Bimbo-Proof Instructions on How to Download TV Shows

Everyone's talking about it, but how do you download Movies/TV Shows from the Internet? Why not use BitTorrent? It's fast, easy and relatively safe! And the best thing is, you don't have to understand how BitTorrent works to use it.

THE GOAL: Download the 1st Episode of the 2nd Season of Gossip Girl.

THE 5 EASY STEPS:

1. Download 'Utorrent'
2. Download Gossip Girl's 'torrent' file
3. Begin Downloading Gossip Girl
4. Wait
5. Watch Gossip Girl

Let's get started!

1. Download 'Utorrent'

First, you'll need a BitTorrent client. My favorite is 'Utorrent'. Download it here: utorrent.com


Click on the 'Free Download' button to start downloading utorrent (Choose the Mac version if you're using a Mac).

The first time you run the file, utorrent will ask if you'd like to make shortcuts on your start menu and desktop. I suggest you do.



2. Download Gossip Girl's torrent file

You will now have to search and download the appropriate torrent file. 'The Pirate Bay' is an excelent site to search for torrent files.

Go to: thepiratebay.org

For now, resist the desire to search for your torrent via the search box. It's easier to just click on the'TV Shows' link.

A lists of TV shows will appear. Scroll down and find Gossip Girl. Click on 'S02' (Season 2). This will list all the torrent files that's associate with Season 2 of Gossip Girl.


For reason's you can't appreciate and I would rather not get into, the torrents are named using the following convention:

'TV show Title'.'Season No'.'Episode No'.'Video details'

Gossip Girl, Season 2, Episode 1 translates to:

Gossip.Girl.S02.E01.(Followed by video details).

Start fishing around for a file like this.


In general, choose a file that has the highest SE (Seeders).

Click on your selection. You'll see the torrent's info and comments from other users about this torrent. The comments are sometims usefull to determine whether the picture is clear, are the subtitles any good, etc.

When you're happy with your selection, click on 'DOWNLOAD THIS TORRENT' to begin download.


You have successfully downloaded the torrent file for Gossip Girl, Episode 1 of Season 2.


3.Begin Downloading Gossip Girl

'Right Click' on the torrent file and in the context menu, click 'Open With' > 'utorrent'. Utorrent will present you with a 'Pop-up' enquiring where you'd like to save the video file.


In the 'Save As' section, click on the '...' button and choose the location where you want the video to be downloaded. Click 'OK'.

Congratulations. You are now downloading Episode 1, Season 2 of Gossip Girl.


4. Wait - Monitoring Progress

This is a good time to get familiar with the interface.


Click 'Downloading' to get to the 'Downloading' Screen. You should be able to see your Gossip Girl or any other files that you re downloading listed here. I suggest not downloading more than 5 files simultaneously.

Take note of these columns:

Name - Name of torrent file.
Done - Percentage downloaded so far.
Status - Whether it's downloading, completed, etc.
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival.
Ratio - Share Ratio. How well you're sharing this video file.

How long will this take?

The rule of thumb is, the more 'Seeders' a file has (the more popular) , the faster download.

In this tutorial for example, using a torrent file with 150 Seeders, download and upload speeds of 1.4 MB/S and 0.16 MB/S respectively, I managed to download Gossip Girl in just under 2 hours.

It could take 2 hours, it can take 2 days. The ETA will keep changing as you download. Just keep in mind that you don't have to finish downloading in one sitting. You can 'turn off' utorrent and start it up again the next time you're online and it will continue downloading where it left off.

Once done downloading, utorrent will move your 'Job' from the 'Downloading' to the 'Completed' Screen.


You now become a 'Seeder', and it's your turn to share the file with others.

The system 'keeps score', so it's good idea keep sharing to get your 'Share Ratio' to around 1.0 to 1.5 to ensure good downloading times. You can stop sharing the torrent by selecting your torrent and pressing the 'Stop' Button.


5. Watch Gossip Girl



Find your file from the the 'Completed' Screen and 'Right Click' your selection to bring up the context menu. Click on 'Open Containing Folder'. This will open the folder where your file has been downloaded. Find your video file and enjoy.