A torrent website’s life can be precarious. You may find it going strong after 20 years (like ThePirateBay) or simply vanish one fine day like SiamBIT. The site we mourn today is ETTV, a popular torrent site that served users for over a decade.
Although this is way overdue, we understand that some of ETTV’s fans are still wandering the hallowed roads of the Internet, needing a replacement site to call home. That’s why we’re here to help with a few recommendations.
Here are the best ETTV alternatives around:
1. TorrentGalaxy
One of the most surprising recent torrent sites has been TorrentGalaxy. The site is relatively new but has emerged as a formidable provider of almost any torrent. Here, you’ll find TV shows, movies, games, and, naturally, the all-time favorite, adult content.
While the core of any torrent site is its content, TorrentGalaxy also pulls ahead of the competition with its fast and clean interface. The user experience is excellent, with few distracting popups and ads.
Many of the torrents we sampled were fast, which probably attributes well to the site’s popularity among fans. This site seems set to content with old-timers like 1337x and ThePirateBay. The design is also strikingly similar to what ETTV sported in the past.
2. 1337x
Having been around almost as long as ThePirateBay, 1337x is a stalwart in the torrent industry. Its signature dark theme fosters a foreboding about what may happen if you leech without seeding. That can quickly happen since there’s just so much available here.
Although looks-wise, it may seem different from ETTV, 1337x offers a very responsive interface with smooth-downloading torrent files. Again, this is mostly on its massive user base, many of whom have been with it since the beginning.
While it’s not one of our favorites, we can say that it’s reliable. It’s where we find and download stuff when every other location is a dud.
3. YTS-YIFY
Ask any torrent fan where to download movies. YTS-YIFY is the name that comes to mind. Whether you’re talking about the availability or quality of the movies, YTS is perhaps the best in the business.
The content on YTS is available in multiple languages and formats up to 4K for some titles. However, the quality range seems primarily intended for desktop viewing, from 720p onward. Regardless, you can just click the magnet links or download the torrent file to load it to your client.
Streaming the movie directly via the YTS website is also available. We don’t recommend this, though, since attempting to do so will result in endless popups. We never did manage to get the stream running.
4. FitGirl
For gamers, the biggest challenge in getting cracked titles is avoiding malware. That’s why providers like FitGirl are so vital to this ecosystem. The crew on this site cracks and repacks games. The latter makes it much smaller and easier to download.
FitGirl has earned a sterling reputation over the years and is one of the few surviving repack sites that is highly reputable. The only downside is the focus on popular titles. That means a limited range of games for you to choose from.
Anyway, the site is blog-style, making navigating the limited content easy. It’s also fast to browse and doesn’t come with many intrusive ads.
5. ThePirateBay
With over two decades in the torrent industry, ThePirateBay is a brand known to anyone and everyone. However, times could have been better for them, and a barrage of legal challenges has resulted in a somewhat sub-par ecosphere on the site. It’s a far cry from what it used to be.
However, after so many years, there remain many hardcore fans of the site, and torrents are still fairly seeded. Plus, it’s gathered so many torrent links that you’ll find some obscure stuff here. One example is the priceless set of Commando comics that hardly anyone can find.
Compared to ETTV, ThePirateBay looks old and dated. Yet, remember, it has survived where ETTV has not. There’s something about the resilience of this site that’s magnetic.
6. RUtracker
If you don’t mind using auto-translate for websites, consider trying RUtracker. This torrent site is not one bit similar to ETTV. However, an abundance of torrent files counters any discrepancy in looks.
Additionally, RUtracker is one of the forum-style torrent sites. That means apart from downloading torrents, you can engage with the broader community. It’s helpful if you seek a specific file and need some help; perhaps some kind soul would be willing to share.
RUtorrents is well-liked by the torrent community. It’s also one of the few sites remaining on Reddit’s torrent mega thread approved-sites list.
7. MacTorrents
Apple users, don’t fret; we have something specific for you on our list of best ETTV alternatives. MacTorrents is a site that specializes in everything for Macs. They have many Mac applications ranging from office-type productivity tools to photography and design apps.
A range of Mac games is also ready-cracked and good to go once downloaded. It’s not just the tiddly little games, but some good titles (well, decent ones) like Old World and Football Manager. Let’s face it, your Mac likely can’t handle most AAA stuff anyway.
The design is nice and clean, which fits the Apple aesthetic. It’s not overly similar to ETTV, but it has that Apple style. Who needs to mirror a torrent site that’s gone with the wind, right?
What Happened to ETTV?
As with how many torrent sites go, ETTV disappeared one fine day. Normally, most of them fall prey to one of two things. Either they get shut down by authorities or simply go broke running the sites and give up.
No notification was published for ETTV. However, the site owner did inform a news website that the closure was due to a lack of funds to cover operational costs. Strangely enough, the site operator even mentioned that the domain name would not be renewed.
Final Thoughts
Torrent websites are coming and going and are nothing new. However, while many new entries come up, we remind you that several have survived the gauntlet for many years. Sites like ThePirateBay and 1337x, say what you may, are survivors.
If you prefer stability, these qualities could endear them to you. After all, who knows when time will claim its following torrent site as the victim.