Just wondering what a rough split is of people using either Usenet, torrents, or both?

I’ve only just discovered Usenet and while it is paid, it is very cheap and much more convenient than torrents.

Using torrents as well with the *arr suite set up for my various Linux ISOs.

  • Eryck Gutteral@lemmy.studio
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    3 months ago

    Just torrents and I seed as much as possible. I knew about Usenet many years ago but, for whatever reasons, never really got into it. One day…

  • PenguinCoder@beehaw.org
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    3 months ago

    Usenet here. 4 paid indexers and the Usenet sub. Still cost less in a year than cable or streaming services cost in a month. Get everything I want and look for easily.

  • BillionsMustSeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    I don’t even know what Usenet is, so I’m 100% torrents, which I keep seeding ad infinitum as I don’t have storage issues. My most-seeded thing is nearing 150 ratio lol

  • Nyarlathotep@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    100% Usenet here. Maybe I am basic, but it has everything I want and grabbing stuff is very easy.

    Once in a great while I cannot find something and then I ask a friend to check his private trackers.

    YMMV

  • NotBadAndYou@ttrpg.network
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    3 months ago

    Usenet as daily driver works 99% of the time. Only use VPN/torrents for extremely new or very obscure shows. $5/month pays for unlimited Usenet and VPN.

      • shrugal@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        This UsenetServer discount link gives you 1 trial month for $1, then $50/year after that, and includes a 1TB TweakNews block and a paid PrivadoVPN account.

        • Sunny' 🌻@slrpnk.net
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          3 months ago

          Just want to let you know that Privado VPN is not a private vpn, please read their privacy policy before buying into their services.

          • shrugal@lemm.ee
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            3 months ago

            Looks ok to me, what in particular do you take issue with?

    • kamiheku@sopuli.xyz
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      3 months ago

      Only use VPN/torrents for extremely new or very obscure shows

      Interesting, I would have thought torrents would be better for older stuff due to their theoretically infinite retention. Like, can you find, say, LOTR: The Return of the King on Usenet at the moment? Someone has to have uploaded it in the past ~2 years (retention period) or something for it to be available, right?

      • davidfreina@lemmy.davidfreina.at
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        3 months ago

        Afaik most usenet providers have a retention period of 3000+ days (some even reaching 4000+). I’ve downloaded multiple things from the 90s without any problems. The oldest media in my collection is from 1957, so retention really isn’t a problem I would say.

      • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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        3 months ago

        LOTR = anything from 4K HDR 7.1 Atmos, down to DVD is available (theoretically, as you can have items that exists, but can’t be fully downloaded so don’t work, because of DMCA and other things). The oldest release I see is 5800 days old and the newest is 4 days old. So people keep reuploading stuff if it’s popular enough. (I still can’t find some episodes of Ben 10 tv show lol)

  • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.com
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    3 months ago

    Torrents only here… I have 8gbps internet. I’m privileged, so I seed (10x or one year). I don’t see a point to paying to be part of a usenet in my situation. I have a few private trackers I’m on. I should see about getting into a few more though to spread the bandwidth wealth. 4 seedbox vms to roundrobin the new torrents that get added.

  • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    I have no idea what to do or how to even get started with Usenet, so I just use a VPN and torrent as needed.

  • joel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    I started using Usenet about a year ago and much prefer it. Once you have you it set up it’s very straight forward to use, and means you don’t have to worry about maintaining your ratio, or making sure your vpn doesn’t drop out, or piratebay going down etc etc

  • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 months ago

    Both.
    But becauee my indexers are free my mix is:
    75% Torrent
    20% Usenet (but only wirh interactive searches)
    5% Somewhere else like web streaming/downloads.