ochDownloader, a JDownloader alternative
When it comes to download files from file hosting sites without all the hassles involved doing that directly on the site's website, JDownloader is the go-to program for many. Many things speak for the program; its support for more than 100 different file hosts and over 300 decryption plug-ins, support for premium accounts, that it is open source, and its plug-in system are just some of the features that users have come to like. Probably the only negative is the Java requirement, which some users prefer not to install on a computer system.
We have also looked at MiPony, a viable alternative that is featuring much of what JDownloader is offering but without the Java requirement.
And now there is ochDownloader, a alternative for Windows and Linux. The program is not as sophisticated as JDownloader or MiPony yet, and you will notice that it only supports a handful of file hosts. The list does read like the who is who though, with Mediafire, Rapidshare, Filefactory, Depositfiles and Oron all supported by the program. Another restriction is that support is limited currently to anonymous accounts. If you want to make use of premium accounts, you can't use the software for that.
Once you start the application you will see a clean interface. The adding of files works exactly like in other programs of its kind. You can copy individual links to the Clipboard from where they are picked up automatically, or paste a list of files that you want to download into the application's add links window directly. From there you can start the downloads directly and enter the captcha codes if required.
The program lets you configure a download slots limited (to a maximum of 20), and a speed limit. A click on the settings icon displays options to configure IP renewals, the auto extraction of contents and shutdown settings. Other than that there is only the option to configure a proxy that you want the program to use when connecting to and downloading from file hosts.
For now, ochDownloader is mainly limited by its low number of supported hosting sites. This is not an issue for users who only download from supported hosts. If you switch between many different hosts, you may however find the program not suitable for your situation. For now, it is a program to keep an eye on, especially since it is regularly updated by its developer.
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Captcha Brotherhood http://ocrhood.gazcad.com/ should be mentioned in conjunction with JDownloader and MiPony both of which it supports. AFAIK it does not yet (?) support ochDownloader.
Very useful for us cheapskates who won’t spring for premium accounts.
Basic idea is that user solves captchas for others who have had them presented in JDownloader (or MiPony), builds up a credit and then when captcha is presented to you it gets solved by someone else. Each user has to solve the same total number of captchas but can do them at a convenient time and allow JDownloader to do its work unattended or at least w/o interrupting work flow.
A separate plugin for JDownloader has to be installed to hook it up to the solving server.