N.B. These ideas are only for Windows XP
In my opinion the best method, and the one I use, to download films off of the internet, is '.torrent' files via a
'bit-torrent' client, of which there are quite a few. The one I prefer is called
'BitComet' and can be downloaded for free
here.
Possibly the most important system setting, for decent download speeds, is the number of half open
TCP connections available on your system.
Windows XP has a default setting of 10 and 'BitComet' comes with a handy tool to adjust this easily.
Using this tool, you should change the setting to 'max. half-open TCP/IP connections=200'.
You can also choose to set the 'up' and 'download' speeds manually and should go
here to find out the actual speed of your system (not what your
broadband supplier claims!).
You will need this to set your speeds in BC, or which ever client you choose. My 2Mb/s came out at 0.79Mb/s to Los Angeles and 1.92Mb/s to Dublin, download speed and 0.23, 0.24Mb/s upload. In BC you should set your limits at 80% of the lowest reading (upload I set even lower than 80%!). I have 2Mb cable broadband and occasionally get download speeds up to 250kB's
which means it takes about 2 hours to download a film file.
Ok when the file, you selected, begins downloading in BC you should notice, on the left side is printed amongst other stuff, a link to "comments". It is a good idea to use this to check the file you are after. Lately there have been a lot of fake files getting posted as .torrent files!
You will soon learn to spot the dubious ones but meanwhile read what others say about it.
