Ooooooh Jooooost
On friday I got accepted into the beta program of Joost – which is going to be, I am pretty sure, the next big thing on the internet. The company founders started something called “Skype” a few years ago, and after their 2.6 Billion dollar buyout by Ebay – they took a couple of years off and then began their new project – peer to peer on demand television.
I first saw a potential for this sort of technology when I saw a colleague of mine watching some peer to peer pirate feed of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. I had paid for what I now believe was a pirate feed. I really felt a sucker as his feed seemed more reliable.
So when I first heard of Joost, I was really intrigued and signed up for the beta program. This was a couple of months ago, and I had almost forgotten about it until Friday when I received an invite to the beta in my inbox, and I downloaded the brand new Mac version.
Well, I have to say I am impressed. The UI is very slick indeed – and very intuitive. Although the current programming is rather limited, they have signed content agreements with Viacom / Warner Bros already, and I am sure more broadcasters will follow. Heck, the BBC just signed a content deal with YouTube, so Joost are coming to market at a great time. Many broadcasters are beginning to look at the internet for “new media delivery opportunities” – by which they mean they are trying to figure out how to make money from the YouTube phenomenon.
Watch these guys closely…
Kirsten Said,
March 8, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Oooh how cool. I just applied to be a beta tester, but, to avoid the wait, the site recommended that I beg a current tester for an invite instead. Consider yourself begged. 🙂
diatoid Said,
March 8, 2007 @ 5:00 pm
How does the video quality of joost compare with current torrent based tv streams? Is it just tvant with a slick new gui… and no chinese subtitles?
Stuart Said,
March 9, 2007 @ 7:49 am
The video quality is actually pretty good, and there are no chinese subtitles ;). The thing is I am not sure about the future plans for any HD content. Since I got a HD TV i find myself selecting programming based on whether a HD varient is available or not. This is a vital path for Joost to take.
Currently I have zero invitations to offer, but as I receive an them I will send them on to my friends. Kirsten, as you are the first to ask, and the only person to have ever called me a “punk” you will receive the first invite.