr_Node on the other PC's. Unfortunately each node is unable to have it's own cache so you need to a way for each PC to have access to the library and cache.


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## Hercules67

Two PCs with NVIDIA GPUs, one older, one newer.

Cool.


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## TiVoJedi

What's a good news service these days with good completion? Anyone have a good end-of-year deal going on? Tried Tweaknews for the year, but seems you need to be Johnny on the spot to have completion (retention bad). It was $30EUR last year on a New Years special. It included Privado VPN which has worked pretty good as an unlimited VPN so not all bad I guess.


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## MikeMar

TiVoJedi said:


> What's a good news service these days with good completion? Anyone have a good end-of-year deal going on? Tried Tweaknews for the year, but seems you need to be Johnny on the spot to have completion (retention bad). It was $30EUR last year on a New Years special. It included Privado VPN which has worked pretty good as an unlimited VPN so not all bad I guess.


I've been using Newsgroup Ninja for 2 years now and no problems. and I heard Frugal is still solid

No idea about the VPN or anything, don't use one


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## Worf

I use Easynews, and while they aren't the cheapest (I think they're on the more expensive end of the scale), they've been fairly good at retention and completion on stuff I grab. I can't really recall any that failed to download and I go for the big big big ones. 

You can go for the cheapest plan and opt for unlimited NNTP (they offer a web-based front end which is what you buy access to primarily, but it includes NNTP, so you can always upgrade to unlimited NNTP which will mean limited web downloads, but unlimited NNTP).


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## vertigo235

I use a combo of Suepernews, Frugal, and tweaknews (block account)


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## vertigo235

I would recommend Frugal if anyone was looking for a single provider, because they have a bonus server that is a partnership with some other provider (UsenetFarm) which is on a separate backbone, I forget the one, but having multiple backbones is important.

That's why I have 3 different providers.


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## vertigo235

Oh man apparently yearly subscribers also get a blocknews account as well, I wasn't aware of this.


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## Hoffer

I recently let my subscription to a usenet provider expire. I had been with them for years. Probably more than 15 years at least. I got to the point where I just wasn't downloading stuff off usenet anymore.


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## laria

I got a 1 TB block at Astraweb and a smaller block at Blocknews probably like 10 years ago... I'll probably be working on those for the next 300 years or so at the rate I'm using it up.


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## Saturn_V

Hoffer said:


> I got to the point where I just wasn't downloading stuff off usenet anymore.


Kinda miss using Forte Agent. It was my newsreader of choice and opening that everyday was part of my internet routine until the mid 2000s.

Haven't downloaded from a binary group since Bush II was in office.


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## Hoffer

I used to listen to Howard Stern. He was on in MN in the late 90s. After he got cancelled, I started downloading his show off usenet. Even after he went to satellite radio, which I paid for, I still downloaded off usenet. Much easier to listen to an MP3 on an iPod, than try to listen on satellite radio. 

Quit listening to Stern a couple years ago. Really don't download any kind of video anymore. I subscribe to a number of streaming services. I have way more than enough content on streaming services, that I don't need to download something off usenet. 

When I first signed up for a usenet provider, it was when I first modded my original Xbox. I downloaded a bunch of Xbox games, and probably played two of them. 

I had an itch two weeks ago to watch a movie from the 80s called Hot Stuff. Movie with Dom Deluise and Jerry Reed, where they were cops that worked at a pawn shop to bust thieves. Movie I saw many times as a kid, and it popped into my mind. I usually would have downloaded off usenet. I couldn't find on Vudu or iTunes, so I bought a DVD off Amazon.


----------



## MikeMar

I've been getting a lot of stuff for a friend with kids, they own all the DVDs but it's so much easier for them to stream from my plex all in 1 place


----------



## laria

I originally signed up to download a couple shows that got missed for whatever reason or another on my TiVo... the power went out or the TiVo screwed up or something. Nowadays I don't need that, everything is on streaming. The main thing I use (used) it for was grabbing older e-books that I own the paper copies of, but I haven't downloaded anything in ages and ages.


----------



## TiVoJedi

MikeMar said:


> I've been using Newsgroup Ninja for 2 years now and no problems. and I heard Frugal is still solid
> 
> No idea about the VPN or anything, don't use one


Thanks! I've been using Tweaknews and discovered recently the problem with incompletes was not the service, but likely takedowns from content owners. What I discovered though is that with a good index site you can find those missing posts under random letters\numbers that the indexer reveals the true identity of. Some posts are still time-sensitive, but the screwy post names sort of buy some time for downloads to be completed before noticed if you get what I mean. I did check and my $34 for a year at Tweaknews + Privado VPN that they bundle is coming to an end in early January. Hardly used it until the recent index thing. DOH! So I'm not certain if they will bill the same € 30,00/year or cancel entirely or bill the much higher non-promo I see on their main page. VPN is a good idea for sure.


----------



## The Spud

Does anybody have an Omgwtfnzbs invite?


----------



## TiVoJedi

The Spud said:


> Does anybody have an Omgwtfnzbs invite?


deleted


----------



## KungFuCow

The Spud said:


> Does anybody have an Omgwtfnzbs invite?


Invites dont appear to be open.


----------



## TiVoJedi

KungFuCow said:


> Invites dont appear to be open.


The one I mentioned is $15/year. Solid


----------



## KungFuCow

TiVoJedi said:


> The one I mentioned is $15/year. Solid


It is one of the better sites but I dont think its as good as it was a few years ago. Geek is probably where more of my nzbs come from than anywhere else.


----------



## mdavej

Explaining usenet like you're 7:

Ok, Timmy, you remember when you worked really hard on that drawing for Mother's Day, and your sister stole it? Well usenet is like that. Lots of people work really hard on something, then somebody steals it, and then puts it on usenet so everybody else can take it for free. It's so easy to click a mouse and get whatever you want for free, it doesn't feel like stealing, so you don't get that bad feeling of shame or guilt that you would if you had just taken something from someone's hands or from a store. Everybody does it, so why not.


----------

