Update, October 2026: the proof of concept below has finished. NNTP access is now bundled with every NZB-enabled plan and set up for you automatically: here is how it works today.
Ever since NzbDav caused a few curious ripples in the Stremio addon pond in November, we’ve seen growing interest in exploring how Usenet-based tooling can fit into Stremio or Plex/Emby/Jellyfin-friendly workflows.
While this is still fairly cutting-edge territory, NNTP support already works well, allowing users to bring their own providers and indexers, rather than being locked into a single (debrid-like) service. Even the Stremio devs seem to agree, with recent client updates adding native NNTP support on desktop.
Here in the ElfLab, we’ve been poking, prodding, and generally waving our wands 🪄 at cutting-edge, alpha-software teething problems. As part of that work, we’ve been chatting with a well-established Usenet infrastructure provider about whether it might make sense to bundle NNTP connectivity alongside NzbDav for our users.
Because this kind of usage is still pretty new, neither side wants to guess wildly when it comes to billing and capacity planning. So, in a display of admirable wizardly foresight 🧙, the provider has offered us a two-month proof-of-concept period. This lets us observe real-world usage patterns and figure out what a sustainable long-term arrangement might look like.
⚠️ ElfHosted provides hosted open-source software and infrastructure. We do not host or provide content. Users remain responsible for how applications are configured and used, including compliance with applicable laws. NNTP access is bundled for technical validation and PoC purposes.
What this means for NzbDav users 🥳
During the proof of concept, NzbDav users could optionally add an extra NNTP provider endpoint that we made available for evaluation and integration testing. That trial has ended: NNTP access is now part of every NZB-enabled plan and comes pre-configured, so there is nothing to copy from here.
What happened next 🗓️
The proof of concept went well, and we now bundle NNTP access with every NZB-enabled plan. Read the announcement for the details.