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What are these .torrent files that I'm downloading and why are they so small? |
.torrent files are for use with a BitTorrent client. They do not actually contain the video file but are more like directions for you BT client to fetch the file.
For more details about BitTorrent and just what it is, see this excellent beginner's guide. |
| I don't have a BitTorrent client. Which one do you suggest? |
I personally use and suggest µTorrent. It's very lightweight (uses few system resources and is small in size), but still contains many, many features. It's also easy to use in my opinion.
Mac users should try Transmission as I hear it's good. |
| Why not just offer "normal" downloads? I don't want to have to deal with this BitTorrent thing! |
We have episode releases that have used the equivalent of 50 terabytes of bandwidth. That would be incredibly expensive to serve from a normal file server. Additionally, BitTorrent is actually faster. With one or two servers hosting the downloads, their upload speed would easily be maxxed out very quickly and everyone's download speeds would suffer.
With BitTorrent, you are downloading from people just like yourself (you upload as you download) as well as servers provided by us and other helpful people. BitTorrent is nearly infinitely scalable so the speeds are almost always fast even with thousands of people downloading at once. |
| How can I make my BitTorrent downloads go faster? |
There are three main reasons why you may be downloading slowly:
- The most common is that you are behind a firewall (such as a router) and have not forwarded the port(s) that your client uses. If you don't forward the port, you can't accept incoming connections. Only being able to make outgoing connections limits you to only downloading from people who have forwarded their port(s). Remember, the more people for your client to choose from (within reason) equals faster download speeds. For more details, see PortForward.com as well as this entry and the next in the µTorrent FAQ.
- The torrent may be old and have few people on it. Remember, with BitTorrent, you download off fellow users like yourself. If there are only a dozen other people on the torrent, your speeds may be a bit slow. Patience is key and make sure to keep uploading when you're down downloading to help other people like yourself out!
- Bandwidth is usually given to those who upload and upload the fastest. So, if you want to download fast, make sure that you're uploading as much as you can (cap it at about 80-90% of your actual, not claimed, bandwidth limit).
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| How can I download only certain files from a multiple file torrent? |
It varies from client to client, but usually what you do is select the file, visit the "Files" tab, and then select "Do Not Download" for the priority level.
You can read the µTorrent specific instructions on the µTorrent FAQ. |
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