I’m not on Usenet, but what you need to consider is that you will pay a really small sum compared to what you can find (and then download at a high speed). Your comparison to streaming services is therefore inaccurate (because there you’re going to find only a very limited amount of content at a higher price).
TBH I was pleasantly surprised by SNW as well. I had written off the newer series after trying to like DSC for like 2.5 seasons…
It’s still not great, SNW pales in comparison to TOS for example (especially those episodes that take direct ‘inspiration’), but it’s decent enough to watch. Guess I’m just a Old Trek Geezer or whatever.
LOW is a different genre IMHO, loved almost every episode. But of course you have to know your Trek to appreciate the series.
Oh, sorry to hear that. DS9 gets pretty good later on - especially the “middle” is great, testing out the limits of the world/starfleet ethics. I think it’s my favorite trek… (second being TNG, watched that growing up). Maybe give DS9 another chance and just jump in somewhere after Season 1…