About
“The best of TV and the best of the internet.” That is how CEO Fredrik de Wahl described what was once codename “The Venice Project” but is now simply referred to as “Joost”. Joost, pronounced “juiced”, was chosen because the name has global appeal, embodies fun, and is full of energy. From the duo (Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom) that revolutionized music file sharing with Kazaa and then brought free voice-over-IP telphone phone calls with Skype, comes their latest and greatest “YouTube killer” that will change the way you watch TV.
Using a peer-to-peer network architecture, Joost users are able to view video content on their computer much like watching a TV, with full-screen picture and an intutitve design that features stylish menus where you can change channels like selecting a bookmark, or construct your own channels and schedule the viewing content.
Unlike YouTube, Joost will not offer user-generated content, but content from established providers to avoid any copyright lawsuits. Content providers signed on already include Warner Music, the Indy Race League, Septermber Films, and Endemol. The service is ad-supported by clients such as T-Mobile and Wrigley gum, but ads and commercials will be less frequent than regular TV.
What makes a lot of people excited about Joost is the ability to customize the look and feel and add functionality to the Joost program. Current Joost plugins allow you to chat with others watching the same channel, access online content, rate channels and content, have a news ticker running on the bottom of the screen, and much more. Using the same platform (Mozilla XUL) as Firefox, Joost developers will be able to create their own plugins and let their imagination run wild. Furthermore, while not confirmed as of yet, designers may be able to create their own Joost skins. What’s more, Joost will allow web publishers to embed videos onto their sites and email videos to friends and family.