Over the years, there have been many discussions regarding 'torrents' and the process of torrenting but what does it mean? If you're hearing about this for the first time, it may seem a bit confusing at first which is why we have created a short guide to the process of torrenting and how it works.
What is it? - To start, perhaps we should first say that a torrent is not the same as BitTorrent. Whilst BitTorrent is a protocol for content distribution that allows software distribution and the sharing of files between users (movies and music, for example). A torrent is the actual file that contains text in order for the download to begin. Furthermore, the people who use the service are known as 'leachers' whilst the 'seeders' provide the files in the first place.
How Does it Work? - If you were to join a torrent site, you will have access to a whole host of files that may contain movies, TV shows, music, and who knows what else. As a free piece of software, it will also normally be free from advertising and spyware. By gathering pieces of your chosen file from people who have them already, torrent sites allow for files to be downloaded at a fast rate. Therefore, large files will be easier and quicker to download which is why it is a popular option among those who like to share movies and TV shows.
Essentially, small pieces of a file are taken from numerous different sources at the exact same time. For the free user, this allows files to be downloaded and shared for no charge. Despite launching after the turn of the millennium, many sites are still as strong as ever and have record amounts of users.
Benefits of Torrenting - If you use other P2P (Peer-to-Peer) networks, you may notice the similarities but there are also some key differences. Firstly, users do all of the file serving themselves as opposed to publish-subscribe models such as Kazaa. Secondly, there is a high level of quality on torrent sites because most files are checked and fake/dummy files are removed. Of course, there will still be some poor files but there is a higher success rate for quality with torrenting than some other processes.
Also, download speeds can reach over 1.5 megabits per second which is a lot faster than some of the other options that exist. Finally, there is nobody that profits from the site which means that you don't have to put up with advertising or any adware/spyware. As it is open-source, everyone is sharing files because they want to not because they want to make some money or ruin somebody's day.
Summary - If you are interested in using such services, there are many outstanding torrent sites available to you nowadays and all it takes is a simple search online. However, you do have to be aware that there are safer options out there if you are interested in quality only, as you never really know what you will get until the download has finished.