Joost latest

Yesterday I gave Joost another go, as I had noticed there was a new beta, “Now with friends” I think it was called. I also read about the new channels they have added, and the funding they have received. But as beautiful as it all looks, and as smooth as the interface is, the content is still lacking from a UK perspective. How many times can I watch the Sports Illustrated models talking about where they came from, and how they got where they are today? (6 in total).

I really want it to work, but from my own selfish point of view in the British Isles, they are going to have work harder than Fifth Gear and Ministry of Sound: Access All Areas to hold my attention for the commercials, which only appear if you sit through a whole program. Add to that the resolution issues I highlighted earlier, and it is not as good as it could be.

I will keep checking back periodically, but the content is just…. it’s the sort of thing you see waaaay up the EPG on Sky Digital, the kind of thing you spend 10 seconds watching before you keep going. But with Joost at the moment (in the UK at least) it doesn’t take much channel changing before you are back where you started! Like I said, get two or three UK broadcasters involved and it will improve immeasurably. But not ITV1, nobody has the spare bandwidth for that.

Azureus, Joost and me

A couple of new things happened today in the brave new world of online TV. First of all, I noticed that Azureus’ deal with BBC worldwide had kicked in, on their new Beta channel. I saw an episode of The Mighty Boosh available to rent for 1 cent (nice price) and thought I would have me some of that random comedy. But no, Azureus had already clocked my location thatnks to my IP address, and I had a message saying “this content is not available to you” Why the hell not? I helped fund it through the licence fee!

Joost Beta

Just a note to say I was invited onto the Joost Beta today! Can you believe it? (Although I still haven’t been invited for a job interview… again, I’m not bitter). Anywho, my initial thoughts are that the software is very cool. I could be just happy that I have a new toy, but the trasparencies and rating system are both very clever, and the ads don’t seem to intrusive. Controlling the app with my keyboard will do for now, although it seems a bit primitive. It would be better if it worked with my apple remote, or even better with some sort of Wiimote type control system. I like my Wiimote.

Joost news

Joost are an IPTV company founded by the two clever cogs who brought us Kazaa and Skype. Hundreds of channels, available legally, free and worldwide. If it works, it will change everything. People will want their Flat screen TV’s to be “Joost ready” when they buy them.

In fact I applied for a job with Joost the other day, thats how much I believe in what they are doing over there. The fact that they haven’t got back to me, or that I haven’t been invited to their beta test hasn’t dulled my enthusiasm for the project either.

Today they revealed a massive deal with my current employers. They have signed with Viacom to show their programming on the fledgling Television platform. The very informal press release goes a little something like this:

Babelgum

Remember when I asked for an invitation to Joost? And nobody replied? Well I didn’t take it personally. Anywho, they aren’t the only ones with a serious IPTV offering this year. Babelgum have snuck up without the hype of Joost, but look to have a solid product on their hands. Over at NewTeeVee, they reviewed it a couple of weeks ago, and I just got round to reading it today. Check out their website, they are looking for content. If you are a budding Youtube/Revver director, it might just be the outlet you need to let your creative juices flow.

Joost

Joost is the new name for an IPTV offering formerly cryptically entitled “The Venice Project”, because it involves a lot of video “streams”. Yes, great sense of humour those guys.
This is the one I’m waiting for, the interface seems really slick, and if the software could one day be brought into the box in the living room, they would have a real winner on their hands… An added plus is that it is being developed by the founders of Kazaa and Skype, both of which ultimately changed the music and telephony industries respectively.

I imagine that Joost will really make those last few people who think television will always come into their house through an antenna sit up and think. They still need the content though, it’s all about the “legal” content in 2007. Buy the way, if anyone out there can spare a beta invite for a humble TV blogger, I would really appreciate it. Click here, here or even here for reviews of Joost.