Newshosting Newsreader Update

One of our favorite Usenet clients just got even better.  Newshosting released a new version of their popular newsreader.  It includes some nice new features along with bug fixes.  Members can download the latest version from the control panel.  The software will auto update so if you already have the client installed you’re all set.  Newshosting offers unlimited Usenet and full access to their newsreader for $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

Newshosting Newsreader

Here’s a quick look at the new features and bug fixes:

New Features and Improvements

  • Import of multiple NZBs, extracts them from ZIP or RAR files if necessary.
  • Improved implementation of PAR2. It’s a bit faster and fixes a few smaller bugs that could affect larger downloads on Windows 64bit.
  • New queue storage mechanism which improves performance for large queues.
  • Full support for Retina displays on OS X as well as DPI scaling on Windows 8 and 10 for Ultra HD displays.
  • Automatic VLC player installation from within the software, also on OS X now.
  • Upgraded to latest version of UnRAR.
  • Lots of smaller bug fixes and improvements (typos, formatting etc.)

That’s just the latest in a long list of features for the newsreader.  You can use the client to search for content, preview and download.  It takes care of everything including UnRAR and processing PAR2 files.  We’re especially fond of he automatic search and dynamic PAR download features.  If you’re new to Newshosting and would like to test out the client they offer a 14 day free trial with up to 30 GB of downloads.  That’s more than enough to test the service and software.  Newshosting offers over 2,490 days of binary retention along with 30 SSL connections.  Connect to servers in the United States or Europe for the best download speeds.

Newshosting Dynamic Par Download

The Newshosting team announced a new release of their popular newsreader software.  Newshosting client v1.5 includes a number of enhancements, updates and bug fixes.  The one that immediately caught our eye was the addition of dynamic PAR downloads.  The client will download only the PAR files necessary for repair.  Saving you time and bandwidth.  Sign up for a 14 day free trial to test the client or enjoy one of their specials.

Newshosting Client Update

Here’s a full list of the new features and updates in v1.5 of the Newshosting client:

New Features:

  • Now has a dynamic PAR2 download, which only downloads as many PAR2 files as required. To facilitate this, PAR2 checking is performed in the background while downloading.
  • Improved speed for article decoding on multi-core systems.
  • Users will now receive a message when the connection retries fail, including the number of seconds until the next connection attempt.

Improvements:

  • Upgraded the bundled UnRAR library to version 5.
  • Multi monitor systems now have improved support for more detailed status.
  • Improved handling of NNTP connection failures.

Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed issue where running the Linux 32bit executable on a 64bit Linux system caused wrong disk space calculations in some cases.
  • Sorting by file name now works in the NZB dialog.
  • Closing the settings dialog will no longer present a warning about unsaved changes although nothing was changed.
  • If missing RAR files were missing from a download, it could cause the client to crash during extraction in some cases. This has been fixed.
  • Fixed issue where a wrong remaining byte count was displayed in the connection graph in the lower left corner.
  • The client no longer giving trouble to start on some Linux distributions with a KDE desktop environment and a few affected themes.
  • The global search input in the upper right corner is no longer translucent on some Linux systems.

If you are currently using the Newshosting client the update will happen automatically.  Otherwise you can log into the account control panel and download the latest release for Windows, Mac or Linux.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest deals.

Fast Usenet Search and Auto Download

It’s been an interesting time for Usenet the last few months.  With large NZB sites like Newzbin and NZBMatrix calling it quits last December.  Prompting an influx of new sites to help fill the void.  Even so there had to be a way to find Usenet content fast and download it automatically.  You can’t be there all the time.  A few leading Usenet clients stepped up and are starting to address the need with auto-search and download features.

What do we mean by fast?  We’re not talking about the performance of a website like Binsearch.  They are very fast at returning search results but you still have to go there are query the search engine.  We’re talking about auto-search features.  Configure your newsreader to watch for the latest episode of your favorite podcast and automatically download it.  Set it and forget it.  Let the client do the work while you enjoy other activities.

In the last few weeks we’ve seen updates from three of our favorite newsreaders.  All addressing the same need.  Helping users automatically find and download content soon after its posted to Usenet.  Newshosting, Newsbin and Newsleecher all released new features.  They are also working on more enhancements.  We suggest you try all three clients and see which new search feature best meets your needs.

Newshosting Client Auto-Search

Newshosting Automatic Search

We’ll start with the new auto-search feature in the Newshosting client.  You’ll need to be a member of Newshosting to use their newsreader.  We use them and would highly recommend the service.  They are currently offering unlimited Usenet for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.  The service includes free access to the client and search engine.  With the new auto-search feature and access to all future software updates.

With the new automatic search feature, Newshosting members can set up queries to run on a regular basis.  As you can see we configured an auto-search to look for the latest Ubuntu packages.  Rather than get just anything related to Ubuntu we wanted to look for the latest distros of the operating system.  To help we set a size limitation of between 800 MB and 1000 MB.  The same logic could apply to any search query.

Once you’ve set up your automatic search queries and perferences the client will do the rest of the work.  We set our search to only show results.  We could have just as easily set it to automatically download the content.  The Newshosting client would go out and check for the latest matches on a regular basis.  Then it would grab anything that matched our search query.  Without the normal delay of finding content manually.

Newsbin Watch Feature

Newsbin Watch Feature

If you’re going to pay for a premium newsreader then Newsbin is an excellent choice.  Their team is constantly adding new features and responds quickly to support requests.  New users can download a free trial of the newsgroup browser.  After that the client costs $30 a year with their popular Usenet search engine built-in.  You’ll still need a reliable Usenet provider to download content. See our awards post for recommendations.

The newly released Newsbin Pro watch feature will help you find and download content faster.  The first version is meant to help you automatically filter out results while downloading headers.  Which in turn will help you find the matching results much faster than manually reviewing headers.  Dealing with headers is time consuming.  We like where Newsbin is headed as they work to incorporate the watch feature into the search engine.

NewsLeecher SuperLeech

NewsLeecher SuperLeech

The latest addition to the premium clients came from NewsLeecher.  They have a popular search feature called SuperSearch.  They are now adding more functionality with SuperLeech.  The only downside is the price.  You’ll pay $3.99 a month for access to the reader and search function.  You’ll still need a reliable Usenet provider to download the content.  You can use their service or view our awards post for suggestions.

The new SuperLeech feature is currently in alpha testing so you might expect to run into some issues.  That’s the case with the new features in all three clients.  They are kindly rolling them out to help users but there will likely be some growing pains.  The new SuperLeech feature will help find and automatically download content through their SuperSearch engine.  They are asking for feedback and suggestions for future updates.

Newshosting Client Automatic Search

Earlier today Newshosting released a new version of their popular newsreader.  Newshosting client v1.4.0 contains a very cool new feature.  Members now have the ability to set up automatic searches.  No more missing content or waiting too long because you didn’t get around to it in time.  The new automatic search feature will check for your desired content hourly and download it once available.

Newshosting Automatic Search

We went in and set up a quick search for Ubuntu posts between 800 MB and 1000 MB.  Then we set the valid time to a week.  Specifically April 30th to May 7th.  For demonstration purposes we chose “Only show results”.  If we wanted the latest Ubuntu distro as soon as it hit Usenet we’d choose “Download one search result” or “Download all search results” from the Action dropdown.  Hopefully you get the idea from our quick demo.

The new automatic search feature is currently in beta.  You can expect to see more refinements in future releases.  If you’re not a member you can sign up for Newshosting for just $10 a month or $99 a year.  You can read our Newshosting review to learn more about the client and follow us for the latest news and updates.

Can Your ISP Track Usenet?

Are you concerned that your ISP is tracking Usenet?  If so you’re not alone.  We’re not advocating copyright infringement but we’d like to set the record straight.   Tracking by your ISP or anyone else is a massive invasion of privacy.  One that you can help avoid.  First of all if you don’t want your ISP tracking then don’t use any Usenet service provided by them.  You can also enable SSL in your newsreader to help ensure your Usenet privacy.

As long as you enable SSL for each server in your newsreader your Usenet downloads will be encrypted.  The reason is that by turning on SSL you are encrypting the data transfer between your system and the Usenet provider’s news servers.  By relying on the same technology used by financial institutions you can help ensure your privacy.  The process is simple.  We’ll show you how to enable SSL in several newsreaders.

Newshosting Client SSL Setup & Port

Newshosting SSL

Newshosting offers their members a free Usenet client.  You can use it to search for content and download directly from their news servers privately.  To enable SSL you’ll want to open the newsreader, click on OptionsSettings.  Now come down the left hand side of the Settings window and click on the Connection tab.  From there check the box next to “Prefer SSL connections if available“.  You can also change the SSL port.  We prefer port 443.  The same SSL port used by HTTPS connections. This will also help you avoid ISP throttling.

Newsbin Pro SSL Setup & Port

Newsbin Pro SSL

Newsbin Pro is easy to configure.  To enable SSL simply fire up the client and click on OptionsServers.  Choose the server you’d like to enable SSL on.  You may have more than one server account listed if you use multiple Usenet providers or connect to more than one server location.  If so just make sure to turn on SSL for each server individually.  The process is the same each time.  Once you’ve selected a server check the box next to “Use SSL – Encrypted Connections“.  Once again you can specify a custom port.

NewsLeecher SSL Setup & Port

NewsLeecher SSL

NewsLeecher can by configured to encrypt your connections and allows for alternate ports.  Bring up the client and click on the Manager tab.  From there select the servers you’d like to setup SSL on.  Just like Newsbin you’ll want to do this multiple times if you connect to more than one provider or server location.  Once you have the Usenet server setup page open check the “Use Encrypted Server Connections (SSL)” box.  You can check “Show Advanced Settings” if you’d like to change the default port number (563).

That’s all there is to it.  You don’t need a VPN or proxy to help ensure your Usenet privacy.  Enabling SSL is enough.  For web browsing and other applications we highly recommend a good VPN service.

Newshosting Client Automated Downloads

Newshosting members are in for a real treat.  Did you know that Newshoting’s free client will let you automate Usenet downloads?  That means you can set your favorite source to pick up the latest NZB files of your liking.  Then configure Newshosting to watch your local NZB folder.  When a new NZB arrives Newshosting will automatically import and download the related content.  Now that’s a feature worth checking out!

It’s pretty simple to automate downloads in the Newshosting client.  We’ll walk you through the process.  First if you don’t already have a folder that you save NZB files to you’ll want to create one.  Next you’ll want an NZB site or other source that will automatically watch for content based on your search preferences.  After that you can fire up the Newshosting client and click on Options – Settings and then go to the Import tab.

Newshosting Client Automated Downloads

As you can see above we enabled the ‘Auto Import Folder‘ and set the folder to watch for new NZB files.  Since we have no need for the NZB’s after the content is downloaded we also enabled the ‘Delete files after import‘ option.  That’s it.  Newshosting will now monitor your NZB folder and handle the downloads automatically.

Everything up to this point in the post has been for Newshosting members who are already enjoying the client.  For those who haven’t tried it yet and would like to check out the new automatic download feature we can save you some money.  Newshosting is kindly offering our visitors a discount off their service.  With unlimited Usenet downloads and free access to their newsreader for just $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

You can also read our Newshosting review to learn more about the service and how to download from Usenet.

Best Usenet Clients

For those new to Usenet the task of finding the right newsreader can be challenging.  Especially if you’re not sure where to look and what features are the most important.  Today we’re going to honor our 2013 Editors Choice Award winners and recommend some excellent Usenet browsers.  Some are free to download and use while others offer free trials.  We’ll make it clear whether the clients are free or premium.  Along with highlighting some of the key features that helped each newsreader, web client or mobile Usenet app make our list.

2013 NGR Editors Choice : Best Usenet Clients

Similar to our Best Usenet Provider awards we recognize more than one winner.  As there are way too many great newsgroup services and Usenet clients on the market.  In the case of newsreaders we could easily list ten or more clients.  For the purpose of our awards we have chosen six winners.  Along with a top 10 list.

Without further delay we’d like to congratulate each of our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners.  The list includes the Newshosting Client, Easynews Web Interface, Newsbin ProSABnzbd, NewsLeecher and Binreader.  Round out our list of the Top 10 Usenet clients were GrabIt, Unison, News Rover and EZ Global Search.

Let’s take a closer look at our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners for “Best Usenet Clients“:

Newshosting Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newshosting

Newshosting continues to innovate their popular Usenet client.  With all the features you’d expect from a leading newsreader and then some.  The client is free for Newshosting members and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  With a Usenet search engine, video previews, auto-repair and auto-unRAR functions the client takes care of everything.  All you do is choose what to download and let the Newshosting client do the rest.

Newshosting offers 2,100+ days of binary retention along with 1,400 days of text posts.  Subscribers enjoy unlimited Usenet access, Newshosting Usenet client, 256-bit SSL, uncapped speed and 24/7 support.  Take advantage of the Newshosting $9.99/mo. and $99.99/yr. unlimited Usenet specials.

Easynews Web Interface : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Who says you need a software client to access newsgroups?  Most people assume that to be the case but it isn’t as Easynews offers an excellent web Usenet interface.  With the ability to search for content, preview files, stream content and download from Usenet.  The Easynews web interface is free to members.  In fact you can try Easynews free for 14 days.  There are also some really cool iPhone, iPad and Android apps.

Newsbin Pro Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newsbin Pro

Newsbin Pro has been an NGR editor favorite for years now and they continue to innovate and make the popular Usenet client even better.  Newsbin offers an excellent user interface with support for compressed header downloads and NZB files.  Newsbin will even help you organize downloads.  The client costs $30 and includes a year of search.  With an optional Usenet search feature.  New users can download a 10 day free trial.

SABnzbd Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

SABnzbd hardly needs an introduction for Usenet fans.  The free, open-source Usenet browser has been downloaded over 5 million times (Windows, Mac and Linux).  SABnzbd+ turns your web browser into a Usenet client.  It lacks features for those who want to download headers or enjoy text groups.  Yet for binary seekers SABnzbd is very cool.  Drop in an NZB file and SABnzbd will download, verify, repair and extract the contents.

NewsLeecher Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

NewsLeecher is another premium client that we’ve enjoyed using over the years.  Especially their SuperSearch feature which is great for easily finding Usenet content.  The user interface is clean and the client presents some nice advanced features.  With lots of bells and whistles to configure for enhancing your Usenet experience.  The client costs $3.99 a month for NewsLeecher + SuperSearch.

Binreader Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

We enjoy Binreader for a number of reasons.  First of all its free and available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  Secondly they offer a portable version that you can run from a thumb drive.  With Binreader you can search for content through Binsearch.info and let the client do the rest.  From downloading to PAR2 repair and RAR extraction.  You can download the latest version directly from the Binreader site free of charge.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2013 Editor’s Choice Awards for the best Usenet clients.  Please help us recognize and congratulate the winners for their efforts.  You might also want to check out our Editor’s Choice Awards for “Best Usenet Providers“, “Best Usenet Deals” and “Best Free Usenet Trials” as each is updated frequently.

Newshosting Client for Mac Mountain Lion

Newshosting recently rolled out a new version of their popular newsreader.  Newshosting client 1.3.2 release includes support for Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.  Along with the latest developer release of Windows 8.  This is great news for those getting ready to upgrade to Mountain Lion.  As there aren’t too many Usenet clients that support Mac.  Even less that do it well.  Enjoy unlimited Usenet access for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

Support for Mac OS X Mountain Lion and windows 8 were just a couple of the new features and improvements in the Newshosting Browser 1.3.2 update.  Here’s a full list directly from the release notes:

New Features:

  • Supports the upcoming Windows 8 and Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion* (Based on the current developer releases)
  • Windows: Before installation the installer checks if there’s an updated version online and if so installs the updated version instead of the older one.

Improvements:

  • All 3rd party libraries like SSL, UnRAR etc. have been updated to the latest version.
  • Improved support for Mac OS X 10.7
  • Timeout-behavior has been optimized.

Bug fixes:

  • Password protected archives are no longer deleted upon unsuccessful file extraction.
  • Mac OS: The tray icon has been removed. This solves display issues on non-standard Mac OS X desktops.
  • Queue priority editing has been fixed.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest deals.

Merlins Portal Alternatives for Searching Usenet

Earlier this month Merlins Portal closed indefinitely.  You can visit merlins-portal.net to read the latest owners closing remarks.  In case the site goes completely dark here’s a link to the Merlins Portal closing letter.  In the last week we’ve received some emails asking us to recommend alternatives to Merlins Portal.  There are several options to choose from.  Visit our Usenet search section for a full list or read below for our top picks.

Top 5 Merlins Portal Alternatives

Here is our list of favorite Usenet search options:

1. Newshosting Usenet Client

Newshosting members can rely on the built-in Usenet search engine inside their popular Usenet client to find content.  The newsreader is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  Search for content, preview videos before downloading, automatically repair files and unRAR.  The client is free to all Newshosting subscribers.  Enjoy unlimited Usenet access for $9.99 a month or $99 a  year.

2. Newsbin Pro Search

Newsbin Pro newsreader has an optional Internet search feature.  The Usenet search engine finds the best results from over 1,000 days of binary newsgroup content.  With an excellent user interface and filtering options.  The prices ranges from $2.50 to $5 a month.  Visit the Newsbin search page to learn more.  You can also download a free trial to test the client and search features.

3. Binsearch

Binsearch is our favorite website for conducting Usenet searches.  Their engine is built into the Newshosting client.  Those who aren’t Newshsoting members can also visit binsearch.info to search 1,100 days of binary posts across 400+ newsgroups.  You can also browse newsgroups, search contents of nfo files and filter results using Binsearch.

4. NZB.cc

NZB.cc is operated by the same folks as Binsearch.  The difference is that the site is setup to provide the most relevant results across 800 days of binary retention.  Visit nzb.cc and try it out for yourself.  The engine looks at factors like file set size, PAR files and .NFO file inclusion to help determine relevance.  With the best search matches listed first.

5. NZBMatrix

NZBMatrix is one of our favorites.  They had some technical issues in months past but seem to be back at 100% now.  Visit nzbmatrix.com to sign up for an account.  While you can use the site for free the real value comes in having a premium membership.  Search from 1,500 days of binaries.  Though at the time of writing this post Usenet providers only support around 1,350 days.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest deals.

Usenet Quick Start Guide

The primary goal of NGR is to provide comprehensive Usenet coverage.  Including all of the active Usenet providers, newsreader clients and search sites.  Yet we understand that some of you don’t want to take the time to read several reviews and consider all the options.  You’d rather be up and running on Usenet asap.  If you fall into that category then this Usenet quick start guide is written for you.  We’ll focus on Newshosting since they offer an excellent Usenet client and unlimited Usenet to our readers for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

First we’d like to give you some background on the Newshosting service and their popular newsreader client.  Newshosting is a leading Usenet provider and offers everything you would expect and then some.  From high retention and completion to 256-bit SSL, news servers in the U.S and Europe, free newsreader with built-in Usenet search, uncapped speeds and unlimited Usenet access.  Their Usenet client supports Windows, Mac and Linux.  The software takes care of everything.  Search for content, preview, download, repair and extract.

Step 1 – Sign Up for Newshosting’s Unlimited Usenet Plan

Joining Newshosting is simple.  New members save up to 44% off their unlimited plan.  With unlimited Usenet downloads for just $9.99/mo. or $99 a year.  The discount in recurring so enjoy the savings for the life of your account.  To learn more and to sign up visit their Newshosting NGR special page.  The registration process is simple.  Just enter your name, email address, desired username, password and payment information.  Newshosting offers PayPal and credit card payment options.  Shortly after signing up you’ll receive an email with everything you need including a link to the Newshosting client download.

Step 2 – Download and Install the Newshosting Usenet Client

By now you’ve received your welcome email from Newshosting.  In it you’ll find everything you need to get started.  Including a link to download their Usenet client.  For future reference you can also log into the Newshosting.com site anytime and access the client download page from within the control panel.

Once you’re on the Newshosting client page simply click on the radio button for the version you’d like to download – Windows, Mac or Linux.  If you have more than one machine Newshosting will let you use the client free on multiple computers and operating systems.  As long as you only connect from one system at any given time.  So those with Windows and Mac systems for example can try out the client on both.

There isn’t really anything to go over in terms of the install.  You’ll download the software based on operating system and then run the file to install the Newshosting client.  The only thing you’ll need handy is your username and password.  Which you can have the client save for future launches if you’d like.

Step 3 – Configuring the Newshosting Usenet Client

If you’re in a big hurry to download something have at it.  The Newshosting client is pre-configured and ready to go.  In addition to the default settings here are a few additional tweaks that we enjoy and find helpful.  To access the Newshosting client settings open the software and click on Options and then Settings.  From there you’ll see several options with associated images to the left of the screen.

Tip #1 : Enable SSL – if you would like to enable 256-bit SSL for all your Newshosting connections just click on the Connection icon and check the “Prefer SSL connections if available” box.  For the SSL port we recommend port 443 since in some cases it will help protect against ISP throttling.  If you want to protect your online privacy beyond just Usenet connections then we suggest you consider a VPN service.

Tip #2 : Search Providers – Newshosting includes a built-in Usenet search engine.  You can search across their entire span of retention and newsgroups for content.  Along with the native Newshosting search they also include Binsearch.info as a search option.  Choosing between the two is very simple.  When doing a search you’ll see a magnifying glass icon to the left.  Click on it and you can choose between Newshosting and Binsearch.info.  Both work well and you can switch between them anytime.

Tip #3 : Download Folder – you can easily change the folder structure where Newshosting will save downloads.  To do so click on the Downloads icon.  Here you can set the main download folder along with preferences for subfolders.  Helping you sort content by newsgroup and/or date.

Tip #4 : PAR2 Repairs and UnRAR – the Newshosting client can take care of repairing partial or damaged files.  Along with extracting the resulting contents.  You can control how Newshosting handles both the PAR2 repairs and UnRAR actions from the Downloads tab in the settings area.

Tip #5 : SafeSearch Feature – Newshosting doesn’t filter search results by default.  Meaning you might run across some adult content when searching newsgroups.  If you would like to reduce the amount of adult content in search results then enable the SafeSearch feature.  Those who want their Usenet experience to remain uncensored can simply skip this step.

How’s that for a quick start for Usenet.  Within a few minutes you’ll be downloading from newsgroups like a pro.  If a friend mentioned needing additional software, newsreader, WinRar, QuickPar, etc. you can skip all of that.  Along with finding a good NZB search site.  The Newshosting client takes care of everything.  You can go back to step 1 to get started or visit our Newshosting NGR special page and then come back for the quick setup tips.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet and follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest guides.