It’s been a while since we’ve heard any significant news from Joost. They launched into an invite only beta back in early 2007 and made quite the stir with everybody eager to get their hands on an invite. Since then, not a whole lot has been said. While there was a demand for invites at launch, the masses weren’t impressed with the service. Some of the complaints we heard and experienced first hand included an unimpressive selection of channels and the simple fact that it is desktop based and the software is sluggish.
These days, lots of companies are focused on offering web based services, so why wouldn’t Joost? According to TechCrunch, Joost is about to ditch the desktop based software and move to an online based service. A small browser plugin is all that users would need to be able to watch TV and video through the service. All we have to say is hallelujah! Now the thing is, they had a pretty nice interface with the desktop software, so hopefully that will be something offered with the web based version as well.
Of course we also know that content is what matters at the end of the day with any TV/video service, so hopefully Joost will be able to continue to add the content that people will want to see. It has definitely improved since launch, but there is still room for improvement. Overall we see this move as only a good thing for Joost. People like the convenience of having access to their favorite services online instead of relying on a desktop application. We don’t know exactly when this change will take place, but it should be soon.
I predict that Joost will go out of business in a few years. Hulu is miles ahead of them in North American territories when it comes to content and user-friendliness. They better step up their game before Europe and Asia lose interest in Joost too.
I rather like Joost in some ways better than Hulu. Hulu is nice in some ways, but seems to be way more congested at the times I want to use it. I have a plenty fast connection so I do not understand that. I think both have their place and much of what is offered is different enough I think they both have a place.
I live in England and it’s not that I don’t want a desktop application to download and watch tv shows on, it’s just that every channel wants me to install their own application. I did once install the iplayer, until I found out the damn thing was starting up with my computer even when I had told it not to, but I prefer to get things online now. I’ve never really been that interested with Joost, what with the iplayer and [tv.blinkx.com] but if it goes online I might try.
I’m totally with you there. I definitely think that Joost isn’t doing as well as the founders probably anticipated that it would originally be doing. For me it’s just that the content on there isn’t appealing to my tastes.