The art of watching movies and TV shows has changed rapidly over the years. Sitting in front of a TV screen at a pre-set time is slowly being replaced by online methods that offer more control and customization. We are of course referring to the two most popular methods of watching movies, torrenting and streaming. Several legitimate sites enable you to stream movies and TV shows, while many torrent sites let you keep entire movies and TV shows onto your computer.
In this article, we will discuss how you can download your favorite movies and TV shows using torrent sites. We’ll also give you some ideas about the best sites for video streaming if you don’t want to wait too long to download files. We’ll also show you how you can download movies and TV shows using direct download links. Whether you are a film geek or not, these tips will have you watching your favorite content in no time.
What Is A Torrent?
A torrent is an executable file that contains the identification type and internet location of the file that you want to download. It’s important to note that torrents are generally useless without a torrent site. Torrent sites such as Bittorent or uTorrent relies on peer-to-peer protocol to process the torrent file. It looks for people who are actively sharing the existing files called seeders. If you are a file downloader, you may be both a seeder and a leecher.
The torrent site relies on the files of seeders and cannot process the download without them. It does this by copying chunks from the existing files of active seeders. It also takes bits and pieces from other active seeders until the download is complete. This means that you can help other people download the file concurrently as you. The same goes for when you are finished downloading the file but maintain the file as a seeder. You become a leecher when you immediately delete your torrent file from the app once it’s downloaded. Most torrent sites are downloadable and freely available online.
What Are Video Streaming Sites For?
If you simply want to stream content, several websites have been made for the strict purpose of streaming content online. These legitimate websites use either embedded or magnet links to prevent copyright infringement. Magnet links become essentially free-floating copies of an original file online. They remove the need for torrent sites which means you can stream or download content directly from the site.
Magnet links also do not require a continuously available host, which means it relies on anyone who has the file. Some of these sites have digital rights to the content they feature, while some do not. Some of these websites can scan the internet to connect you to the direct download links. The direct download links are the original copies of the file online. These are a bit harder to look for than magnet links. However, downloading comes easy once you’ve found them.
Disclaimer
We would like to provide a disclaimer that the information provided in this article is intended for a good cause. The article is simply an overview of the software and websites that offer video streaming and download services.
We would also just like to provide information on accessing content that has been made available for free online. Robots.net has no responsibility or liability for any breach of copyright or data privacy policies. Neither does it condone unauthorized use of copyrighted content. The site is in no way affiliated with third-party torrent providers as those sites are subject to an independent set of terms and conditions.
Nonetheless, all users are advised to exercise discretion when using third-party torrent sites to download materials that may be subject to copyright laws.
Downloading Videos From uTorrent
uTorrent is a torrent site owned and developed by BitTorrent inc. With over 150 million users, uTorrent is one of the most widely used torrent sites in the world. Its popularity is attributed to the software being fast, reliable, and free of ads. Another factor is that it is one of the most lightweight torrent sites available. With its software designed specifically to have minimal impact on computer resources while offering the same capabilities as heavier counterparts like BitTorrent’s main software.
uTorrent is distributed freely with an open-source license. BitTorrent also released a commercial version with extra features released in 2012. All versions can be installed with a few clicks and have the same basic functions. The only difference comes with the latest free version. This can search for and list torrent files with different trackers.
How to Download Videos Using uTorrent?
uTorrent functions in a similar manner to other torrent sites. It allows you to download complete files from online sources. Normally this would entail visiting a popular torrent site like YTS.mx, The Pirate Bay, and RARBG to get the exact torrent that you want to download. As mentioned, torrents are executable files. Torrents rely on torrent sites to run the download.
Pros of Using uTorrent
In general, torrent files are very easy to locate and download. There are plenty of online sites that host vast libraries of downloadable content. The peer-to-peer protocol is a great way to secure your downloads as you are not relying on one source. Torrent files also typically download much faster than traditional methods of downloading. This is of course attributed to the peer-to-peer nature of the transfer. Most torrent sites, including uTorrent, are also able to automatically resume interrupted downloads for as long as there is an internet connection.
uTorrent is great for downloading entire files from the internet for free. This means you get to save the movie or TV show permanently on your computer. You can view the downloaded files as many times as you like without having to rely on a video streaming website or even an internet connection. The search results on torrent sites will even let you refine your download by choosing the image resolution. You can also select add-in subtitles of the video you are downloading.
Cons of Using uTorrent
There also are cons to relying on torrent sites for downloading files. Even popular torrent sites contain malicious files that masquerade as legitimate files. There is no way to check the files before completing the download. If you’re not too careful, you can pick the wrong file and inadvertently download an empty file. The empty file might even introduce malware to your computer. And as we’ve mentioned, downloading is heavily reliant on seeders.
Having a high number of seeders is always an advantage and usually means a speedy download. Having a low number of seeders can be a problem as this will cause your download to take longer than usual to complete. If the seeders suddenly delete the file on their end, you could also lose your file completely.
There is also a need to maintain a reliable internet connection while downloading files. Conversely, the download process itself can also affect your internet connection. For this, we recommend checking your internet speed once in a while.
As we’ve mentioned, downloading is a two-way process. Downloading files on your part also means uploading data to other users. This is a scheme of mutual benefit. Unfortunately, this can slow down the download process or affect your other online activities.
The file can also be pulled from the server at any point. To avoid such problems, we recommend seeing through the completion of the download in one session. You might also want to read about the optimal download and upload speed for your computer before starting a download.
Verdict on uTorrent
When used properly and with the right information, uTorrent can be one of the most user-friendly tools available for downloading any content. Begin by downloading the latest version of the software for free. To initiate a download, simply get the torrent file of the movie or TV series you want to download. You can get this from any reliable torrent site. Open the uTorrent software and upload the torrent. There are also ways that you can optimize the settings of your software for the fastest downloads possible.
Best Torrent Site Alternatives
Commercial streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime video have all the required permissions and licenses for broadcasting TV shows and movies. It is usually a safer alternative to using torrent sites as there is no need to rely on third-party links and seeders. There’s also a very small probability of your computer catching a virus during streaming, as these sites screen all content. Viewers are also protected on the site from potential phishing malware.
With a paid subscription, you will be able to stream your favorite content at zero risk. You also won’t need to download anything to your computer. You can also the type of content and time for content viewing as you please. Just make sure you have a stable internet connection, and you’re good to go. Be warned though. Streaming websites compete for distribution rights over content. This means that some content may be available on some websites and not others. In any case, here is a list of some of the best subscription-based websites for video streaming.
Netflix
Netflix is the pioneer of subscription-based video streaming. The site has the largest repository of programming of any services available today. Its library includes a wide array of original movies and content. This ensures that it has enough stock to cater to the viewing preferences of all ages and walks of life. The site is especially popular for the quality of its original content. In this aspect, the network can even compete with cable network giant HBO. It has been lauded for being able to prioritize quality over the number of content. Besides, the site also creates original documentaries and feature films. Content is also available for offline viewing. Granted, it’s only available offline for 30 days, but that issue is minuscule.
Netflix is compatible with almost all devices and the basic subscription costs around $9 per month. The standard package will be considerably more costly. And its final, high-definition tier costs slightly higher. These are pretty good deals considering the variety of content and the superb user experience offered by the site. And if you’re getting overloaded with watching too many movies, you can temporarily opt out of the service and fees for at least a month.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a strong competitor to Netflix on the subscription-based video-streaming front. It features a wide collection of original content from Amazon Studios and even HBO. Its TV shows are also notable for being the best of the old and the new. HBO hits spanning from the late 1980s until the present day is available on the site. It’s an even greater deal if you have an existing Amazon Prime membership. The latter will give free access to Amazon Music Unlimited through the Amazon Prime Student offering. Of course, there are also shipping perks and shopping discounts. The video streaming subscription to Amazon starts at $9 per month. Check out our detailed review of Amazon Prime Video for more information.
Hulu
Hulu is a great source for streaming TV shows and movies. It is notable for posting content on its website the day after they are aired on TV. And by TV shows, this site has got a lot of it in its library. The site also upped the ante by creating original content. It also included the ability for users to download shows for offline viewing. A night-time mode for TV binges in late hours is also a pleasant addition. Other add-ons include Chromecast casting, the option to play sports games in multiple tabs, and side-eye and minimization options for the screen.
The premium package allows users to stream more than 50 live TV channels through the site. Granted, you will have to pay more, but then it’s still a great addition. Hulu offers multiple subscription options for you to choose from. The lowest available tier is the Basic subscription which, unlike its namesake, offers a competitive selection of movies and shows. Other subscription options include ad-free streaming, additional channel access, enhanced DVR service, and more.
Disney+
Disney Plus or Disney+ as it is called is a relative newcomer to the video-streaming battlefield. And so far, it has gotten off to a great start with about 50 million subscribers signing up for the service in less than a year. You can bet that the site offers all the movies and TV shows that Disney ever created. If this is not enough to feed your nostalgia, the site is also focusing on adding original content. These include movies and TV series related to Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar. It has already started with The Mandalorian, and soon we can expect stand-alone series about the lives of select Avengers heroes.
A basic Disney Plus subscription has a negligible addition of a few cents and dollars for other European countries. Otherwise, it has a set price for US users. There’s also an available bundle with ESPN+ and basic Hulu. All packages come with a seven-day free trial to help you decide if the service is right for you.
Funimation
You’re probably aware that some websites are dedicated entirely to a specific genre or content type. Such is the case for Funimation. The site is one of the most popular video-streaming sites for anime. Anime is a unique style of animation originating from Japan. The content of anime is as varied as its audience.
Funimation ranks next to Crunchyroll, another site dedicated to anime shows. Many have even pitted the sites together, spurring an ongoing conversation about Crunchyroll vs. Funimation. In any case, Funimation is a distributor of dubbed anime. Naturally, anime TV shows and films are originally dubbed in Japanese. The subs are also Japanese. Some anime is still dubbed in Japanese but has English subtitles.
In the case of Funimation, there’s no need for English subtitles since the verbal language is modified so that the audio is suitable for English-speaking audiences. This makes the anime more accessible and removes the need to stay focused on the screen to understand what the characters are saying. The site is noted to have some overlaps with the Crunchyroll library. That isn’t bad at all, considering all their content is coming from one country. Popular shows on Funimation include Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball Z, Soul Eater, and more. Funimation has a free, ad-supported version and a premium version.
Free Streaming Sites
It’s quite clear that commercial streaming sites are competing for your hard-earned money. It’s not a problem at all if you binge-watch regularly. But there are instances when a specific movie or content is not available on your streaming sites. Thankfully, there are streaming websites that let you watch your favorite movies and TV series for free.
Most of the content on these websites ar embedded. Essentially, you are redirected to another source of the content online. The source streams the file on your computer and you barely notice that it’s from a different website. Accessing streaming content in this manner appears to be legally acceptable to an extent. The site does not claim ownership of the content and has not downloaded or uploaded any copyrighted material. Just don’t attempt to download or share the content with other people. In any case, here are a few of the most reliable, free websites that you can stream content from.
Sockshare.net
Sockshare is an online movie streaming service. It allows users to stream thousands of movies daily, for free. All you need to do is to browse through its alphabetically arranged library. You can even type in the name of a movie you would like to see and check if it’s available on the site.
Some users have complained of encountering annoying or inappropriate ads. Keep yourself safe by clicking closing all the ads and preventing pop-up notifications. Just make sure to go to the legitimate streaming website of Sockshare, as some websites appear to be using the name of Sockshare as clickbait. Notice that the website was also renamed as 123movies. Overall, this is one of the most reliable, free video-streaming apps on the internet.
FreeFlixHQ
FreeflixHQ is a free video-streaming app designed specifically for Android devices. It’s also a great example of the embedded links we were talking about. Essentially it searches for any movie, TV show, anime, or TV channel that you want to view. The app also allows you to download and save movies to your device for offline viewing. FreeFlix has a large offering of anime TV shows. One site claims that it has more than 5,000 anime shows on the site. It also can access multiple channels across the globe.
The software has ads but these do not appear to be particularly annoying or disruptive of streaming. Sadly, the app is not available on the Google Play store or other official app stores that come with your device. This means you will need to find the FreeFlixHQ online. Overall, this streaming app is great. Just make sure to download the app from a reliable source.
Movie4k.to
Among the list of video-streaming websites, Movie4k.to is perhaps one of the most recognizable ones. It has quite an impressive array of movies ranging from the oldest to the newest releases. Like the other websites on this list, Movie4k.to provides external links from other websites that help users stream videos for free. This website is great for the sheer number of content it possesses.
A warning though. You might need to open several tabs before you can access the file. The website also sponsors ads. Some of them even open on their own. Our advice is to close the pop-up ads before they can do any potential damage. Avoid suspicious-looking buttons and links and ignore any request for sign-ups. Prevent your personal information from getting into the wrong hands by steering clear of them. Overall, the website is practical and useful as far as free video-streaming software goes.
Retrovision
Retrovision is a free video-streaming website that is unlike all other streaming websites. It offers a wide variety of old classic movies and TV shows. Old movies are categorized into genres. This is helpful since some of the visitors on the site do not know old cinema. Younger people might wander into the site on an exploratory whim and not know what to look for. It also allows users to download content for offline viewing. So if you happen to find an old gem of a movie, you can save it and share it with your grandma later on. And because most of the content on the site is old, there are very minimal ads. Retrovision also has an app version for Android. You will need to download its UHF application for the Android version. Overall, this website is a treasure trove of cinema and art from older times.
MoviesFoundOnline
MoviesFoundOnline is another reliable website for movie streaming. Movies and TV shows are categorized neatly into ten categories. Users can browse the content either by category or by year. Users can also simply key in the movie they want to check if it’s available. The only thing to watch out for with this website are the pop-up ads. There is quite a number of them for each movie. You just have to be patient and close each one carefully. Without the ads, the website is considerably easy to navigate and generates straightforward results. Content also varies in terms of resolution. This is understandable since the website hosts a large variety of sources. Overall, the website is practical and useful as far as free video-streaming software goes.
How to Download Movies Using Direct Links?
There are free websites that can do download short videos for you. With this easy process, you can learn how to download videos without any software. However, these websites usually cater to smaller clips instead of whole movies. Movies and TV shows would be too large for the system to handle.
The good news is, there are also ways you can download movies and TV shows without having to use software or torrent. All you need are direct links and a few codes. Direct links are the original copies of the files that you can view online through video-streaming apps. They are also the basis for the torrent files that you download.
Accessing a direct link is tantamount to downloading the file straight from the source. No software, no embedded links, no pop-up ads. You also won’t need to browse through multiple websites to find what you’re looking for. All you need is your web browser and some pre-set code. You can access direct download links for any movie using two methods.
Method I:
- Open any web browser on your computer or Android device.
- Key in any movie title or TV episode title on the search bar.
- Copy and paste this code: -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of “last modified” (mp4|wma|aac|avi) beside the movie title. Make sure to leave a space between the title and the code. The complete code should look something like this: Mary Poppins -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of “last modified” (mp4|wma|aac|avi).
- A Google search result will show you several sources. Click on any result from the first five results.
- Select Ctrl+F and key in the title of the movie to look for the file extension of the movie you want to download.
- Click on the movie link that you believe is reliable. It will automatically start the download to your computer.
Method II:
- Open any web browser on your computer or Android device.
- Copy and paste this code (intitle:index.of? mkv) to your web browser search bar. Note that this code is different from the code provided in the first method. Exclude the parenthesis when copying the code.
- Enter the name of the movie you want to download directly following the code. The complete code should look something like this: intitle:index.of? mkv Mary Poppins.
- Select Enter. You should see a long list of MP4 and MKV extensions. The extensions of other files not related to the movie you selected may also be included.
- Select Ctrl+F and key in the title of the movie to look for the file extension.
- Select a movie link that you think is quite reliable and it will automatically start the download to your computer.
Pros and Cons of Using Direct Download Links
Downloading from the direct link is a time-saving endeavor to get the file that you want. It does away with any torrent software and potentially dangerous ads. However, direct links are still not the safest and surest way to download files.
Each download still poses a risk of malware. Any fluctuation in your internet connection can also shut down the download process. Downloading using direct links also poses a threat to your security as your activity can still be tracked by third-party websites. If you’re not careful, third-party websites can determine your IP address, websites visited, and browser information.
You can take measures to protect yourself from phishing and tracking. The best recommendation we can give in this case is for you to set up a secure VPN network. A VPN allows you to reach other networks on the internet in a secure manner. It shields your information from the prying eyes of your internet service provider (ISP) and other third-party websites. This way, they will not be able to identify your IP address and your location.
We also recommend exercising precaution in selecting the links for download. Malicious links look just like normal links. These could introduce malware to your system. In essence, you could end up with a blank file or an infected file, or both.
Final Thoughts on Downloading Content Through Torrent Sites
We hope that this article has enlightened you about the different ways you can download or stream your favorite movies and TV shows. Given the rising popularity of online platforms for streaming content, there is no reason why you should be limited to the traditional ways of viewing. With these tips and tricks, we hope that you’ll be able to master the art of watching content on-demand.
We see it fitting to leave you with a recommendation for the list of the best movies that you need to see. These are some of the best films of recent times and from way back. Regardless of your favorite genre, we wish you a happy viewing!
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