Joost

Satertek · 05-09-2007, 08:05 PM

If you haven't heard of Joost, watch this.

If you've used VOD services from Comcast and the like, its essentially that, but online, and a prettier interface. It's pretty nifty.

Anyway, they've given the beta testers unlimited invites, so if you want to try it out, send me an pm with your e-mail.

They've got a bunch of big name companies that are onboard, so it should be interesting once they've got some good content up. (Little sparse at the moment, but getting there)

And a bit about what's coming:

Quote:

Last but not least, we invite you to enjoy the variety of new shows
we're introducing each week.
This week will bring you a host of over 40 new channels in the US
including Adult Swim, five new channels from National Geographic,
new channels like Spike TV from Viacom, great comedy from
Heavy, and classic series from Hasbro such as The Transformers.
And that's just the beginning.

Each week we'll launch new channels - making sure you can watch what
you want, when you want. So stay tuned...

icky · 05-09-2007, 08:33 PM

It sounds interesting, but it also sounds very similar to many scams which have been appearing all over the place. I am reassured by the fact that they don't demand a fee upfront, but I am concerned by the fact that they don't mention how they plan to profit from this.

Satertek · 05-09-2007, 09:12 PM

It's not a scam. It will be free and completely supported by advertising. (The guys behind it are the same people that created Skype, if that adds any credibility, heh)

At the moment the content is mostly B grade cancelled shows, but its slowly getting more.

As more people have been joining the beta, its been geting a bit sluggish at times, but hopefully that won't take too long to resolve.

**jmaker** · 05-09-2007, 09:25 PM

There's an article in the newest edition of Newsweek about these guys, so this is certainly legit.

Edit: They were also the ones that created Kazaa.

**Hambergler** · 05-10-2007, 12:12 AM

The joost interface works very nicely with my HTPC. I think the sluggishness is due to lack of users, it uses bittorrent technology. They have some major bugs to work out, but I think its the future. Eventually cable boxes, movie theaters, youtube and cellphone video will use bittorrent.

Acreo Aeneas · 05-10-2007, 12:14 AM

Oh god.

Bandwidth hog.

*shakes head vehemently*

It will kill internet gaming on networks!

Satertek · 05-10-2007, 01:14 AM

It typically uses around ~100KBps, which really shouldn't be too much of a strain for most ISPs.

**Hambergler** · 05-10-2007, 06:24 PM

By BRUCE MEYERSON, AP Technology Writer Thu May 10, 12:48 PM ET

NEW YORK - Joost, an Internet-based TV service being launched by the creators of Skype and Kazaa, said Thursday it has raised $45 million from five investors including CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. and an influential Hong Kong telecommunications executive.
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Index Ventures, a European venture capital firm, and Sequoia Capital were the lead contributors to the investment. The fifth participant is Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Cheung Kong Holdings, who invested in Joost through his charitable foundation, the Li Ka Shing Foundation.

Joost, which recently expanded a trial of its TV service to more users, transmits video with peer-to-peer technology, the signature approach that co-founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom used to launch the hugely popular Skype calling and Kazaa music-sharing services.

P2P relies on the shared computing power and bandwidth of its users to transmit data, rather than serving it all directly to each user from a central data center. With P2P, the more people using the system, the better quality the transmission will be, making quick adoption especially crucial to Joost.

Skype proved so successful that it was purchased by eBay Inc. for $2.6 billion, but Kazaa drew the legal ire of the music industry as users downloaded music without paying for it. A settlement last year will lead to a redesign of Kazaa, which is no longer owned by Friis and Zennstrom.

No copyright troubles are envisioned with Joost, which has gone the mainstream route by signing deals with major content providers, including its new investors. Viacom, for example, has agreed to let Joost show content from MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount and Comedy Central. Overall, Joost says it now has 150 channels of video.

Now that a sizable number of consumers have high-speed Internet access, online video viewing has taken off, as exemplified by the explosive popularity of YouTube, acquired by Google Inc. in November for $1.76 billion.

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 05-10-2007, 11:15 PM

I hope this, or something like it, succeeds. I love TV, especially documentary/educational type stuff. I could see this leading to more shows like "Myth Busters" and some "American Chopper" type shows. Quality will probably lack and there will be a bunch of crap but a few gems might surface.

It could also be an outlet for pilots and the like.

And maybe, just maybe, some very good but un-popular shows like "Arrested Development" could get some more episodes in.

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 05-18-2007, 01:39 AM

This get 45 mil in funding from big time media companies.

**Hambergler** · 05-18-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Gringo_Grande

This get 45 mil in funding from big time media companies.

I said that 2 posts ago ^^

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 10-27-2007, 12:47 AM

I downloaded the beta it here is a little review.

First off the video quality is probably NTSC (standard television). I rarely see any skips or stutters while watching. And I usually have it up while I play simple games or browsing the web. (AMD 3700+, nvidia 6800 gs, 2 gig of ram.) During intensive tasks like compiling a large project in Visual Studio it will pause occasionally. But it doesn't seem to interfere with my other work.

There isn't much setup that I have had to do. Very good for a beta product.

The interface is ok I guess. Doesn't look bad at all. Usually it is overlayed on top of the show you are watching.

The important thing is the content. Well, it is growing pretty fast I must say. When I first downloaded Joost I didn't find much to my liking. But over the last month or so I have found many things to watch.

For example it has some shows from comedy central I really liked. "Dog Bites Man" and "Strangers with Candy". Also "Stella". That was a show I never watch but wanted to because it conflicted with something else I watch at the time. But it is now available and I like it. Not great but entertaining.

It also has some old shows like "V" and Babylon 5.

Browsing around I see things like CNN "Gods Warriors: Christian Warriors" and "Africa's Endangered Species". An extreme sports channel street ball and surf breaks (whatever that is.)

MTV has some stuff on. Adult swim is also has a channel.

CBS has mainly advertisement or synopsis of current shows.

There are also some full length movies. Paramount Pictures has Clockstoppers (a Nickelodeon picture.) And a couple of other you probably never heard of.

There is also National Geographic stuff and some really odd things like Tango dancing championships. Also some replays of NHL games.

The advertisments are not bad at all. Of course that could be because it is new and they don't have many advertisers.

I would say give it a try. There is some interesting stuff on the new boob tube.

Cappy · 10-28-2007, 07:29 PM

ya i cant connect anymore

for some reason my ISP is now running through a proxy and you cant connect to joist through a proxy

i wrote my ISP but havent gotten a reply and dont expect to...

the anime is fantastic,,, if for nothing else,, download it just for that

Steel_Penguin · 10-28-2007, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Gringo_Grande

And maybe, just maybe, some very good but un-popular shows like "Arrested Development" could get some more episodes in.

*cough* FIREFLY *cough*

**El_Gringo_Grande** · 11-28-2007, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satertek

It typically uses around ~100KBps, which really shouldn't be too much of a strain for most ISPs.

Another update.

I started a big download. I have low grade DSL and my max download speed is about 200 KB/sec. The download is taking up about 130-150 KB/sec. My daughter is watching some youtube videos and my wife is working on-line. I am browsing the internet.

I fire up Joost to see what happens. I watch a few videos and not a single skip. Neither my daughter or wife notice any delays. My download drops to about 110-120 KB/sec.

I am impressed.