I am a Joost Beta Tester, and let me tell you that it is even better than they lead you to believe.

Right now the top-tier programming is a little sparse, but that will change in a few months’ time. (Can you imagine live NHL games free over Joost? I can and I’m giddily anticipating it.) The software sends the content as video-on-demand through their encrypted P2P network. So until some very gifted coder comes along, the intellectual property of their partners will stay secure. I do not own an AppleTV, but from what I have seen from product demos the GUI of Joost is just as slick and just as easy to navigate. The addition of “widgets” that add functionality and social interaction has made it an even richer experience. (Not to mention that they will soon release the code for them so users can make their own widgets, making it a social network in it’s own right.)

As to system’s issues, yes there can be some. And since it is a P2P system, it will use system resources even if you are not using it. This is the rule of thumb I have used in suggesting this service: the better your rig, the better time you will have. However, about the only thing it really demands is processor speed. I’ve tried it on two computers and each one was lacking something (a desktop that had negligible video memory, and a laptop that had too little RAM) and each worked fine. There was a little stutter problem, but since the newest beta (Joost for Friends) was released, that has all but disappeared.

Even though it’s ad-supported, you see much fewer ads than on traditional TV. They promise that will continue, even when they leave the beta state, but we’ll see. It does make logical sense, but anything can change once this goes big time.

Really, I only have one problem with Joost. They don’t currently have an open-source program set. I hope they remedy this soon for two reasons. First, with the amount of early adopters running a version of Linux OS, that would be a good group for Joost to woo. Second, and most important in my opinion, it would be much easier to migrate to a Set Top Box system if they had a F/OSS distribution, due to the ubiquity and price differential of embedded Linux OS on that type of system. Only when they offer a STB will it reach truly deep market penetration. And hopefully in the not-so-distant future they will. I personally am putting together a computer to connect to my television in the family room to Joost. But not everyone has that level of determination or the correct knowledge base to make that an easy project to jump into.

Overall, I think that Joost has solved most of the problems now interfering with other TV over Internet proposals. Plus, they got started on their program in a quicker timescale than other competitors. So it seems that they have the ability to capitalize on this regime-change in television before the rest of the competition realizes what is going on. And you’d be hard-pressed to find fault with the creator’s pedigree. (Kazaa and Skype, among others.) I have digital cable, and the video-on-demand software is so slow and kludgy you could almost write an SNL skit about it. I personally hope Joost does well because I enjoy even the thought of not paying for TV, let alone the immersive experience they bring to the table. And maybe soon the couch.

Cisco has a proven history of embedding their executives in companies they will eventually acquire - probably Volpi’s style. Hmmm… I predict Cisco acquiring Joost in 12 months!

So you’re saying that we should be determining the business sense on if they’re familiar with American television or not? I hope not.

I want to comment on your sentence “despite his first-class American higher education,
Mr. Volpi is not fully acculturated”…ah just the topic my new blog is about…”not understanding innuendos on American television”…precisely I am talking about in my new blog on adjusting to the other way of seeing things and how immigrants are treated and have to adjust to living in the USA. I would like Mr. Volpi’s experience of his first-class higher education…so check out my blog at immigrantlife.wordpress.com and add your opinion…You’d think that a first class American higher education has helped him??…some people call it the most expensive cover charge you’ll ever have to pay in your life…(Let’s not pull the wool over our heads and think that universities do not have heavy duty drinking issues among their students…I know, I went and graduated from one that’s in the top 25 in the nation according to a major national magazine..believe me I saw plenty of “plastered” kids, it was like an epidemic that nobody wanted to bring out and discuss…so maybe it’s time????????

I’m more interested in how Joost will overcome the content licencing boundaries currently in place and become something people would want, than the new CEO not understanding who the Brady Bunch are.

It sounded cool, then I looked at the system draining requirements, and said get me the Joost outta here!

Has someone checked out Damaka (www.damaka.com)

They are already doing SIP based P2P video, IPTV, application sharing, desktop sharing, whiteboarding, IM, chat, audio calls, video calls, voice mail and all this end to end encrypted.

So, how is Joost different than Damaka