Usenet + ZiRocks: How Your Server Finds, Downloads, and Organizes Media
Learn how Usenet, indexers, Sonarr/Radarr, and SABnzbd work together to feed your Plex library—privately and automatically.
1) What is Usenet?
Usenet is a global, server-based network that predates the web. Instead of peer-to-peer sharing, content is uploaded to professional news servers and replicated worldwide. Subscribers download directly from those servers—fast, private, and encrypted.
- Speed: Direct server downloads (no waiting on peers).
- Privacy: SSL connections; your IP isn’t shared with other users.
- Retention: Many providers keep posts for years, so older content is still available.
- Organization: Content is posted into topic-based newsgroups (binaries for media, apps, books, etc.).
2) TV & Movies on Usenet (What’s out there?)
Usenet has accumulated a vast amount of media over decades of posts. Across indexers, you’ll find hundreds of thousands of TV series and well over a million movie entries spanning SD, HD, and 4K releases. Availability varies by provider, retention, and takedowns, but the scale is enormous.
3) Indexers: How You Find Things on Usenet
Because Usenet holds billions of posts, you don’t browse servers directly. Instead, you use an indexer—a search engine that catalogs new uploads and exposes them via website search and API. Results can be exported as NZB files (like a “download recipe”).
- Search: Find releases by title, year, quality, release group, etc.
- NZB: A small XML file that lists all article parts required to reconstruct the file from Usenet.
- API & Keys: Sonarr/Radarr talk to indexers programmatically using your API key.
4) Sonarr & Radarr: Automation for TV and Movies
Sonarr (TV) and Radarr (Movies) automate discovery and library management. You tell them what you want and your quality rules; they monitor indexers and grab matching NZBs the moment they appear.
How Sonarr works (TV)
- Monitors shows, seasons, and episodes by air date or release.
- Applies quality profiles (e.g., 1080p, 2160p, HEVC).
- Grabs NZBs via your indexers and sends them to SABnzbd.
- After download, renames and sorts into Plex folders.
How Radarr works (Movies)
- Tracks wanted movies by title, year, or collection lists.
- Quality/size filters and preferred release groups.
- Hands NZBs to SABnzbd, then organizes for Plex.
- Can automatically upgrade lower-quality copies later.
5) SABnzbd: Downloading & Rebuilding from NZBs
SABnzbd is the Usenet downloader that consumes NZB files from Sonarr/Radarr and does the heavy lifting:
- Connects to your Usenet provider using your credentials (SSL enabled).
- Downloads all article parts referenced in the NZB.
- Verifies integrity (PAR2), repairs if needed, then extracts.
- Hands finished files back for import into your Plex library structure.
6) Plex: Your Personal Streaming Hub
Once files are organized, Plex Media Server fetches artwork, metadata, and trailers and streams to your TVs, phones, and tablets. With ZiRocks, Plex is optimized for the hardware decoding pipeline (H.264/H.265) to keep playback smooth.
7) Quick Start (ZiRocks buyers)
- Create an account with a reputable Usenet provider (enter host, port, SSL, user/pass in SABnzbd).
- Join one or more indexers (paste API keys into Sonarr/Radarr).
- In Sonarr/Radarr, add your shows/movies and set quality profiles.
- Point your Plex libraries to the ZiRocks media folders (e.g., /media/TV, /media/Movies).
- Play something in Plex and enjoy 😄
FAQ & Notes
Do I need multiple indexers? Not required, but multiple indexers improve search coverage and speed to first match.
Are exact counts of “TV series” and “movies” fixed? No. Indexer catalogs change daily. Treat any counts as estimates; coverage varies by provider, retention, and removals.
Is this legal? Usenet itself is legal and widely used for legitimate distribution. You’re responsible for what you access. ZiRocks provides the tools; you control the sources and settings.