Usenet question: How to make use of CSV files

[deepsepia]

Hi, I've found CSV files for various DVDs on usenet, but can't seem to find where the DVDs themselves might be found. The CSV file is just an index of what's on a particular distro, but where do you find the bundle itself?

I've done Usenet searches but I don't see anything that corresponds to the collections indexed at the CSV group

So how does this work?

[T502]

You mean .NZB?, that is a index of parts of a binary file(s) that you can use in a newsreader to download them. https://www.binsearch.info/. After you downloaded all parts (oft WinRAR) you can repair, unpack or join a downloaded file.

To download from the Usenet you will need a Usenet provider (News server) and a tool to download the binaries. I use the free version of Alt.Binz: http://www.altbinz.net/
Quick start guide: http://www.altbinz.net/wiki/Quick_Start_Guide
Wiki: http://www.altbinz.net/wiki/Main_Page

Usenet posts in most cases come with some damage during download. To battle this posters will add .PAR, or .PAR2 files, Alt.Binz has a option to use .PAR files to check and repair a download but you can also use standalone freeware tool MultiPar:
http://multipar.eu/
Screenshots: http://multipar.eu/screenshots
MultiPar is followup of QuickPar, both programs work the same so to see how to use MultiPar and read about incomplete files and how to repair read here:
https://www.binaries4all.com/incomplete/
https://www.binaries4all.com/quickpar/

Be aware that there is a lot of crap and infected files posted on the Usenet!. Watch your step. Some examples: if a media file comes as .EXE then stay clear, if it comes as .WMV with the a note that you need to need to install a included codec if it does not play on your computer then again stay clear, some files also come with passwords that you then should collect by visiting linked sites... once again my advice: stay clear.

[Al Gebra]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Hi, I've found CSV files for various DVDs on usenet, but can't seem to find where the DVDs themselves might be found.
(...)
So how does this work?

Originally Posted by T502

You mean .NZB?

I don't think so but thanks for your help anyway.

So-called CSV files are/were created to organise collections using collection managers. They are virtual CDs or DVDs only but collections (e.g. images and/or videos) from a particular source burnt (or intended to be burnt) onto CD or DVD by the collectors themselves. For more info see my post here, please.

If you want to find the actual files you have to search for the name of those collections on the *Net.

[deepsepia]

@T502 -- thanks, but I really did mean CSVs (like in the group alt.binaries.csv). I use NZB files all the time, but CSVs are a bit of a mystery.

Your observations about Usenet are well taken, there's a lot of dodgy stuff, and no-- I never take the malware peddlers up on their offer to "install a codec" (I'm on a Mac, so wouldn't work anyway).

But Usenet does still have interesting things tucked away in its corners. True, lots of groups are just spam, but there still are some bits that are worthwhile. In my case, its a good place to find "Better Call Saul" . . .

Originally Posted by Al Gebra

I don't think so but thanks for your help anyway.

So-called CSV files are/were created to organise collections using collection managers. They are virtual CDs or DVDs only but collections (e.g. images and/or videos) from a particular source burnt (or intended to be burnt) onto CD or DVD by the collectors themselves. For more info see my post here, please.

If you want to find the actual files you have to search for the name of those collections on the *Net.

Thanks. That explains a lot-- everything, actually, much appreciated; your link was a fantastic post.

I was thinking that somehow you could use them to find the files, but got a frosty reception when I asked that question on one of the CSV forums.