Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Tiresias · Oct 9, 2005, 02:46 AM

I was thinking about downloading BitTorrent. Does anyone run it? Are there any risks?

Ji Eun · Oct 9, 2005, 03:58 AM

the official client is fantastic. the only risks i suppose are the mpaa and the riaa

Tiresias · Oct 9, 2005, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Ji Eun

the official client is fantastic. the only risks i suppose are the mpaa and the riaa

Yeah, but what are the chances? No greater than P2P file sharing. No. I can't back that up. Plus I read that HBO is poisoning the BitTorrent downloads of Rome. Not a show I was going to download anyway, but still, I hope the idea doesn't catch on. What to do?

analogika · Oct 9, 2005, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by minty

HBO is poisoning the BitTorrent downloads of Rome. Not a show I was going to download anyway, but still, I hope the idea doesn't catch on.

It already has. This is actually not that uncommon.

wataru · Oct 9, 2005, 12:32 PM

I prefer Azureus to the official client.

Ji Eun · Oct 9, 2005, 01:06 PM

I've had great luck with LOST, Deadwood, Sopranos, and a million other TV shows I haven't been able to get overseas, not to mention music and movies. While there are other more secure ways to get this stuff, BT is probably the least time-intensive as far as the whole process goes. You don't have to get cozy with other users and join a 'community' and all that jazz. And the comments sections that many BT sites provide on the torrent page can give you a good indication of the quality of the download.

rhogue islander · Oct 9, 2005, 05:46 PM

I use Azureus also and like it very much.

- - e r i k - - · Oct 9, 2005, 07:07 PM

TomatoTorrent is the client for me. Hides away all the complexities.

jamow2 · Oct 10, 2005, 07:50 AM

I find that Bits On Wheels as an excellent Bittorrent client. Less resource-intensive than Azureus.

The 3d view-thingy is awesome.

Link

ghporter · Oct 10, 2005, 09:08 AM

Some torrent servers actually host not only "poisoned" files but files that include PC viruses-since torrents are not typical files a PC's antivirus may not catch these, at least that's what the bad guys are hoping. So not only are you going to run into files that the copyright owner has spiked, but you'll also run into files that have been made unreadable by virus writers. Be very cautious in what you seek, and don't assume everyone is out to help you watch shows and listen to songs you "can't get any other way," because they aren't. They're out to either keep you from enjoying their media or hoping you'll help them infect other people's computers.

I'm not coming down against peer to peer, just the idea that it's all sweetness and light in the P2P community.

Don Pickett · Oct 10, 2005, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Some torrent servers actually host not only "poisoned" files but files that include PC viruses-since torrents are not typical files a PC's antivirus may not catch these, at least that's what the bad guys are hoping. So not only are you going to run into files that the copyright owner has spiked, but you'll also run into files that have been made unreadable by virus writers. Be very cautious in what you seek, and don't assume everyone is out to help you watch shows and listen to songs you "can't get any other way," because they aren't. They're out to either keep you from enjoying their media or hoping you'll help them infect other people's computers.

I'm not coming down against peer to peer, just the idea that it's all sweetness and light in the P2P community.

Here's a question:

Let's say I'm an HBO subscriber, which I am. Now let's say I miss this week's installment of my favorite show, and I go and download the episode I missed, watch it, and kill it. How is this any different from taping/TiVOing it? I pay my local cable company all the money I'm supposed to, and I assume they pass HBO's portion on to HBO.

I'm not trolling. I actually don't know the answer to this.

fisherKing · Oct 10, 2005, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Don Pickett

Here's a question:

Let's say I'm an HBO subscriber, which I am. Now let's say I miss this week's installment of my favorite show, and I go and download the episode I missed, watch it, and kill it. How is this any different from taping/TiVOing it? I pay my local cable company all the money I'm supposed to, and I assume they pass HBO's portion on to HBO.

I'm not trolling. I actually don't know the answer to this.

the person who copied it from hbo is problem #1... by uploading it, he is circulating something he does not hold the copyright to...

u download it; you are getting an unauthorized copy of the show.

not legal terms, just what is happening.

if you lost a cd, you can't go to the store and take another; if you miss a show, you can wait for a rerun.

having said all that... transmission is another easy & fast bittorrent app...

Don Pickett · Oct 10, 2005, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by fisherKing

the person who copied it from hbo is problem #1... by uploading it, he is circulating something he does not hold the copyright to...

u download it; you are getting an unauthorized copy of the show.

not legal terms, just what is happening.

if you lost a cd, you can't go to the store and take another; if you miss a show, you can wait for a rerun.

having said all that... transmission is another easy & fast bittorrent app...

Thanks.

So, theoretically:

HBO offers downloads of its shows for subscribers. To lesses the chance of those downloads being passed around, they're not the best quality, but enough to see them if you happen to miss en episode.

samm · Oct 10, 2005, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Don Pickett

Here's a question:

Let's say I'm an HBO subscriber, which I am. Now let's say I miss this week's installment of my favorite show, and I go and download the episode I missed, watch it, and kill it. How is this any different from taping/TiVOing it? I pay my local cable company all the money I'm supposed to, and I assume they pass HBO's portion on to HBO.

First of all, set your DVR to record a season pass for this show. It takes 15 seconds at most. Second of all, if you miss an episode, they are available on HBO's on-demand service the day after they air. If you don't have their on-demand service, cancel your DirecTV or DISH subscription and get cable service.

The only downside to the on-demand HBO is they are not in high definition, at least in my area. But I doubt the torrented shows are HD either.

vinster · Oct 10, 2005, 02:19 PM

BitTorrent's lame. Get a subscription to a good news (NNTP) server like Giganews for your media needs.

-Q- · Oct 10, 2005, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by samm

But I doubt the torrented shows are HD either.

Depending on what codec they use to compress, but I've seen some very close to HD torrents out there....

jhogarty · Oct 10, 2005, 03:51 PM

There are plenty of legal uses of BitTorrent - ie. Battle Star Galactica, TWIT, Diggnation, Systm, etc.

Are there any risks for illegal activity? Ya. Aside from maybe getting caught for breaking the law, you might get garbage downloads, spyware, viruses, ect. like mentioned above.

J.

Meritocracy · Oct 10, 2005, 03:56 PM

Private trackers and even reading comments regarding the file in question on public trackers can easily be used to weed out any garbage downloads. As for the likelihood of spyware/viruses etc. from bittorrent downloads infecting my mac, that's not exactly a problem which keeps me up at night.

ghporter · Oct 10, 2005, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Meritocracy

Private trackers and even reading comments regarding the file in question on public trackers can easily be used to weed out any garbage downloads. As for the likelihood of spyware/viruses etc. from bittorrent downloads infecting my mac, that's not exactly a problem which keeps me up at night.

Your Mac won't be infected, but as a member of a Torrent network it can be the SOURCE of an infection somewhere else. Which means possible trouble for you if a lame-o in some corporate office gets infected while downloading something from your computer. ALWAYS know what is going into and through your computer.