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GrabIt Binary Newsgroup Downloader

Overview:
Earlier, we mentioned GrabIt. It's an application that's generally used for downloading binary files from newsgroups. Binary files are files that are not text files. Although the binary files may are converted to text files when uploaded, they are not text files when reassembled. Examples of binary files would be video, music and image files. GrabIt makes downloading easy. When the files are downloaded, GrabIt will decode them and place them into a folder on your hard drive. GrabIt can be downloaded from http://www.shemes.com/. If you want to download it and set it up as we go through this part of the tutorial, do so now.

Getting Started:
Virtually all ISPs (Internet Service Providers) provide newsgroup access. When you install GrabIt, you will be required to enter certain information so that the software can find the proper server. If you have cable or DSL internet service and are using the newsgroup server from your ISP, the setup will be very easy. All you will need to do is to give the name of the news server. This is generally something like news.eatel.net (for my ISP) or news.central.cox.net (for some Cox cable internet users) or something like news.giganews.net (for outside newsgroup servers). In the following dialog box, you can see that I've entered the server name for Giganews.

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If you're using an outside provider, you will need to enter the username and password. If the box is checked in the previous window, the next dialog box will appear. This is where you enter the username and password. Both are likely 'case sensitive' (upper-case must be upper-case and likewise for lower-case).

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Various newsgroup providers offer different newsgroups. Some like Giganews (and those who sub-contract through them) offer virtually every newsgroup available. Other providers offer a limited selection. To allow GrabIt to find what your provider offers, you need to allow it to update the grouplist. You can this by ticking the checkbox and clicking FINISH. Keep in mind that there are 100,000 or more newsgroups. Depending on the speed of your internet service, downloading the grouplist could take between 2 minutes and 2 hours.

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If you need to change the server account (if you upgrade your service or change service providers), you can do so by RIGHT-clicking the server name and selecting 'server properties'. If you need to add a new server, RIGHT-click the 'My GrabIt' link and select 'add server'.

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This is where you would enter the username (account name) and password for servers that require such information (usually outside providers).

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To manually update or retrieve the grouplist, you need to click the name of the server you wish to upadate (in the left pane) and then go to the top of the window and click the 'Refresh Grouplist' button. While the list is being downloaded, GrabIt will show that there is one item in the batch.

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When the download is complete, you will see something like the following list. As you can see, there are about 82,000 newsgroups on this server. It's unlikely that you're going to read the name of every group in the list (unless you are VERY bored :).

robocop 2014 4k fixed

If you have an idea of what you want to download, enter a single keyword in the text field in the following window. If there are any newsgroups that contain the word you enter, they will be displayed. Keep in mind that only the name of the newsgroup is used in this type of search. It does nothing to find groups with related information in the bodies or subject lines of the individual groups. You can see how the list has changed from the previous image to the next image.

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I want you to notice a few things in the previous image. You can see that the list is sorted by name and is in ascending order. The green arrow on the header of the 'name' column indicates whether it's ascending or descending order. In descending order, the arrow would face down. As with any of the bars above each of the columns, clicking the bar will toggle sorting properties. If you click the 'article count' bar, you will see that sorting goes to that column (as it does in Windows Explorer). Below, I've set the sorting to descending on the article count column. This is useful when you want to find the most active groups.

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When you find an interesting group, you double-click it in the right pane. This moved the group name to the left pane under the server name (you may have to click the '+' sign next to the server name to expand the list so that you can see the group name). You are now subscribed to that newsgroup but you need to retrieve a list of headers for the group. To do this for a new group, you can double-click it in the left pane. This performs a 'full' update and is often very time consuming. After the initial retrieval of headers, it's better to do an incremental update. For an incremental update, you can right-click and select 'incremental update' or you can left click the group in the left pane (to highlight it) and click the incremental update button in the toolbar (click the down arrow and select incremental update).

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In the following image, you can see that there is various bits of information provided while we're updating the list. The most important for impatient people is the time remaining. This 'may' be only a rough estimate but it's pretty accurate if the download speed remains constant. Notice that we're on the 'batch' window here.

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Here, on the articles tab, you can see that I've selected a number of articles (155 to be exact -- lower left corner). To 'grab' them, you simply have to press the 'grab selected' button. This will move them to the 'batch' window.

robocop 2014 4k fixed
    Below is what it looks like while the files are downloading. The arrows are:
  • Yellow - Being decoded
  • Green - Being Downloaded
  • Blue - Waiting to be downloaded
  • Red (not shown) - File not on server (you probably needed to perform an incremental update before selecting the files).
robocop 2014 4k fixed

In the batch window, you can see the progress of the downloads. You should notice that only 4 of the 8 boxes are checked. Each check-box enables/disables a connection to the server. For normal Giganews accounts, you can have as many as 10 open connections. On the account I have (unlimited download bandwidth), only 4 connections are permitted. If you open too many connections, you will get a '502' error. Simply un-checking the extra connections will prevent the error messages.

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When the selected files have been downloaded, the batch window will again be empty.

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To see the files that you've downloaded, you can click the 'download folder' button at the top of the window. This will open the download folder (big surprise) which will have the subfolders for all of the newsgroups from which you've downloaded items. If I had downloaded from other groups, those folders would be here also.

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This is a list of the files I downloaded.

robocop 2014 4k fixed

Limiting the Number of Headers Downloaded:
If you have a relative slow computer or a relative slow internet connection, you may want to limit the number of headers downloaded. Some active groups will have millions of headers. We have only a small number of headers to download here so it's not important for this group. If you go to EDIT >> PREFERENCES and select the HISTORY tab, you can set the maximum number of headers that will be downloaded. The default is 1/2 million headers.

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Using the Search Function
If you need to find groups that contain certain keywords, you can use the GrabIt search function (right-most tab). I believe that there is a limited number of searches for a single day but you can pay for unlimited searches and it's only a few dollars a month. It may only take a month to find the groups you need. The small asking price is well worth the convenience. Below, you can see that I used the search function to find 'automobile' content. This is a good way to find groups that have content similar to what you want/need. When you have a large number of relevant items returned from a group, you may want to subscribe to that group.

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When you download from this tab, it works a little differently. When downloading from a group to which you've subscribed, you simply have double-click it to start the download. That won't work here. You have to right-click the header and select the server (even if you have only one server).

robocop 2014 4k fixed

And here, you can see that a second folder has been added when I downloaded from another group.

robocop 2014 4k fixed
 
 
 
 
 
 

Robocop 2014 4k Fixed Now

Here is where purists are split. The 2014 film was PG-13. The "Fixed" version does not add back the gore of 1987 (that’s a different fan edit entirely). However, it does color-correct the violence.

Using advanced HDR slope adjustments (specifically, a custom Dolby Vision metadata injector), the editor lifted the low-end shadows by roughly 4-5 IRE stops without washing out the contrast.

Let’s take three key sequences:

Scene 1: The Reveal (Murphy sees his body)

Scene 2: The ED-209 Attack

Scene 3: Final Battle at OmniCorp

Robocop (2014) divided audiences when it arrived: a glossy, modern reboot of Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 satire that tried to balance blockbuster spectacle with questions about humanity, corporate power, and identity. Years later, the film’s appearance in 4K has sparked a different kind of conversation — not about the story, but about image restoration and how a “fixed” 4K transfer can change how we experience the movie. This post explains what “4K fixed” typically means for Robocop (2014), what to look for, and whether it’s worth seeking out.

The "Fixed" label also extends to audio. The original 4K’s Atmos track was criticized for an anemic low-end. The fixed version remuxes the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track from the Japanese Blu-ray (known for higher dynamic range) and syncs it to the 4K video.

The difference is immediate:

When the 4K Ultra HD release of José Padilha’s 2014 RoboCop remake was announced, the internet did what it always does: it cracked a half-smile and asked, "But can they fix the movie?" The subtext was clear. For years, this reboot has lived in the shadow of Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 satirical masterpiece, dismissed as a slick, soulless corporate product—ironic, given its plot about a slick, soulless corporate product.

Now, with a 4K transfer that boasts Dolby Vision HDR and a DTS:X immersive soundtrack, we have to ask a serious question: Does scrubbing the grain, expanding the color gamut, and cleaning up the VFX compositing actually "fix" what was wrong with RoboCop 2014?

The Diagnosis: What Was Broken?

To understand the 4K "fix," you have to remember the original theatrical complaint. The 2014 film wasn’t a bad action movie; it was a confused one. It wanted to be a serious meditation on drone warfare and the illusion of free will (the brilliant scene where Murphy sees his own remaining organic parts is genuinely haunting). But it also wanted to be a PG-13, sleek, summer blockbuster with motorcycle chases.

The original 2K digital intermediate was cold, teal-and-orange, and oddly flat. The black armor looked gray. The eyes behind the helmet looked dim. More critically, the infamous "hands-on" reveal of the black suit—meant to feel oppressive—just felt like a music video.

The 4K Procedure: What’s Actually Fixed robocop 2014 4k fixed

Let’s be clear: No amount of resolution will rewrite the script. Joel Kinnaman’s conflicted Murphy still gets sidelined for Samuel L. Jackson’s cable news rants. The ED-209s still look like iToasters. And the R-rating is still absent.

However, the new 4K disc does fix the film’s primary technical sin: visual legibility.

What Isn’t (And Can’t Be) Fixed

Here is the brutal truth for collectors: This 4K disc is a restoration of a film, not a revision of its soul. The transfer is reference quality—excellent skin tones on Gary Oldman, impeccable shadow detail on Michael Keaton’s suits—but it only amplifies the movie’s biggest flaw: the suit is no longer a character.

In the 1987 film, the bulky, restrictive stop-motion and foam-latex suit was the tragedy. Murphy was trapped inside a clumsy tank. In 4K, the 2014 suit looks impossibly agile and cool. It moves like a ninja. And because it looks so good, the central tragedy (man trapped in machine) evaporates. You no longer pity Murphy; you want to buy the toy.

The Verdict: Remastered, Not Reanimated

Does the 4K release fix RoboCop 2014? Yes and no.

Call it the "RoboCop 2.0" paradox. The 4K disc makes the film look exactly as good as it was always meant to look—slick, expensive, and emotionally hollow. For fans of the original, it’s a fascinating autopsy. For fans of the remake, it’s finally the definitive edition. But for everyone else? It’s proof that no matter how many pixels you throw at a movie, you can’t upscale a conscience.

RoboCop (2014) Collector's Edition on 4K Ultra HD, released by Shout! Factory

on June 18, 2024, represents the definitive home media presentation of José Padilha’s sci-fi reboot. While the original 1987 film received a native 4K restoration in 2022, this 2014 version features a "fixed" 4K remaster derived from the original digital intermediate. Visual Performance: The 4K "Fix"

The upgrade primarily addresses the clarity and color depth of the film's sleek, modern aesthetic. Source Material

: The transfer is a 4K remaster of the original 2K digital intermediate. While not a "native" 4K scan of film, it offers a "razor-sharp" image that outperforms previous 1080p Blu-rays. HDR & Dolby Vision : The most significant improvement is the inclusion of Dolby Vision

and HDR10. This adds intense vibrancy to colors—specifically the iconic red visor light and police sirens—and provides inkier, more accurate black levels for nighttime action.

: Reviewers note a noticeable "uptick" in fine textures, such as the metallic surfaces of Murphy's armor and facial complexions during close-ups. Audio and Technical Specs Here is where purists are split

The release maintains high-quality sound but largely carries over existing high-definition tracks. : Features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

surround track and a 2.0 stereo option. While some audiophiles lamented the lack of a Dolby Atmos upgrade, the existing 5.1 mix is described as "weighty" and "robust," with excellent LFE for gunfire and robotic movements. Disc Format

: This is a two-disc set (one 4K UHD and one standard Blu-ray), with the UHD disc being Region Free Supplemental Content

The collector's edition ports over roughly one hour of bonus features from previous releases: RoboCop: Engineered for the 21st Century : A three-part documentary on the re-imagining process. OmniCorp Product Announcements : Viral marketing segments for the film’s fictional tech. Deleted Scenes and Trailers : Standard archival inclusions. Purchasing Options

The release is currently available through various retailers and specialty movie stores: : Lists the Collector's Edition 4K featuring the new transfer. Specialty Retailers : Shops like Cinema Classics Atomic Movie Store often stock the version with the Collector Slipcover Secondary Markets : New, sealed copies can be found on sites like comparison of how this transfer stacks up against the 1987 original's 4K release by Arrow Video?

The story of the RoboCop (2014) 4K release is one of technical refinement that "fixes" the visual limitations of earlier home media versions. While the film was originally finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate, the 2024 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Shout Factory provides a significant upgrade through modern mastering techniques. Key Visual "Fixes" in the 4K Version

Color and HDR Integration: The most notable fix is the addition of Dolby Vision and HDR10, which solve the somewhat flat, muted look of the original Blu-ray. This version features vivid reds and blues (specifically in police lighting) and deeper black levels that reveal "ultra-low-level fine detail" previously lost in shadows.

Sharper Digital Image: Although upscaled, the 4K transfer is described as "nearly razor sharp" with a "squeaky-clean" digital aesthetic that aligns with the film's futuristic setting. Unlike the original 1987 film, which thrives on heavy film grain, the 2014 remake on 4K is polished and intentionally avoids artificial film-based artifacts.

Stability and Encoding: Reviewers have praised this as one of the best 2K-to-4K encodes, noting a "great-looking HEVC H.265 encode" that eliminates earlier image instability and provides strong, consistent bit rates. Cinematic Story Context

The 2014 story remains a modernization of the 1987 classic, focusing on Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), a Detroit cop who is critically injured and transformed into a cybernetic law enforcer by OmniCorp. Unlike the original, this version emphasizes:

The "Human" Aspect: Murphy retains his memories and interacts with his family (Abbie Cornish), adding a layer of domestic drama that was absent in the first film.

Corporate Conflict: The story focuses on the ethics of robotic law enforcement, with performances by Michael Keaton as the CEO of OmniCorp and Gary Oldman as the lead scientist.

Redesigned Suit: The film features a controversial but visually striking shift from the classic silver armor to a faster, more agile tactical black suit.

These video reviews and comparisons provide a closer look at the 4K technical upgrades and how this version stands up to the original: Robocop (2014) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review! 3K views · 1 year ago YouTube · MovieGuy365 Robocop 2014 4K Review 227 views · 1 year ago YouTube · From Screen To Shelf Scene 2: The ED-209 Attack

For enthusiasts looking for the ultimate presentation of the RoboCop (2014)

remake, here is the essential information on where to find the best quality and how it has been updated for high-resolution displays. The "Mastered in 4K" Edition

While a native 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the 2014 remake was not part of its initial retail launch, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a Mastered in 4K Blu-ray The Improvement:

This version was sourced from a 4K digital intermediate, providing significantly higher bitrates and expanded color detail compared to standard high-definition releases. Visual Fidelity:

It is designed to take full advantage of 4K Ultra HD TVs, utilizing the xvYCC color space

to deliver a more cinematic and "fixed" visual experience compared to the standard theatrical digital file. Digital 4K Availability

For a "true" 4K experience (native 2160p), the film is available on major digital storefronts: Platforms: You can find the 4K UHD version on Amazon Prime Video Apple TV (iTunes) These digital versions often include Dolby Vision

, which "fixes" the flat lighting of the original theatrical release by adding deeper blacks and more vibrant highlights to RoboCop’s sleek black armor. Fixing Playback & Ripping Issues

If you are experiencing technical errors with a "fixed" 4K remaster or physical disc: Update Drivers:

For PC playback, ensure your graphics drivers are current. You can update them via the Device Manager Display Adapters Software Updates: Users of media tools like

should ensure "Allow contacting webserver for updates" is enabled to download the latest decryption keys for newer remastered discs. Community Content & Critiques The "Fixing" Discussion:

Fans frequently discuss "fixing" the 2014 remake on forums like

, often debating whether the PG-13 tone or the black suit design should have been closer to the 1987 original. Comparison: If you are a die-hard fan of the franchise, the 1987 Original RoboCop

has a highly-rated native 4K restoration that many collectors consider the gold standard for the series. comparison

of the visual differences between the 2014 Blu-ray and the 4K digital version?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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