Questions on downloading

[dtaai-maai]

Forgive me if the answers should be obvious, but I'm new to all this as well as being a bit of a technophobe. So, one-syllable answers, please, and be nice...

I'm referring to movie/tv downloads.

1. If I've downloaded something and am allowing it to sit in my library and 'seed', am I slowing my download time? Seeding is, basically, providing more download options for others, right? And therefore a Good Thing?

2. If I download two or more things at the same time, are they each going to take 2 (or more) times as long?

3. Again, downloading more than one file at a time - one can be downloading at, say 200 kB/s while the other is at 20. How does that work, and can I change it?

4. The process itself - I'm finding piratebay the easiest site to use. I make my choice, click on download this torrent, then choose save, then doubleclick on the file in the download box on my desktop. Then it appears in Vuze downloading. When it's finished I can open it from Vuze (I use GOM). Am I using Vuze properly (latest version).

5. There is a huge range of download speeds at different times of day, seemingly pretty random. Sometimes it can be right down to 10 kBs at 2 a.m. and up at 300 at 4 p.m.
I'm downloading 3 films at the moment, at speeds of 150, 120 and 30 respectively.
I have a TT&T connection, 1166 bt (can't remember the specs).
I live out at soi 126 (nearly Kao Tao).
Anything I can do to speed things up?

Any other general tips to save time and hassle much appreciated.

[Homer]

> I'm finding piratebay the easiest site to use

PirateBay has tv/movies as 'torrents' or 'bittorrents'. All my answers apply to that type of download.

>1. If I've downloaded something and am allowing it to sit in my library and 'seed', am I slowing my download time?

No.

>Seeding is, basically, providing more download options for others, right? And therefore a Good Thing?

Yes & Yes.


2. If I download two or more things at the same time, are they each going to take 2 (or more) times as long?

Depends. If file has enough seeders to max out your download speed (that is, the maximum speed available from your internet provider), they multiple downloads will make each one take longer.

>3. Again, downloading more than one file at a time - one can be downloading at, say 200 kB/s while the other is at 20. How does that work, and can I change it?

Download speed usually depends on number of seeders and how much bandwidth* they have for seeding. Think of bandwidth as the amount of water that can go through a hose. Big diameter hose = big bandwidth and fast downloads.

>4. The process itself - I'm finding piratebay the easiest site to use. I make my choice, click on download this torrent, then choose save, then doubleclick on the file in the download box on my desktop. Then it appears in Vuze downloading. When it's finished I can open it from Vuze (I use GOM). Am I using Vuze properly (latest version).

Don't know, I don't use Vuze.

>5. There is a huge range of download speeds at different times of day, seemingly pretty random. ... Anything I can do to speed things up?

Pick the most reliable and fastest internet provider. No idea which one that is because I use the one provided by my apartment owner.

>Any other general tips to save time and hassle much appreciated.

Read the file's comments before starting download. It might not be what the description says it is.

[richard]

DM

I use exactly the same process as you but use 3BB connection. I use it almost as a drip feed 24/7. I am currently downloading 25 movies and music and some are fast and some slow but I manage to complete about a couple a day. It's Dependant on seeding, availability and line speed.

In Vuze you can control and prioritise. I minimise my upload speed and maximise my download speed

Speed is also affected by the 3BB traffic. Variable during the day and fast during the night

Hopefully Sandman will respond. He's a guru and sometime ago posted his info on file types, download options and he may well point you to that info

Edited----Link found-----viewtopic.php?f=15&t=13573&hilit=sandman&start=0

[kalbow]

Hi DM

Your questions have been well answered above posts - but something else to consider...

I am a keen gatherer of movies and shows etc (currently over 2TBs and counting). I use utorrent as the client (the software on your pc, in my case a Mac) and the latest version that I run has an option for you to select the individual files to download from within the torrent stream, i.e. if you only want, say, episode 1 of a series from a file, or omit subtitle files etc. This also allows you to select the sample file for a quality check. Using this can save precious download bandwidth.

Cheers Kalbow

[Johan]

I use giganews diamond, you can have a movie in 30 minutes only. I choose the movie i want, then i go make food and when i come back everything is ready. I believe it's the best option.

[pitsch]

I use Vuze, where you can also select single files and in 50 to 100 hours I download a movie with my EDGE modem.

[dtaai-maai]

Thank you all, some very useful tips. Unfortunately completely academic for the last 36 hours, as my download speed has been so slow that my download of the Wire has packed it in altogether and has a depressing infinity symbol...

[sandman67]

I just dont do torrents at all - waaay too slow

I either do a filesearch or use download link sites like oneclickmoviez.com, oneddl.com etc. They use the filehosters like fileshare, filesonic and megaupload. Through those sites I get consistent download speeds in the 120 - 200kbs range.

Via media hosting sites like veehd.com and stagevu.com, where I have never failed to find a file Im looking for, I get download speeds up to 600kbs +. On veehd I can drop a full 700mb film file in less than 45 minutes.

Though torrent sites do get files early, as they are the primary release scene forums, the lag now is down to less than a couple of days. So I just use secondary conventional sources.

Because they use file previews and screen captures as proof of provenance its hard to get diff files masked as legit ones.