XVID is an older video codec that’s been replaced by x.264 in the industry, but still commonly shows up in torrents, probably because many of them are created overseas. An HDRIP is going to be better than a CAM or HDCAM (because a video camera recording a movie screen is always going to be pretty poor), though the best quality is a DVDRIP. Another advantage of downloading torrents is the shortened download time needed for a file. As stated above, the more peers that share a file, the faster the download will be. There is also less risk for file corruption when using torrents since the BitTorrent protocol regularly checks each.
Posted January 13, 2012 by David Kirk in Internet
Several infamous torrent websites have decided to move to magnet links exclusively instead of .torrent files. Here we provide a comparison and contrast between these two file types and describe why these sites have ultimately decided to make the switch.
The most important thing that users will need to understand is that the major torrent sites will continue to function in the same manner. Downloading files is still goal, and all modern torrent clients have had the capabilities of using magnet links along with .torrent files for quite a while. Although most users will use them the same, important differences do exist.
The difference in .torrent files and magnet links
To explain this better, let’s use an example. Let’s assume that I go on a popular torrent website looking to download a linux distro. By using torrents instead of downloading the file directly, I likely can download it faster, help other people download it faster, and save the linux distributor some bandwidth cost.
When my torrent client reads a .torrent file, it learns how the file collection is divided and where it can download all the pieces. The .torrent file just provides the directions for the torrent client on how to find and download all the chunks of data. Once downloaded, the client rebuilds the chunks into my working linux distro. Since .torrent files are simple data files, they are easy to read, find and scrape. Therefore, they are copied and shared quite prolifically.
Magnet links accomplish the same sharing of data without using an actual .torrent file. Instead of an actual .torrent file sitting on a server describing the data chunks, the magnet link itself describes the methods. In fact, magnet links can use methods of obtaining the file other than or in addition to those of torrents. The magnet link gives the torrent client enough information to reach out to other users to grab the data needed to start the downloading process.
Thus, magnet links allows users to get the download information directly from other users instead of through an actual .torrent file.
Why the move away from .torrent files?
A .torrent file is a file that sits on a server somewhere. The files take up space. For somebody to share a .torrent that server must be up and available to all parties. With torrent index sites frequently under attack for their potentially illegal uses, an available server is not guaranteed.
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By doing away with the .torrent files, magnet links takes the dependence of the server out of the equation. By using the magnet link, users can get information from other users directly. Additionally, by this process the user increases his or her chance of the torrent process working in case the original tracker is not public or closed.
Advantages of magnet links over .torrent files
1. Torrent index sites will have lower bandwidth and space requirements.
2. Easier to share just a link than to share a link to a file on a server.
3. Magnet links should be updated where .torrent files may not be.
4. Better chance of success even if a specific tracker is not available.
5. Ability to obtain download from alternative, non-torrent methods.
Disadvantages of magnet liks over .torrent files
1. Initially they are slower as connections are made to other peers to find the data.
2. It’s more difficult to download specific files using magnet links versus torrents.
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Here the ultimate truth that may have been in front of you all this time — torrenting is legal in many countries. Torrenting is just a file-sharing mean where you can share all that you like and as such cannot be deemed illegal. But things get more complicated when the word piracy comes in. We’ve curated a list of the safest countries for torrenting for your reference.
P2P Friendly Countries What Allow Torrenting
Movie Torrent Download
The sole term “piracy” has been in use for copyright infringements since the 18th century when a certain company labeled pirates all of those who broke their copyright laws. Nowadays, piracy is a widespread term and it is usually closely related to torrenting due to the nature of this platform.
What makes it challenging to label peer-to-peer file sharing as piracy is the fact that piracy is usually committed for financial gain. However, people who share something on the internet do not have a financial gain out of it. Therefore, modern piracy is just a frowned upon a sharing where no-one profits except that the copyright holder loses.
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List of Torrent Legal Countries
However, many countries have a different perspective on what copyright should be – some are more protective of the copyrighted material while others say that it is really okay to share. Let’s take a look at the safest countries for torrenting
1. SPAIN – Acknowledges the PROFIT INTENT
Spain is one of the safest countries for torrenting that basically made torrenting legal by acknowledging that the intention of making money over breaking copyright laws counts. In other words, you will be able to share anything you want via torrent as long as you do not make any money out of it.
It is certainly true that some of the politicians and people objected this because this means that anything created and put on the internet will be available to anyone for free. Nevertheless, if you plan on moving to Spain, feel free to download anything via torrent as you will not be breaking any laws.
2. THE NETHERLANDS – ART vs. SOFTWARE
The Netherlands took a different approach and stated that anyone can download works of art for personal use and as long as they do not plan on making a profit out of it. However, if you plan on downloading other stuff such as software, you will be persecuted definitely. I am just curious about the way they treat games in the Netherlands – are they a work of art or a piece of software?
One more thing regarding torrenting in the Netherlands is that you are legally not allowed to upload anything on the internet and this is exactly the thing that makes the whole situation rather interesting. In other words, you can download works of art, but do not share them because that is illegal. Luckily, the Dutch can download torrents from users from other countries without the feeling of guilt.
3. MEXICO – NO ONE REALLY CARES
Mexico is a unique place because it is legal to do download anything via torrents because there are no laws to forbid it. They are, and they are very loosely formed, and no one respects them as no one cares about them. Some studies show that over 90% of internet users download music via torrents daily.
But this situation is kind of a double-edged sword because this also means that you can be persecuted for thinking that what you’ve been doing all this time was completely safe and legal. Luckily, I do not know of any documented cases of people being arrested for torrenting in Mexico, but it does not mean that there were not any.
4. SWITZERLAND – The Land of FREE Torrenting
Switzerland is, by far, the safest country for torrenting. Unlike Mexico, where laws about the Internet are loosely formed and do not really exist, in Switzerland they are strict and they are strictly in favor of the people who like to download torrents. In other words, the law in Switzerland states that it is okay to download anything as long as it is only for personal use. This means that as long as you do not intend on selling someone else’s work that you have downloaded, you are free to use it.
Switzerland also has several privacy laws that are in favor of the people who download via torrents, making it unavailable and illegal for the third party to spy on IP addresses of people who download. This means that no one really can be sued, except for certain extreme cases.
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Well, if we take Switzerland as the perfect example of one of the safest countries for torrenting, it can be said that you are 95% safe, but in all the other listed countries the percentage of safety is significantly lower. Some countries, such as Mexico can be unsafe when it comes to your privacy while others, such as the Netherlands are unsafe when it comes to you sharing something.
In order to achieve maximum safety, protect your privacy and remain anonymous while downloading torrents, we suggest using a VPN provider.
A VPN will certainly debar all the possibilities of someone intruding your Internet presence and suing you for illegal actions. With a VPN you can easily pick the best VPN location for torrenting and stay safe.
Read more: Why using VPN for torrenting is a must
Best Country for Torrenting
To sum up, there is a big debate going on worldwide on the topic of legalization of downloading torrents. One side says that it is just an ordinary file sharing, and as long as no one makes a profit out of it, it should be legal. The other side says that it should be illegal because it is still a way to break copyright laws and that no one will buy anything anymore as long as it can be downloaded. Some countries, such as Switzerland have made a step forward and claimed that it should be legal, some countries still express no interest in that matter (such as Mexico), while some are still very conservative on the topic of torrenting (the USA being the first in this notorious list). One thing is sure – you can never be too careful, and using a VPN is the safest way and fastest way.
Click on the image to get a free hack guide to download torrents safely and anonymously.
Do you agree with Rachel? Let us know what the best country for torrenting in the comments below is.
This article was updated on Feb 2019. All information is actual and up to date.
Rachael Chapman
Search Torrents And Download Torrents
A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc