CouchPotato Review
Last Updated: Feb 10, 2022
| Rating |  |
| Price | Free |
| Features | Automated Video Downloader |
| NZB and Torrent Automation | |
| Supports Multiple Platforms | |
| Compatible With NZBGet & SABnzbd |
CouchPotato allows you to scan Usenet and some torrent sites for video files that you might be interested in. It works well with popular NZB downloaders like NZBGet and SABnzbd by automatically taking the video files you want to your favorite downloader once it has located a particular file or when it is already available.
To use CouchPotato, you would need an account or subscription with a popular Usenet service provider. This application is a convenient tool that is compatible with most Usenet providers and Usenet clients, making it a program that is worth downloading.
Based on their changelog, the latest version of this application, version 3.0.1, was released in August 2015. However, it is also important to note that minor updates have been done on CouchPotato by its contributors throughout the years.
You may also consider comparing CouchPotato with other PVRs like Sonarr, Radarr and Sickbeard. All of which can be integrated with your favorite downloader and enhancing the whole downloading experience by automating your search and download process.
Highlighted Features
Mainly a third-party application for video file downloading, CouchPotato is a convenient piece of software that has multiple features that further improves user experience. This program can run on popular operating systems like Windows, Mac and Linux. Aside from that, CouchPotato also works on Docker and FreeBSD.
- Search and Manage Video Files
- Download renaming
- Written in Python
- Integrable with popular downloaders (ex. NZBGet & SABnzbd), including torrent downloaders
- Movie list manager
- Scheduling features – search for files every X number of hours
- Simple and Streamlined Interface
- Customizable notifications – option to notify your Android device when a file becomes available.
- Customizable settings – download quality, favorite search engine, release groups and more.
Plans & Pricing
CouchPotato is free to install and use, but if you want to support its developers, you can donate via Flattr or Bitcoin.
Couch Potato also works closely with popular Usenet service providers like Eweka, Newshosting and UsenetServer to bring you the best deals for the most reliable Usenet access. They also recommend VPN subscriptions to add an extra layer of security to your download process.
Usage Overview
The main goal of CouchPotato is to provide convenience to Usenet and Torrent downloaders. And with its automated features and easy-to-use interface, this program is a reliable and efficient tool to add to your list of Usenet software. While it is not a required tool when downloading from Usenet, CouchPotato’s capability of being fully integrated to NZB downloaders make it a very useful program like other PVR’s in the market.
Installation
Since CouchPotato is written in Python, it can run on all the popular operating systems like Windows, Mac and Linux. This program can also work on other platforms like FreeBSD and Docker. However, for this review, we will focus on how to install CouchPotato on the aforementioned popular operating systems. You can also check out their Github page to know how to install this program on other platforms.
For Windows:
- Install Python 2.7
- Then install PyWin32 2.7 and GIT
- If you come and ask on the forums ‘why directory selection no work?’, I will kill a kitten, also this is because you need PyWin32.
- Open up Git Bash (or CMD) and go to the folder you want to install CP. Something like Program Files.
- Run git clone https://github.com/CouchPotato/CouchPotatoServer.git.
- You can now start CP via CouchPotatoServer\CouchPotato.py to start
- Your browser should open up, but if it doesn’t go to
http://localhost:5050/
For MacOS
- If you’re on Leopard (10.5) install Python 2.6+: Python 2.6.5
- Install GIT
- Install LXML for better/faster website scraping
- Open up Terminal
- Go to your App folder cd /Applications
- Run git clone https://github.com/CouchPotato/CouchPotatoServer.git
- Then do python CouchPotatoServer/CouchPotato.py
- Your browser should open up, but if it doesn’t go to
http://localhost:5050/
For Linux:
- (Ubuntu / Debian) Install GIT with apt-get install git-core
- (Fedora / CentOS) Install GIT with yum install git
- Install LXML for better/faster website scraping
- ‘cd’ to the folder of your choosing.
- Install PyOpenSSL with pip install –upgrade pyopenssl
- Run git clone https://github.com/CouchPotato/CouchPotatoServer.git
- Then do python CouchPotatoServer/CouchPotato.py to start
- (Ubuntu / Debian with upstart) To run on boot copy the init script sudo cp CouchPotatoServer/init/ubuntu /etc/init.d/couchpotato
- (Ubuntu / Debian with upstart) Copy the default paths file sudo cp CouchPotatoServer/init/ubuntu.default /etc/default/couchpotato
- (Ubuntu / Debian with upstart) Change the paths inside the default file sudo nano /etc/default/couchpotato
- (Ubuntu / Debian with upstart) Make it executable sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/couchpotato
- (Ubuntu / Debian with upstart) Add it to defaults sudo update-rc.d couchpotato defaults
- (Linux with systemd) To run on boot copy the systemd config sudo cp CouchPotatoServer/init/couchpotato.service /etc/systemd/system/couchpotato.service
- (Linux with systemd) Update the systemd config file with your user and path to CouchPotato.py
- (Linux with systemd) Enable it at boot with sudo systemctl enable couchpotato
- Open your browser and go to
http://localhost:5050/
Configuration
Once installed, CouchPotato would open to a welcome page where you can see tabs where you can configure certain settings. You can adjust your general, downloaders, providers, renamer, automation and finish settings through this page.
The providers settings is where you would have to enter the server information coming from your selected Usenet service. This includes the server, port and username and password (if required). Make sure to use an SSL-enabled port to keep your download activity secure and anonymous.
On the downloaders section, you can indicate what you’re using CouchPotato for – either Usenet, Torrents or both. From there you can also enable which other downloaders from their list. This includes NZBGet, SABnzbd and NZBVortex.
To make CouchPotato work on your favorite NZB downloader, you would need to grab the API key and enter it on your CouchPotato settings. This enables the program to send files to your downloader and automate processes.
Scheduling & Automation
CouchPotato has a scheduling feature which allows users to indicate the number of hours when the program can search for files. This, in a way, controls how much bandwidth the software uses at a particular time.
And as mentioned, you can automate your download process by integrating CouchPotato with your chosen downloader. This program also has a feature that enables it to check for new or better files and send you a notification on your Android device when said files become available.
Usability
CouchPotato has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can be enjoyed by most users. Video lists can be viewed in several ways from a “manage list” where you can see all content available, or a “wanted list” where you can view the available files you are looking for.
The CouchPotato home screen also provides a list of snatched and available video content and has a list of suggested files you may be interested in. Searching can also be done from different pages, since its search box can easily be found on the upper right corner of the interface.
Conclusion
CouchPotato can be compared to other popular PVRs like Sonarr and Sickbeard. While these other automated video downloaders may attract more users to their platform, CouchPotato also has a lot of features that allow it to compete well with them. Overall, this product has a lot going for it. The interface is streamlined and easy to use, and it offers you flexibility in terms of the services you utilize to search for videos and how you download them. If you’re an avid video watcher, you’ll find the capability of customizing metadata to be particularly useful. The integration with some of the better USENET services and software out there also makes this something that’s definitely worth checking out.
