SURVIVOR
The Most Unique Reality TV Game Show

How to download video files from IRC

If you have suggestions or corrections, feel free to let me know: GluedToTheScreen@yahoo.com

This is a "living document" and will be updated as-needed (without notice!). While it might be useful to print it out to set up your connection to IRC initially, please refer back here in case there have been updates... which could actually address any possible problems you might be having. Thanks!

Many visitors to the alt.tv.survivor newsgroup have asked how they can get other Survivor episodes. Unfortunately, since the nature of the game is such that reruns are not likely, just waiting for the TV off season (or syndication) is not an option. Some VHS tape trading does happen and even some actual commerce (ahem!)... but there are risks.

Fortunately, though, the Survivor series is so popular that EVERY EPISODE OF EVERY SEASON is available for download on the Internet... PLUS, there are two seasons of Survivor UK and one season of Australian Survivor (not to be confused with the second US season that was set in Australia). These have been made available by VERY dedicated fans who capture the video from TV when broadcast, encode it into a computer format, and share those files with others.

How do you get the episodes?

First, let me say that it DOES require a small amount of technical skill... or at least the ability to precisely follow instructions, adequate bandwidth to download the video files (which are around 250 MB for each episode), and patience (because it is not an instant gratification process). After you've done it a couple of times, though, it'll be a piece of cake.

If you can get past these things, you WILL be able to enjoy some good entertainment at your convenience... especially the foreign versions, since it's not likely you will know what those are about (though the Survivor game fundamentals are the same).

What I'm saying is... if you take the time to download the episodes, it's worth it... IF you are a Survivor fan.

Enough of that. Here's what you have to do... just follow the steps EXACTLY as described below (unless you know what you're doing, don't try to wing it... you'll save time and frustration.):

NOTE:
The "triggers" to MY server have changed from the examples given below. My server "advertises" once an hour in the channel. After you join the channel, you don't have to wait... my current triggers are:

/ctcp GluedToTheScreen GluedToSurvivor
/ctcp GluedToTheScreen GluedToTheApprentice

(this will make more sense after you've been through the instruction!)

Download mIRC

Go to IRChelp.org if you need general help

Download an IRC client program. This is software that allows you, via your standard Internet connection, to access a network of Internet Relay Chat servers. If you're running the Windows operating system on your computer, you'll find it easiest to use a shareware program called mIRC. You'll also find that more people are aware of it and can help you. Information on mIRC is also available at that site.

After you download the program, install it. Select all default options; just enter specific info requested.

For other information about IRC, including links to other client programs, your best bet is: IRChelp.org

Please note that some of the screenshots below will look slightly different for you since I'm just going through the motions while my software is already connected and running (and sending files to other fans!) plus I'm running an enhanced version of mIRC for file servers.

ALSO, if you find I've missed a step or something should be explained better, let me know. My intent is to make this help file available as a long-term resource for fans and it should be correct!

Set up mIRC to connect to a server that has a "channel" where you can find Survivor episodes. THE BEST IRC Survivor channel is #survivor-central. It operates on irc.irchighway.net, so here's what you have to do:

Start up mIRC and, in the top toolbar, click on DCC and select Options

In the left panel, click on connect... and on the right, click on Add.

A window will pop up: enter this server information shown and click Add. The "survivor" in description is so you can easily find it on a dropdown list later.

In the dropdown selections in the upper right, select "survivor".

In the text boxes in the lower right, enter a nickname that you will use (and an alternate, if you want).

Click OK.

Although there are MANY other settings in mIRC, the defaults SHOULD work for you. If not, check the one of the pages on the mIRC website for help with your particular environment.

The steps above are a one-time event.

In the future, all you'll do is run mIRC and start with the step below.

Click the Connect icon in the upper left beneath the File menu. This command is actually a toggle... when you're not connected, it connects you to the default server (which we just set up). When you're connected, it will disconnect you (use it after you're finished downloading an episode and don't have anything else in queues).

The next time you run the mIRC program, you don't need to define server, etc. Just go straight to the Connect icon.

A Status window will open within the mIRC desktop and you'll see some commands, etc. as it connects to a server. Just watch what goes on... shouldn't need to do anything. Once in a while, you'll see where a particular server is too busy to connect and it'll try another one. This all should take only a few seconds unless there are network problems.

Well, the #survivor-central channel is now "+R"... which means you must have a registered nick in order to gain entry. This is to reduce the "noise" caused by spam bots. Although it adds another step to the process, (as Martha Stewart would say)... "it's a good thing".

The network uses a program called NickServ to manage nicknames. To learn more about it, type the following into the command line at the bottom of the STATUS WINDOW:

/msg nickserv HELP

NickServ will respond with a list of the commands that it recognizes. You can see this at the right:

[6:39pm] -> *nickserv* help

————————————————————

[6:39pm] *NickServ* NickServ allows you to "register" a nickname and

[6:39pm] *NickServ* prevent others from using it. The following

[6:39pm] *NickServ* commands allow for registration and maintenance of

[6:39pm] *NickServ* nicknames; to use them, type /msg NickServ command.

[6:39pm] *NickServ* For more information on a specific command, type

[6:39pm] *NickServ* /msg NickServ HELP command.

[6:39pm] *NickServ* REGISTER Register a nickname

[6:39pm] *NickServ* GROUP Join a group

[6:39pm] *NickServ* IDENTIFY Identify yourself with your password

[6:39pm] *NickServ* ACCESS Modify the list of authorized addresses

[6:39pm] *NickServ* SET Set options, including kill protection

[6:39pm] *NickServ* DROP Cancel the registration of a nickname

[6:39pm] *NickServ* RECOVER Kill another user who has taken your nick

[6:39pm] *NickServ* RELEASE Regain custody of your nick after RECOVER

[6:39pm] *NickServ* SENDPASS Forgot your password? Try this

[6:39pm] *NickServ* Other commands: GHOST, GLIST, INFO, LIST, LOGOUT, STATUS

[6:39pm] *NickServ* NOTICE: This service is intended to provide a way for

[6:39pm] *NickServ* IRC users to ensure their identity is not compromised.

[6:39pm] *NickServ* It is NOT intended to facilitate "stealing" of

[6:39pm] *NickServ* nicknames or other malicious actions. Abuse of NickServ

[6:39pm] *NickServ* will result in, at minimum, loss of the abused

[6:39pm] *NickServ* nickname(s).

[6:39pm] *NickServ* Nicknames that are not used anymore are subject to

[6:39pm] *NickServ* the automatic expiration, i.e. they will be deleted

[6:39pm] *NickServ* after 30 days if not used.

To learn how to register a nick, type this in the status window:

/msg nickserv HELP REGISTER

NickServ will tell you what to do:


[6:40pm] -> *nickserv* help register

————————————————————

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Syntax: REGISTER password [email]

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Registers your nickname in the NickServ database. Once

[6:40pm] *NickServ* your nick is registered, you can use the SET and ACCESS

[6:40pm] *NickServ* commands to configure your nick's settings as you like

[6:40pm] *NickServ* them. Make sure you remember the password you use when

[6:40pm] *NickServ* registering - you'll need it to make changes to your nick

[6:40pm] *NickServ* later. (Note that case matters! EPONA, Epona, and

[6:40pm] *NickServ* epona are all different passwords!)

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Guidelines on choosing passwords:

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Passwords should not be easily guessable. For example,

[6:40pm] *NickServ* using your real name as a password is a bad idea. Using

[6:40pm] *NickServ* your nickname as a password is a much worse idea ;) and,

[6:40pm] *NickServ* in fact, NickServ will not allow it. Also, short

[6:40pm] *NickServ* passwords are vulnerable to trial-and-error searches, so

[6:40pm] *NickServ* you should choose a password at least 5 characters long.

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Finally, the space character cannot be used in passwords.

[6:40pm] *NickServ* The parameter email is optional and will set the email

[6:40pm] *NickServ* for your nick immediately. However, it may be required

[6:40pm] *NickServ* on certain networks.

[6:40pm] *NickServ* Your privacy is respected; this e-mail won't be given to

[6:40pm] *NickServ* any third-party person.

[6:40pm] *NickServ* This command also creates a new group for your nickname,

[6:40pm] *NickServ* that will allow you to register other nicks later sharing

[6:40pm] *NickServ* the same configuration, the same set of memos and the

[6:40pm] *NickServ* same channel privileges. For more information on this

[6:40pm] *NickServ* feature, type /msg NickServ HELP GROUP.

Now that you know what to do... register your nick like this:

YOU MUST USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS since NickServ will send you an email message that YOU MUST CONFIRM.

Since NickServ already knows your nickname (when you logged into the network... look in the top of the status window), all you are really doing is setting a password and email address.

/nickserv REGISTER YourPassword Your@Email.address

(Please tell me you already know that you're supposed to substitute YOUR password and YOUR email address for the last two portions of the command phrase above!)

AFTER YOU HAVE CONFIRMED (REPLIED TO) NICKSERV'S EMAIL MESSAGE...
(you only have to register your nickname once, so you don't have to do all the above the next time)

Now, you'll IDENTIFY yourself to that nick every time you log in.

By giving nickserv your password, it knows you really are the person who registered the nickname you are using.

/nickserv IDENTIFY YourPassword

Always type the above command in the STATUS WINDOW.

NEVER type it in any other window (like a channel window) since everybody would then see your password!

Alright, NOW you're ready to join the channel.

In the command line at the bottom of the status window, type:
/j #survivor-central
The slash tells mIRC that what follows is a command, the "j" means JOIN, and the pound sign and what follows tells it what channel you want.

Another window will appear... this is the survivor-central channel.

Here is a closer look...

The upper title bar tells you the channel. You can also see that there are 178 people in the channel at the moment and that Survivor 6 Episode 9 is the most current file available (at the time of this screen capture).
The section at the right shows operators (ops) near the top (nicknames preceded by !, @, %)... these are the volunteers who manage the channel...
Beneath those are nicknames preceded by a + sign... these are the "servers", people who share files. More on these later.
Beneath those are nicknames with no symbol in front of them... YOUR NICKNAME WILL APPEAR HERE. These are people looking to download files (or maybe just chatting or playing trivia in the channel).
In the section to the left, is an active display where "advertisements" of the servers will appear. These ads continuously scroll ... any given server's ad will appear about every 20 minutes or so.
Along the bottom is the command line. You can type in commands here.... or just chat with other people in the channel.

Note that last comment: you can chat with other people in the channel. If you have problems, just ask a question and somebody will usually help you! #survivor-central is a very friendly channel! You can also have fun talking with others while your files download, too... BUT, there are some rules. You can type !rules in the command line and you'll get a file with the rules. In fact, you should do this first... it's a very good way to learn how the general file download process works... and it's quick. You'll be able to see that everything is working before going after a bigger file!

Since this is a reality TV channel, there is one primary rule when chatting:

NO SPOILERS

(That means, don't talk about or tell anybody the outcome of any show.... no discussing who just got voted out! If you want to talk about that, go to the #survivor channel and spoil away.)

The ads have information you'll be interested in. Different server programs format it slightly differently, but the basics are always the same. Look closer at my ad:

After the time, you see the nickname of the person serving (called a "server").

Next, is the trigger. This is the most important part since it is the command that will allow you to connect to the server. In this case, the command is:
/ctcp GluedToTheScreen !Glued2Survivor

Various pieces of statistical information might be displayed, such as number of files transfered, etc. Speed might be something to note... if someone shows a record transfer of, say, 60Kb/s this is a pretty fast connection, if it shows 4.2 Kb/s you might not want to use such a slow server.

Look for something like this:
Sends«0/1» Queues«0/5»
This means that there are currently NO sends out of a possible 1 send slot ... a send is a file being transferred. If there are none, as in this case, you could request a file and start getting it immediately. The same would be true for other servers that might show 4/6, for example, which means 4 slots out of a maximum of 6 send slots are being used, so 2 are available.
If all the sends slots are busy, take a look at the queues (requests waiting "in line"). In this case, there are NO requests waiting in the queue out of a possible 5 slots available. During busy times, typically immediately after a new episode is released, you find all of the sends slots busy and might find, say, 3 out of 5 queue slots used... meaning 2 queue slots are open. If you put in a request, you'd have to wait until all the current sends were finished AND the 3 requests ahead of you were finished until your request would start. You'd be waiting in line for many hours.

Somewhere in the message you'll see the real content of the ad... what files the server is offering. In my case, episodes of the current season, the UK and Australian seasons, and some miscellaneous files. Different servers have different files... some have all episodes from all seasons, others have subsets. There's a lot of duplication, so look around to find what you want on a server that's not too busy. By the way, although this is the Survivor channel, you'll also find some servers offering other reality show episodes.

Some servers use different trigger types. Unlike the /ctcp command above, this one just uses some words and has several triggers advertised. One trigger is:
!You've been PINCHED

With the above commands, you will access a server, another window will pop up, you can then browse all the files on that server and make a request, if you want. More on this in a minute.

Other servers don't allow browsing of their files, they just tell you what's available within this window. Here's how that works:

Some servers use "XDCC", which advertises files within the channel. Here, you would request a file by using a /ctcp command followed by the number of the file you want. For example, if you wanted Junkyard Wars, Season 10, Episode 5, you'd type this command:
/ctcp Jeeve5Srv XDCC GET General #2

The file will either start sending or you'll see a message showing its place in the queue which, in this case, would be slot 5.

Now, here's how you'd browse a server and request a file:

When you've found a likely server (one advertising a file you want, good speed, available slots, etc.), enter the trigger in the command line at the bottom of the channel window and press Enter.

Here, we're going to go to a server named DespT (who, by the way, is a veteran in survivor-central from the Netherlands).

TIP: While you can hand-type a trigger into the command line, an easier way is to use mIRC's copy function... which is pretty slick.

Move the cursor to the LEFT part of the trigger, click your left mouse button, hold it down and move the cursor to the RIGHT end of the trigger (like you would to drag). The trigger will be highlighted while the mouse button is pressed. Let go of the button.

THAT does the copy automatically! No extra keystrokes required! BUT: this only works in a left-to-right motion... not the other way!

Then click the cursor in the command line and either right-click/paste or just press control-V to paste the trigger. Press Enter.

You'll see a response within the window... then a message showing that the server is trying to connect with you...

... and a new window will pop up.

This window might show a list of files... but usually shows directories (or a mix of both!). By the way, this environment works just like the old standard DOS windows (remember that? huh?).

Find the SURVIVOR directory (or whatever makes sense for this server), type the command to Change Directory (cd) in the command line of the server window, and press return.

You can now see that you're in the [\survivor] directory.

To view that directory, type in the DIR command and press Enter.

Now you can see that this server has several Survivor subdirectories and some files here.

Let's say you're looking for the first episode of the sixth season of (U.S.) Survivor. Enter the command to change to that directory and press Enter.

You can see that you've switched to that directory.

As before, type the dir command to view the contents of that directory.

After you've "drilled down" into a subdirectory and viewed the files, you may want to back up to the previous (higher) level in the directory structure. To do this, type the change directory command followed by two periods (dots):

cd ..

You want to download the first episode, so you'll use the GET command. If you don't want to type in the whole file name EXACTLY as it appears (!!), use the copy function described above. Then enter the command as you see here and press Enter.

By the way, the file name INCLUDES the extension (.avi) but not the space after it nor the file size (which sometimes shows to the right of the file).

FYI - you'll note that this file has as a part of its name "[sandybagger]". This means that the "capper" (someone who captures the video and creates the file) has the nickname "sandybagger" ... who is a veteran of survivor-central and generously contributes much time and effort to "the cause". (Thanks, sandybagger!!). There are other cappers of any given episode, so you must remember that, even though two files might be for the same episode, that doesn't necessarily mean they are the same files.

A server response will be displayed in the channel window.

If there were send slots available, it will start within a couple of seconds. If not, it will wait in a queue, sometimes for hours (even days!).

You can now leave the server if you want... no need to stay connected to it (but you DO have to keep mIRC running and it's good form to "stay in the channel"... that is, keep the channel window open).

You might also note that, if you sit idle on a server for more than 60-90 seconds, it will automatically close... so you can't take too much time reading a screen!

Now, all you have to do is keep mIRC running (minimize it... and an icon will show in the tray in the bottom right of your Windows desktop). YOU CANNOT SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER NOR EXIT THE PROGRAM.

When the server takes care of all requests submitted before yours, it will automatically start sending the file to you. You can maximize mIRC and see if a "chat window" has opened up, which will tell you that you are receiving a file.

Even if you've done everything above, it is still possible your download will not occur. IF the server shuts down, whether before sending you the requested file or during the transfer, it may not resume. (Some servers automatically resume interrupted transfers, some don't.) Sometimes, there are glitches with the IRC network or YOUR network that will cause a transfer not to connect... you'll see it trying but it won't complete the initial connect, much less transfer a file. This might be a problem on the server side, but it might also be a problem on YOUR side. Rebooting sometimes clears this up. If any of these things happen, you'll usually see an error message in the status window indicating a problem. If this happens, just go through the process of requesting the file again... maybe from a different server.

IF it's been a while and you want to see where you "stand in line", reconnect to the server and use the queues command described below.

NOTE: Be sure you have enough space on your disk to accept the entire file or your time will be wasted!

When the transfer is complete, the chat window will close and you'll see a message in the Status window that the transfer of the file from the server is COMPLETE.

POP QUIZ

I have a number of files in the "outer directory" on my server that are relatively small... things like Survivor site maps, season themesongs, voting histories, etc. Since they are small, I have set up my server to INSTANTLY SEND these files... NO WAITING in the queue as with larger (episode) files.

So, your assignment is to log into my server and request one of these files.

If you do everything right, it will start to send to you within seconds of requesting it. This is a good test of your new skills. If you can do this, then go ahead and start requesting episode files from my server or others (remember, though... there has to be at least one open slot!).

If you have problems, read further to see if there is a solution already discussed.

TIP: Pressing the "up" arrow when the cursor is in the command line will cycle through the text you've previously typed. Try it. It is hard to explain, but very handy if you want to repeat a command...or one very similar to it.

For the record, there are OTHER commands you can use after you open a server's window (at least, they work with MOST servers... you can almost always type HELP to get a list of valid commands, though).

These can be very useful after you've queued a file for download!

You can later check where you are in line... see what files are being sent and at what speed... and, if you've already received a file from another server, cancel a queued file or just stop a send, for whatever reason. In the server window command line, type this (shown here in BOLD):

queues - lists all files that are queued, or in line, on the server.
sends - lists all files that the server is currently sending.
clr_queues - clears (removes) all the files you have queued on the server.
clr_sends - clears (cancels) all sends that the server is currently sending to you.
help - some servers won't respond to the commands above... but most will let you use HELP... and will list the commands that do the same things.

WARNING: Do NOT type any command in the channel window that you aren't sure about. Sometimes, malicious people will post a message (either in the channel or via private chat to you) telling you to do something that isn't like what has been described here... often with the lure of providing you with a file or to fix a virus they say you have. In fact, it is usually a way to INFECT your computer a virus.

Be wary of inputting any command sequence that has the words WRITE or DECODE in them... chances are it will download a virus and you will have many problems.

After you've received the entire file, find it using Windows Explorer (file manager), click on it and play the video in Windows Media Player, Real Player, or whatever program you use for video.

IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS VIEWING THE FILES YOU DOWNLOAD

If you can see the video but not hear audio, this codec has worked for many, so download it: DivX 3.11 Alpha. Just install it... nothing to run after that. Try to watch the video and see what happens.
If you're having some other type of viewing problem, try the Nimo Pack, which has several codecs. After you download it, just install it (pretty much automatic). I can't remember for sure, but I do think this has handled every Survivor episode I've viewed, regardless of country/capper of origin.
There is another viewer that comes with many codecs built in... and is specific to .avi files (also known as DIVX). Try downloading the FREE version of the DivX Player. It's a nice addition to your software mix anyway.

After you've downloaded the file, you may not know WHERE the file is located on your system. Unless you change it, mIRC will write the received files to the default directory which is in the same folder you selected to install the application (usually under /Program Files/).

You can change this if you want... in mIRC, go to the menu, select DCC/Options and click on the button underneath "Into this folder", browse to the directory you want and click OK. You could do this during the initial setup described at the top of these instructions.

In most cases, the default mIRC installation options will work fine for you.

If you find that sends start but immediately stop, check this setting in the DCC/Options menu and make sure it looks like this.

This means that your system will automatically accept the send (without your intervention) AND that, if for some reason the transfer is interrupted, any attempt by the server to resend it to you will be automatically resumed. It is not uncommon for network delays to cause a problem with a file being sent and it will stop. Most servers will automatically try to send it to you again... but you must let it. If you do, it will pick up whereever it left off.

Sometimes, you'll get a message like:

DCC Send from GluedToTheScreen rejected (survivor_4_-_episode_02.avi, file type ignored)

mIRC is filtering the file type. Go to this screen and select .avi from the dropdown for "Ignore all except"... and press Add.

Sometimes, you'll get disconnected from the network and mIRC will automatically retry to connect. While this sometimes works fine, other times you'll find that your registered nick will "already be in use" and you can't use it again.

By changing the setting in mIRC to make it wait a bit before retrying, nickserv will have time to release your nick and, when you reconnect, it will be available for you. Go to Tools/Options/Connect/Options, click the Retry button, and change the Retry Delay setting to 300.

While all of this might seem a bit intimidating, after you do it a time or two it's no big deal...
...and watching the episodes is a lot of fun!

ENJOY!

A few last words...

Technically... these files are copyrighted material. None of this type of activity should be happening. But there are no Survivor reruns, you can't buy every episode of every season. What are we to do? There is no money changing hands here... nobody gets paid. Just sharing what's not available elsewhere. Nobody gets hurt. [That's my rationalization for breaking the law, something I'm not accustomed to doing.]

Somehow, I suspect that both CBS and Mark Burnett are aware of this activity and think it's OK. It keeps the excitement going... we're the critical mass that continually enlist new devotees! So, in my humble opinion, #survivor-central serves a very positive purpose:

WE WANT SURVIVOR TO SURVIVE FOR MANY SEASONS TO COME!

Given the unique nature of the Survivor game and TV program, this IS possible... so long as it achieves reasonable ratings. Even though I share files, I almost always watch the show live.. unless there's a conflict. That should keep CBS happy. I share files so others can maintain their interest in the series, keeping the momentum going, which (my theory) supports the show on a long-term basis.

So, what about the UK series?

I don't know why they haven't continued. I thought both seasons were very good! But ITV, the British equivalent of our CBS with regard to Survivor TV, canceled the show. I've heard the ratings weren't THAT bad... but who am I? I guess it just didn't fly. I sincerely wish it would have continued.

The Australian series wasn't that bad once it got going... but the locale was ... ummmm... a bit dismal. The show itself actually sort of gained momentum but died after one season due to poor ratings (of course, it was only aired in Australia).

I only wish the ORIGINAL Survivor (called Expedition Robinson and started in Sweden in 1997 where HALF of the population watched the finale!) was available. It would be VERY interesting to watch the very first series! Anyone know if it's available? I've looked and asked ... but no luck so far. (I guess I'd need a Swedish interpreter, too... or English subtitles!).

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND THIS SERIES ANYWHERE!!!