I just finished listening to a podcast about a very similar situation, it's a great listen. It's called Noble for anyone interested.

I like the look of both of these but do you know a way to sync them with a PC?

If you're planning to download media, check out the Server Wiki. It has guides on setting up all the software to automate the process.

Most Usenet providers offer secure connections so I don't know if it's necessary, but I use a VPN.

Good work, it looks cozy. What's the grate under the couch?

Same here. Sorting by hot subscribed in my browser and apps all show this at the top.

I'm seeing the same. My instance was upgraded last night, now the front page reloads everytime I go back. Testing on Firefox on Android, not sure of other setups.