TheBox.bz closing on 1st September

[weekender]

It is with great sadness that we must announce the closure of TheBox.bz, effective on September 1st. This decision has not been an easy one but, given the increasingly hostile climate towards torrent sites as of late, we feel it's a necessary move.

On September 1st, the torrent section of the website will be deactivated. As TheBox has always been as much about community as about sharing, forums and private messages will remain functional for a while longer. Afterward, we will securely wipe all account details before retiring the server for good.

Discussion and farewells are welcome here
Thank you for being a part of TheBox. It's been a fun ride.

~ Tbz Staff

I always thought they were on slightly risky ground allowing torrents of DVDs, especially things like Doctor Who.

A shame, of course, but surely something will take its place?  If so, do let me know.

In the meantime, I'm going to rape away at any fucking torrent that takes my pleasing.  UL: 298.71 GB, with a download ratio of a bit lower than that, so I think I've earned it.  Even if I haven't, what's anyone going to do?

Looks like they've got rid of any remaining invites, which is a sensible thing to do.  I had about 7 left, clearly now 0.

[weekender]

Can't think of anything, anyone got any recommendations?  My best idea so far is yesterday's Countdown, but I don't think I'll get round to watching it.

[biggytitbo]

Give me, your favourite cab poster, an invite. Go on!

[sirhenry]

Get yourself to the Best Documentaries thread. Then head over there with a list.

And sorry Biggy, suddenly I have no invites left. I think they've cancelled them.

And Elementary, My Dear Watson - a brilliant surreal pre-Python comedy with Cleese as Sherlock Holmes.

The Prisoner if you don't have it already.

Not Only But Also

[Small Man Big Horse]

Ah bloody hell, this is a real shame, they had some real gems on there and a lot of material that you couldn't find anywhere else. Admittedly most new shows turn up elsewhere nowadays, but it was still the only source for certain things like the occasionally decent BBC3 comedy series.

I hope something else takes it's place, but considering the fact that UKNova closed down for similar reasons, it may very well not be the case.

[Uncle TechTip]

Crumbs that's awful. I too had spent an age cultivating a good ratio , and am just on the verge of hitting extreme user. No I will not accept this! Argh.

[weekender]

And Elementary, My Dear Watson - a brilliant surreal pre-Python comedy with Cleese as Sherlock Holmes.

The Comedy Playhouse one?  Looks interesting - not sure it's pre-Python as it seems to be from 1973.  Maybe post-Python for Cleese?

Not Only But Also

I just use the search function which doesn't throw up much for this - clues please?

Six Dates With Barker looks quite interesting.

I'm trying to locate Milligan's Q series but can only come up with disparate links for some of them apart from Q7 and Q8, I presume this may relate to the existence of the episodes themselves?

[biggytitbo]

Get yourself to the Best Documentaries thread. Then head over there with a list.

And sorry Biggy, suddenly I have no invites left. I think they've cancelled them.

And Elementary, My Dear Watson - a brilliant surreal pre-Python comedy with Cleese as Sherlock Holmes.

The Prisoner if you don't have it already.

Not Only But Also

Bugger, Im basically just after Bird of Prey, which is literally unobtainable unless you"re willing to pay £200 of some silly money.

[sirhenry]

The Comedy Playhouse one?  Looks interesting - not sure it's pre-Python as it seems to be from 1973.  Maybe post-Python for Cleese?

I'm often wrong. But it's still well worth grabbing while you can.

I just use the search function which doesn't throw up much for this - clues please?

Try searching for Peter Cook with Comedy selected.

[weekender]

Ah bloody hell, this is a real shame, they had some real gems on there and a lot of material that you couldn't find anywhere else.

That was also why I liked UKNova.  A TV series that was broadcast in the 1970s and isn't actually available to buy on DVD?  You can find it here!

Admittedly most new shows turn up elsewhere nowadays, but it was still the only source for certain things like the occasionally decent BBC3 comedy series.

Catch-up TV for that these days, grand-dad.

I hope something else takes it's place, but considering the fact that UKNova closed down for similar reasons, it may very well not be the case.

UKNova effectively closed down because of a copyright infringement notice from Sky Sports, I think.  I don't know what's brought about this decision from TheBox, but - as I noted in my first post - it was a very strange decision to allow DVD rips of commercially available shows.

I still think there's a place for a UK TV Torrent site, but I think it needs to have a focus on archive material that isn't commercially available on DVD (and probably will never be).

[NoSleep]

They deleted my account a month ago, for not visiting the site for 38 days (despite seeding constantly in the same period), so I'm just glad I'm not missing out on anything. Ha!

[El Unicornio, mang]

A treasure trove of obscure British TV, and even if I could get stuff on other torrent sites, thebox.bz would sometimes be the only place with 720p copies (which I find greatly improves travel shows like the Trevor McDonald Mediterranean show). Definitely will miss it.

[weekender]

Bugger, Im basically just after Bird of Prey, which is literally unobtainable unless you"re willing to pay £200 of some silly money.

I need more detail around this.  I've got two torrents going for Birds of Prey - Series 1 and Series 2 - both of 4 episodes each.  Is that what you're looking for?  I don't know what it is.

If so, I'll bung you the data files on a DVD or swap them over the internet somehow, assuming the torrents complete.  For the avoidance of doubt, I might not like you particularly but I genuinely understand what it means to see a TV show that you've been after for a while.  I also promise not to come round to your house and stab you.

OK?

[pigamus]

It's a blow to people who believe that shutting these sites down is pointless, because new ones will automatically pop up in their place. That's not really true, is it?

[weekender]

I just reckon we'll get into a 'dark web' scenario.  No invites.  No friends.  Only once you've proved that you can share pirated material and are conversant with the distribution technology can you join.  Even then, can you prove you're not a narc?

[chocky909]

Ah.. Bollocks.

[Thursday]

Sept 1st? So that's going to fuck with me getting the 2nd part of a touch of cloth. Which was the first time I'd used it in a while.

[weekender]

This could also suggest that whatever copyright infringement/legal notice that might potentially been issued, might have potentially have come from SKY.

Just saying.

[Famous Mortimer]

It's a blow to people who believe that shutting these sites down is pointless, because new ones will automatically pop up in their place. That's not really true, is it?

No it isn't, and it is a huge pain.

Still, they had some weird rules. I remember years ago I converted a VHS of "30 Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia" for Jemble Fred and I was going to share it with TheBox, as it's rare as hens teeth and might have been interesting for fans of British cinema of the period. Anyway, I was informed not to share it, as it was produced by an American studio and didn't fall under their remit.

I can't help but think if they'd been a bit stricter with the stuff they'd allowed, then they wouldn't need to close down, but so be it. Off to there to download everything I can think of.

[biggytitbo]

We could create our own private version of the box where we just share stuff amongst ourselves. Im sure between us we have a ton of shit. Mega.co.nz offers 50gb for free accounts, and there's a fair few gig going free on Dropbox too.


How about we have a doc on google docs, everyone puts what they have in there, and you stick your username next to anything you haven't got and want and the owner puts a link up to download?

[madhair60]

We could create our own private version of the box where we just share stuff amongst ourselves. Im sure between us we have a ton of shit. Mega.co.nz offers 50gb for free accounts, and there's a fair few gig going free on Dropbox too.


How about we have a doc on google docs, everyone puts what they have in there, and you stick your username next to anything you haven't got and want and the owner puts a link up to download?

Sounds good to me.

[Robot DeNiro]

Oh dear, this is really going to cause problems for Cassetteboy.  Until now we've been able to say "Ooh, maybe we'll do a Great British Bake Off" cut up, and know that every episode plus subtitles would be available on thebox.  The loss of this resource will make our sort of work so much more difficult, quite possibly to the point where we don't bother any more.

[sirhenry]

Oh dear, this is really going to cause problems for Cassetteboy.  Until now we've been able to say "Ooh, maybe we'll do a Great British Bake Off" cut up, and know that every episode plus subtitles would be available on thebox.  The loss of this resource will make our sort of work so much more difficult, quite possibly to the point where we don't bother any more.

Jesus! This news is just getting worse and worse.

[Alberon]

I won't put the address here, but on thebox forum page they are already listing other sites that do much the same as they did and I've signed up with one already. The interface isn't as polished, but it seems to have a lot there.

[Robot DeNiro]

I'm sure we'll manage somehow, but this is a massive blow.  It was incredible having more or less instant access to any British TV of note from the last 5 years.

EDIT - Thanks Alberon, I'll check those out.  Maybe it's not so bleak after all.

[biggytitbo]

I won't put the address here, but on thebox forum page they are already listing other sites that do much the same as they did and I've signed up with one already. The interface isn't as polished, but it seems to have a lot there.

Could you PM them ?

[madhair60]

And to me, please.

[Thursday]

Yes please pm to me and every single person on cookdandbombd too.

[sirhenry]

Yes please.

I'm wondering if this news will have a visible effect on bandwidth use in the UK. I'm not sure I've ever used 6Gb in 3 hours before.

[Hank Venture]

Alberon, you know what to do. PM.