Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (5)

Joost: Content on Demand

April 22, 2007

It seems that we are living in a new era of information delivery expectations. Content providers are seeking ways to provide us with the specific entertainment options that we want, when we want them. Music is delivered pretty much on demand from Apple's iTunes for $0.99 a song. Books (among everything else including a new kitchen sink) can be overnighted to you from Amazon, and services like Netflix keep our movie needs fulfilled...for a price. But one of the defining ideals in the new information economy might be that we expect more for less. Enter YouTube - videos, on demand, and rather free. Well, free of cost, but not of copyright issues.

But now there is a new game in town. Joost. What is Joost? The site simply descirbes it as being "TV anywhere, anytime..." Actually, it does a pretty good job of this. Joost is playing in a background window over my home wireless network as I write this. The picture quality, even full screen on a 15" monitor, is suprisingly clear. There is none of the typical web video pixelation here. Technology advancements aside, one of the real reasons for such high quality is that this is commercial content. National Geographic has a channel on Joost, as does MTV, Comedy Central, and other well known commercial content providers.

The content that you find is quite eclectic. It tends to mine the long tail (the idea that in a digital age, we can have content that appeals to smaller audiences) and present current and back content from Indy car racing to music videos. Warner Brothers music has a huge catalog of videos including Red Hot Chili Peppers and other big names. These small content chunks lend themselves nicely to the Joost format - watch a bit, and then move on to something else.

As noted, this is a free service. Which, in our modern communication terms means it is supported by advertising. For small content chunks like music videos, there is a 2 second advertisement in between pieces you access. Longer shows, like an hour long National Geographic program I watched, are broken up by ads in the middle. 

I really am not sure what this will mean in the long run. Is this a big new thing or just a fad. We have been promised TV on demand over the Internet before, but it never really appeared. Joost, however, might just have what it takes to be successful. Content is the key - if they can keep getting fresh content from their partners, they might have a chance. They are also building a social network around the "experience" so you can share comments about shows with other Joost viewers. In the end, while it may not be a library tool per se, I certainly think this is something we need to keep our eyes on.

For now, Joost is in private beta and accounts require an invitation. I have three invites to share with the first three people who leave a comment asking for them...

Posted by Chris Harris on April 22, 2007 | Comments (5)