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Best Usenet Clients

January 17, 2013 by

For those new to Usenet the task of finding the right newsreader can be challenging.  Especially if you’re not sure where to look and what features are the most important.  Today we’re going to honor our 2013 Editors Choice Award winners and recommend some excellent Usenet browsers.  Some are free to download and use while others offer free trials.  We’ll make it clear whether the clients are free or premium.  Along with highlighting some of the key features that helped each newsreader, web client or mobile Usenet app make our list.

2013 NGR Editors Choice : Best Usenet Clients

Similar to our Best Usenet Provider awards we recognize more than one winner.  As there are way too many great newsgroup services and Usenet clients on the market.  In the case of newsreaders we could easily list ten or more clients.  For the purpose of our awards we have chosen six winners.  Along with a top 10 list.

Without further delay we’d like to congratulate each of our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners.  The list includes the Newshosting Client, Easynews Web Interface, Newsbin Pro,  SABnzbd, NewsLeecher and Binreader.  Round out our list of the Top 10 Usenet clients were GrabIt, Unison, News Rover and EZ Global Search.

Let’s take a closer look at our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners for “Best Usenet Clients“:

Newshosting Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newshosting

Newshosting continues to innovate their popular Usenet client.  With all the features you’d expect from a leading newsreader and then some.  The client is free for Newshosting members and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  With a Usenet search engine, video previews, auto-repair and auto-unRAR functions the client takes care of everything.  All you do is choose what to download and let the Newshosting client do the rest.

Newshosting offers 2,100+ days of binary retention along with 1,400 days of text posts.  Subscribers enjoy unlimited Usenet access, Newshosting Usenet client, 256-bit SSL, uncapped speed and 24/7 support.  Take advantage of the Newshosting $9.99/mo. and $99.99/yr. unlimited Usenet specials.

Easynews Web Interface : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Who says you need a software client to access newsgroups?  Most people assume that to be the case but it isn’t as Easynews offers an excellent web Usenet interface.  With the ability to search for content, preview files, stream content and download from Usenet.  The Easynews web interface is free to members.  In fact you can try Easynews free for 14 days.  There are also some really cool iPhone, iPad and Android apps.

Newsbin Pro Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newsbin Pro

Newsbin Pro has been an NGR editor favorite for years now and they continue to innovate and make the popular Usenet client even better.  Newsbin offers an excellent user interface with support for compressed header downloads and NZB files.  Newsbin will even help you organize downloads.  The client costs $30 and includes a year of search.  With an optional Usenet search feature.  New users can download a 10 day free trial.

SABnzbd Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

SABnzbd hardly needs an introduction for Usenet fans.  The free, open-source Usenet browser has been downloaded over 5 million times (Windows, Mac and Linux).  SABnzbd+ turns your web browser into a Usenet client.  It lacks features for those who want to download headers or enjoy text groups.  Yet for binary seekers SABnzbd is very cool.  Drop in an NZB file and SABnzbd will download, verify, repair and extract the contents.

NewsLeecher Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

NewsLeecher is another premium client that we’ve enjoyed using over the years.  Especially their SuperSearch feature which is great for easily finding Usenet content.  The user interface is clean and the client presents some nice advanced features.  With lots of bells and whistles to configure for enhancing your Usenet experience.  The client costs $3.99 a month for NewsLeecher + SuperSearch.

Binreader Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

We enjoy Binreader for a number of reasons.  First of all its free and available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  Secondly they offer a portable version that you can run from a thumb drive.  With Binreader you can search for content through Binsearch.info and let the client do the rest.  From downloading to PAR2 repair and RAR extraction.  You can download the latest version directly from the Binreader site free of charge.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2013 Editor’s Choice Awards for the best Usenet clients.  Please help us recognize and congratulate the winners for their efforts.  You might also want to check out our Editor’s Choice Awards for “Best Usenet Providers“, “Best Usenet Deals” and “Best Free Usenet Trials” as each is updated frequently.

Filed Under: Binreader, Easynews Webreader, Newsbin Pro, Newshosting Client, Newsleecher, Newsreaders, SABnzbd Tagged With: , , , ,

Usenet Providers That Offer Free Newsreader Clients

July 8, 2011 by

We’ve had the same question posed over and over again through the years, “Are there any Usenet providers that offer free newsreaders?”.  Especially from those new to newsgroups who aren’t too sure about setting up a Usenet client.  Totally understandable as we’ve all been there at one time or another.  New technologies can be tricky and veteran services like Usenet can have a steep learning curve.

We’d like to start by saying that there is no one solution that is best for everyone.  So if you try a Usenet provider / newsreader combination that isn’t right for you don’t get frustrated.  There are several options to choose from and each newsreader has a different user interface design and features.

The newsreaders to follow are all offered free of charge to members of the corresponding Usenet service.  Easynews, Binverse, Unliminews (PureNZB) and Giganews (Mimo Usenet browser) are exclusive to their subscribers.  While BinTube is included free for members or can be purchased separately.

Let’s start with the Usenet providers offering their own clients:

1. Easynews – Free Web Interface + NNTP Access

We start with our personal favorite, Easynews.  The only provider who offers a feature packed Usenet client without the need for a newsreader.  That might not make sense for those unfamiliar with Easynews.  The Easynews service is available via their popular web interface.  Meaning no software to configure.  Simply type the URL into your web browser and enjoy access to Usenet.  With a built-in search engine you can easily find content without the need for headers or NZB sites.  The web interface makes it easy to preview, stream and download content with a few clicks.  New members can enjoy a 100 GB / 14 day free Easynews trial.

2. Binverse – Free Binverse Newsreader

Binverse offers subscribers a free Usenet client.  The newsreader is already configured.  All you have to do is download, install and enter in your Binverse account information.  The rest is taken care of.  The Binverse client is available for both Windows and Mac.  With access to several Usenet search engines from inside the client.  View thumbnail images and sample audio and video files before you download.  The Binverse user interface is intuitive and easy to follow.  The client and underlying service are fast.  Most users get the hang of it in the first few hours.  Binverse is currently offering new members a 60 GB / 3 day free trial to test the reader.

3. BinTube – Free BinTube Basic Usenet Client

BinTube offers their customers a free copy of BinTube Basic newsreader.  In addition BinTube Pro is sold for $59.95.  The difference is that the Pro version can handle 50 connections versus 20.  The Pro version can also be used with other Usenet providers.  With free access to BinTube Basic users can search for content, stream media and view slideshows.  The client also handles PAR repairs and RAR / ZIP extraction.  With a number of additional features.  It is definitely worth checking out.  Unfortunately BinTube doesn’t currently offer a free trial so you’ll have to sign up for a month of service to test the reader.

4. Unliminews – Free PureNZB Newsreader

Unliminews brings with it a free Usenet client called PureNZB.  The newsreader was developed in-house for use with Unliminews and Z51 Usenet services.  We’ve enjoyed testing the client and watching the growth in features and design.  With new user interface tweaks PureNZB is even more intuitive.  PureNZB has several built-in Usenet search engines and recently added their own named NZBSearch.  Unliminews isn’t currently offering a free trial.  However they are running a summer promotion with a special discounted price on their 100 Mb/s plan.  Sign up by August 30th and pay just $29 for 3 months of access.

5. Giganews – Free Mimo Usenet Browser

Giganews partnered with Golden Frog to develop a new Usenet browser for their Diamond members.  Naming their client Mimo and releasing the first public beta last winter.  The Mimo Usenet client has continued to progress since it’s first beta release.  With updates coming more and more often, the Golden Frog team is hard at work adding features and refining the user interface.  Mimo has built-in Usenet search engines including their own Golden Frog search.  Mimo is a nice client but we don’t think its worth the $35 price tag attached to the Giganews Diamond accounts.  We prefer quality Usenet access at an affordable price.  With services like UseNetServer, Newshosting and Astraweb offering unlimited Usenet from $7.95 a month.

In addition NewsDemon, ThunderNews and NewsgroupDirect offer members a free licensed copy of News Rover.  A popular third-party newsreader.  NewsDemon and NewsgroupDirect also include free online storage to their members.  Thanks to the fine team over at NewsDemon, NewsgroupReviews visitors can enjoy unlimited Usenet + News Rover and 30 GB of online storage for just $9.99 a month.  A savings of 50% off the retail price.  Thundernews and NewsgroupDirect have also been kind in offering our visitors special pricing.  See our Usenet specials page for details.  We have tested and recommend all three newsgroup services.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of Usenet providers offering free newsreaders.  If you decide to test them out don’t forget about the free trials offered by Easynews and Binverse.  The Easynews 100 GB free trial is a summer special and includes 10 times the normal 10 GB of downloads.  So if you want to take advantage of testing the Easynews web interface now is the perfect time.

Filed Under: BinTube, BinTube, Binverse, Binverse Client, Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Giganews, Mimo, Newsreaders, PureNZB, Unliminews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Easynews 100 Gig / 14 Day Free Trial : Summer Special

June 15, 2011 by

We’ve been raving about the new Easynews web interface since the first beta release.  Have you tried it out yet?  If not now is the perfect time.  Enjoy a 100 gig / 14 day free trial of Easynews.  Simply sign up by August 1st and enjoy your first 14 days (and up to 100 GB of downloads) free of charge.  An excellent opportunity to test out the new web interface as well as Easynews NNTP access.  Both of which are included with the free trial.

The Easynews Summer Special includes up to 100 gig of free downloads over 14 days.  In addition to:

  • The free trial special applies to all web accounts.  Meaning you can enjoy the 100 GB of free downloads with any of the Easynews web plans (Classic, Plus and Big Gig).  In the past the trial was only available with Classic accounts.
  • The free trial special includes access to the web interface and Easynews NNTP servers.  For those unfamiliar with the difference the NNTP servers provide the fastest downloads but require a newsreader.  While you can enjoy the ease of using the web interface with your favorite web browser or mobile device.

The Easynews Summer Special ends August 1st so make sure to sign up before then.  Easynews normally offers a 10 gig free trial which is average for the industry.  The 100 gig / 14 day free trial promotion is an excellent opportunity to test all facets of the service.  Both the ease of the web interface and quality of their NNTP access.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the special Easynews free trial:

  • Make sure to sign up for the Easynews 100 Gig free trial by August 1st.
  • Log in at Easynews.com and jump right into the new web interface.
    • Run Easyboost to maximize your speed
    • Try a few Basic Searches.  Then take a look at the Advanced Search features.
    • View some images, sample some audio and video files, stream some content.
    • Test out the Easynews Zip Manager.
    • Check out the Easynews mobile apps.  We especially like using EZ Global Search for iPad / iPhone
  • Have a favorite Usenet client?  If so fire it up and point to one of these news server addresses:
    • secure.news.easynews.com (SSL) – ports 563, 443, 8080
    • news.easynews.com (non-SSL) – ports 119, 21, 22, 80
    • Multiple ports given in case your ISP throttles ports 563 or 119
    • You can use up to 20 simultaneous connections
  • For ease of use choose the Easynews web interface.  With web browser and mobile access.  Expect between 150 and 200+ days of binary retention depending on the account you choose.  The Classic plan supports 150 days while Plus and Big Gig support 200+ days of binaries.
  • The Easynews NNTP news servers will provide the best download speeds.  With over 1,000 days of binary retention and free SSL encryption.  If you’re looking for a newsreader Newsbin Pro offers a 10 day free trial download.  Free options include SABnzbd, Binreader and GrabIt.
  • If you’d like some additional help searching for newsgroup content check out our Usenet search engine section or visit a leading NZB site like Binsearch or Nzbmatrix.
  • If you have any questions while getting started with Easynews web interface or NNTP servers visit their support center.  Easynews offers live online support.  With a toll-free number for those in the US.

Hope you enjoy the Easynews special.  I think you’ll be quite happy with the quality of the web interface and NNTP access.  Don’t forget to sign up before August 1st to take advantage of the 100 gig / 14 day free trial.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,

Easynews Review : 2012 NGR Editors Choice

April 5, 2011 by

Congratulations to Easynews who recently earned a Newsgroup Reviews (NGR) 2012 Editors Choice award.  We’ve always enjoyed Easynews web Usenet access.  Even more so recently with all the cool new features.  Last year Easynews rolled out a new version of their popular web interface.  The new web interface is great for those new to Usenet.  As you can easily search newsgroups, download and stream content.  All from your favorite web browser.  In addition Easynews offers 3rd party apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android.  We’ll be covering both EZ Global Search and EZ Usenet in more detail later this week.

The picture above and one more to follow are from Easynews European data center in Amsterdam.  Just imagine the number of hard drives it takes to support the storage of a major Usenet provider.  Cheers to the Easynews team for letting us share these images with our readers.

Easynews is a veteran in the Usenet industry.  They offer both NNTP and web access.  The web interface is definitely their claim to fame.  With no one else coming close to competing with their web reader.  It puts Easynews in a unique position to help those new to Usenet.  As newsreader setup and additional tools can be a hassle depending on your level of technical experience.  With nothing more than a web browser you can use Easynews Global Search feature to find a topic of interest.  Then either preview, stream or use the Zip Manager and Auto Unrar / Auto Par features to simplify your Usenet experience.

If you haven’t had a chance to try the new web interface take advantage of Easynews 14 day free trial.  During the two week free trial period you’ll have full web access and can download up to 10 GB of content.  We think you’ll be quite pleased with the new features and faster search speeds.  Read our full page Easynews review to learn more about the service or sign up and enjoy the ease of downloading from newsgroups via the web.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Improved Easynews Search Speed, Import NZB’s

February 15, 2011 by

Easynews recently released a new version of their cutting-edge web interface for Usenet fans.  Some of the added features include improved Easynews search speed and the ability to import NZB files via your web browser.  Along with an improved Zip manager interface and standardized thumbnail sizing.  Those new to Easynews can try the service and web Usenet interface free for 14 days.

Here is some additional information sent to us from Easynews:

Easynews has been working continuously to provide users with improved features and support.  As part of that effort, Easynews just launched the latest version of their new web interface.  The following features are included in this new release:

-Improved search speed
-NZB import into the web interface
-Image thumbnail size standardization
-Master select controls
-Improved Zip Manager interface

These upgrades follow a 1/24/11 release, which included:

-Dutch version of the Easynews interface
-Contextual help
-Improved User Favorites sorting
-Updated profile page layout
-Post date integration in group indexes

Read our Easynews web interface or Easynews Usenet reviews to learn more.  Interested in giving Easynews a test drive?  Sign up for two weeks free and enjoy testing all the new web reader features!

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,

Easynews Launches New Web Usenet Interface

October 28, 2010 by

Earlier this month we wrote a hands-on review of the new Easynews web interface.  At the time the new webreader was in beta.  After a few weeks of testing and tweaking the new interface is live and available to all new and existing subscribers.  Easynews is offering a 14 day free trial to new customers so if you’ve never tried the service or it’s been awhile definitely take an opportunity to check out the new features.


Read our Easynews web interface review to learn about some of the cool features in the new version.  Those new to Usenet will find it very easy to use.  Usenet veterans will also find some nice extras like audio / video previews, screenshots, article details and more.

We’ve had years of experience with a wide variety of newsreaders and the bumps and bruises to show it.  While we have our favorites the new Easynews web interface makes Usenet simple to use without installing a newsgroup reader.

Read our Easynews review or sign up for a 14 day free trial and test out the new web Usenet interface for yourself.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Review of Easynews New Web Interface : Beta Release

October 2, 2010 by

October 4th update:

Easynews is starting to offer access to the new web interface beta.  To test it out for yourself simply sign up (including a free trial for new customers) and log in at https://members-beta.easynews.com/2.0/

Share your thoughts of the new interface – feedback (at) newsgroupreviews.com

—————

Original post:

If you take a look at Easynews.com you’ll notice a new image in the mix.


The guys over at Easynews are getting ready to release a new web interface and were kind enough to give us some early hands-on time with the beta release.

Providers are often reluctant when it comes to reviewing beta releases.  Not in this case though.  Easynews seemed quite confident in the new interface.  After a few hours of use we understood why.  It was very easy to use and lacked the typical technical issues you come to expect from a beta.

Everyone uses terms like easy navigation, simple UI, etc. but the new Easynews interface is really well done.  You can tell a lot of effort went into this release.  It’s not just a tweak of the existing interface but a completely new experience for Easynews subscribers.  If you’re new to Usenet or prefer ease of use over installing and configuring a newsreader definitely check it out.

Easynews fans who like the existing web interface and global search have nothing to worry about.  We confirmed that Easynews is keeping the original design as-is and adding the new interface.  You will be able to easily switch back and forth at any time.

Let’s jump right in and take a look at the Easynews beta.

There are a few options at the top of the screen including Easyboost and Safe Mode.  Either can be toggled on and off.  We definitely suggest using Easyboost as the performance is greatly enhanced.

Moving on to the simplified search box:


You can choose whether to search for videos, audio files or images.  There is also a “find Groups” tab:


Here you can do a quick search for newsgroups containing certain keywords.  Searching across all groups or filtering based on content.

For those who want more options there is also an advanced search:


Use the advanced search to really narrow things down to help find just what you’re looking for with a full assortment of search, filter and display options.  For more details read our Easynews first look post from a couple weeks ago.

We decided to start our testing of the new beta with a video and chose “WoW cataclysm beta” for our search.


We had several videos returned.  As you can see from the example above there are sample images from the video along with a description of the file size, resolution, runtime, audio / video codecs, format and post details.


In case you want to see more samples before downloading Easynews offers a “Full Thumb” view.  We cropped it down to two rows but the results included five rows of images pulled from frames throughout the video.  Very cool feature!

We shared an audio result in our first look post but noticed a tweak in the interface.


Easynews has added some nice “Preview” and “Download” buttons to the interface along with all the audio file information.  The preview will give you a 15 second clip while the download will play the full audio file.

Last but not least we did an image search for Corvette:


Our Corvette search netted over 500 results.  While we’re showing a couple rows there were actually 50 thumbnail images per page.  Clicking on any picture takes you to the full screen version.

I hope you had as much fun reading our review as we did using the new Easynews web interface.  Check back as we will update the top of the post as soon as the public beta is released.  We’ve confirmed that all Easynews subscribers (existing and new) will have full access to the beta.  Those new to Easynews can sign up for a 14 day free trial to test drive the new web interface in the near future.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

First Look : New Easynews Web-Based Usenet Browser

September 15, 2010 by

Easynews is developing a new web interface for their popular web-based Usenet service. Not to be confused.  This is not just a minor revision or tweak to the current browser.  The new webreader is geared toward those new to Usenet.  Along with newsgroup veterans who would prefer an easy to navigate, streamlined, in-browser Usenet experience.  While the current Easynews interface works fine, the new UI promises to integrate popular features with ease of use and a number of new enhancements.

The Easynews team has kept very busy over the last year.  Starting with major investments in infrastructure.  Followed by the release of Easyboost web accelerator.  Then came a 50% increase in retention boosting NNTP binary retention to over 600 days.  Earlier this year Easynews added free unlimited NNTP access to the Big Gig plan and made it a $9.98 add-on for other accounts.

Today though we want to give you a first look at the new webreader interface.  The in-browser UI provides a number of advantages over the current browser.  Not the least of which is easy navigation and improved usability.  Here are some of the early screenshots from the Easynews team.  Stay tuned for more details as the new web interface nears the beta testing stage.

Let’s start with the new Easynews advanced search feature:

As you can see the advanced search is packed with options.  Search for Usenet posts by keyword, subject, poster, newsgroup, filename, extension, audio or video codec.  Narrow your search by content type including archive, document, executable, audio, video, image or parity file.  We also like the option to remove duplicates and collapse file sets.  You can add a date range, file size, pixels, FPS, BPS, Hz or runtime to your search criteria.  With a final option to save your search configuration.  For those less adventurous there is always the basic search option.

Now let’s take a look at the new Easynews video search results:


Check out the thumbnails!  How much time could you save by not downloading poor quality videos.  Now you can take a sneak peak before you queue them. Along with the small images there is a link to a full set of thumbnails.  More on that in a second.

The detailed information to the right of the images will provide you with the name of the file, date and time of the post along with the newsgroup and poster.  Just below you can quickly read the file size, resolution and runtime.  Along with the video and audio codec.  No more guessing or relying on NFO files.  Easynews does the work for you.

How about the new Easynews full video thumbnail view:


You’ll notice that the full thumbnail view displays several frames from throughout the video.  Very cool feature!

Now on to the new Easynews audio search results:


The audio search results are similar to the video search above.  Starting with the post name, date and time, newsgroup and poster.  Along with relevant file information including size, runtime, audio codec and sample rate.

Last but not least – the new Easynews image search results:


While we prefer the swimsuit model images from the Easynews homepage the Great Pyramid will have to do for now.  We’ll bring you some swimsuit shots during the upcoming beta test phase.

The results are very similar to the style used by Google Images.  This particular example shows two rows of images.  While there are only 7 results for this search criteria we’ll get more in our swimsuit search.  All for a good cause.  To test the sort feature, lol.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our first look at the upcoming Easynews web interface.  Expect lots more coverage to come as the new web-based browser moves to beta testing in the weeks ahead.  In the meantime if you would like to learn more about the Usenet service read our Easynews review or sign up for a two week free trial.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,