It’s real interesting that many of the blogs are playing up Skinkers and Microsoft’s new P2P video distribution system as a “Joost killer” or, more humorously, a “Slingbox killer.” My Slingbox has a tuner. I don’t remember seeing a tuner in my Media Center box upstairs so how could a piece of software kill my Slingbox? I don’t get that.
These things have another problem: the Web is a better video distribution network cause we don’t have to leave our browsers where we all feel comfortable.
Why else? Cause the Web can be fixed. The Web can be added to. The Web can be participated in. AOL-style clients lock us in, can’t be updated on our timetable. And how do we get our own content into Joost? Anyone know? I don’t.
I look at how my son uses media. He dives in and through various Web sites snacking on media along the way. A YouTube video here. A New York Times video there. A PodTech video next. A Kyte.TV video later. Now he’s already using his camera to upload photos from the street. He’s joined the media creation revolution. Can’t wait until Apple turns on the video camera on the iPhone. Wait until he sees that Facebook has a video feature. THAT is the thing everyone in the video industry should be worried about and focused on. Anyone notice that you can upload video to my Kyte.tv
Why would he start up another environment just to watch video? Especially when many of these let him participate by throwing comments up, or chatting, or doing other things?
I just am not a big believer in yet another AOL-style client. I think the Web is far more interesting. Don’t miss what Facebook is doing with video, though. It’s totally not sexy. Not wrapped in a pretty client. No big deals with Viacom, etc. But I bet that in two years it’ll be something that changes the industry. Joost? Skinner? I don’t think so.
What do you think?
Oh, and don’t forget about the iPhone. Heheh.
Scobleizer 
I’ve been using Joost myself since the very beginning and I agree, it really has not stick yet?
For one (I know it was alpha/beta), but every other few days, I had to “re-download” the client as they make updates. While it is downloading, the ADD side of me would wonder off to watch YouTube, read blogs, twitter. And before I know it, i forgot I wanted to launch Joost.
I haven’t opened it up in weeks now, I bet the version I have is already outdated…
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I’ve been using Joost myself since the very beginning and I agree, it really has not stick yet?
For one (I know it was alpha/beta), but every other few days, I had to “re-download” the client as they make updates. While it is downloading, the ADD side of me would wonder off to watch YouTube, read blogs, twitter. And before I know it, i forgot I wanted to launch Joost.
I haven’t opened it up in weeks now, I bet the version I have is already outdated…
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Robert, I agree with you. I’ve been trying to do everything in the web browser, and recently, I’m able to do quite a bit inside Facebook. I use 30 Boxes for calendaring, Zoho Office suite for writing, and Twitter for shout-outs. Mail and RSS is handled by Gmail and Google reader. I use Adium for IM because it handles multiple IM clients with ease. I find myself with little need for custom desktop applications when I have almost everything I need in the browser.
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Robert, I agree with you. I’ve been trying to do everything in the web browser, and recently, I’m able to do quite a bit inside Facebook. I use 30 Boxes for calendaring, Zoho Office suite for writing, and Twitter for shout-outs. Mail and RSS is handled by Gmail and Google reader. I use Adium for IM because it handles multiple IM clients with ease. I find myself with little need for custom desktop applications when I have almost everything I need in the browser.
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I don’t disagree, but it’s not quite as black-and-white for me.
iTunes is an “AOL-style client”. Maybe you think that’s a poor product too, but I like it (breadth of content aside). For me, the client issue comes down to how well implemented the product/service is: Joost was launched with next to no content and a lot of issues, so was running a risk of turning consumers off on day 1 (but perhaps they feel the 1% who provide feedback are more vital to their long run success than those they switch off early).
In my business, games, there are other advantages to clients, especially when it comes to streaming graphics, distributed physics etc. Moreover, the size of the client is a strategic choice: Go browser only you get Runescape, go small client you get Second Life, go big client you get a more stable World of Warcraft type experience. All have their own unique appeal and downsides.
I would always download a client if it offers me a great service or product. I boot iTunes daily, I boot Joost never.
To me it’s just a windows games – I either have loads of tabs open in my browser or loads of tabs less one and a client window open. I bet your son can already handle multiple window overload easily too!
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I don’t disagree, but it’s not quite as black-and-white for me.
iTunes is an “AOL-style client”. Maybe you think that’s a poor product too, but I like it (breadth of content aside). For me, the client issue comes down to how well implemented the product/service is: Joost was launched with next to no content and a lot of issues, so was running a risk of turning consumers off on day 1 (but perhaps they feel the 1% who provide feedback are more vital to their long run success than those they switch off early).
In my business, games, there are other advantages to clients, especially when it comes to streaming graphics, distributed physics etc. Moreover, the size of the client is a strategic choice: Go browser only you get Runescape, go small client you get Second Life, go big client you get a more stable World of Warcraft type experience. All have their own unique appeal and downsides.
I would always download a client if it offers me a great service or product. I boot iTunes daily, I boot Joost never.
To me it’s just a windows games – I either have loads of tabs open in my browser or loads of tabs less one and a client window open. I bet your son can already handle multiple window overload easily too!
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I’d probably start using joost again if they had good content I can’t get anywhere else. I’d even leave my Safari for that.. 😉
Here in Germany it’s quite hard to get any TV shows from the US. You can’t buy them on iTunes and when they finally get aired they’re dubbed.
If joost gave me CSI and NCIS in English I’d use it ( I’d even pay for it ).. But I guess those CBS shows would be restricted to the US anyway.
If joost doesn’t fail for the reasons you mentioned, it’ll fail because everyone able to watch those TV shows through Joost can also watch them by just turning on the TV or using a dvr/slingbox.
Everyone else ( like me ) who’d like to watch the shows on Joost won’t be able to do that because they’re restricted to the US.
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I’d probably start using joost again if they had good content I can’t get anywhere else. I’d even leave my Safari for that.. 😉
Here in Germany it’s quite hard to get any TV shows from the US. You can’t buy them on iTunes and when they finally get aired they’re dubbed.
If joost gave me CSI and NCIS in English I’d use it ( I’d even pay for it ).. But I guess those CBS shows would be restricted to the US anyway.
If joost doesn’t fail for the reasons you mentioned, it’ll fail because everyone able to watch those TV shows through Joost can also watch them by just turning on the TV or using a dvr/slingbox.
Everyone else ( like me ) who’d like to watch the shows on Joost won’t be able to do that because they’re restricted to the US.
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“These things have another problem: the Web is a better video distribution network cause we don’t have to leave our browsers where we all feel comfortable.”
Not for me. I can’t wait for Sony @Home to come out, and I hope they do streaming video the PS3 too. Screw watching content on your computer.
You know what I do with video on my computer?
I put it right into /var/www/html, then I go right to my PS3, and I download it on the LAN in the PS3 web browser.
Then I watch it on TV.
If Sony can eliminate the middleman that would be great.
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“These things have another problem: the Web is a better video distribution network cause we don’t have to leave our browsers where we all feel comfortable.”
Not for me. I can’t wait for Sony @Home to come out, and I hope they do streaming video the PS3 too. Screw watching content on your computer.
You know what I do with video on my computer?
I put it right into /var/www/html, then I go right to my PS3, and I download it on the LAN in the PS3 web browser.
Then I watch it on TV.
If Sony can eliminate the middleman that would be great.
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I have created this special RSS feed that automatically turns Scoble & his son into Nokia fans! Hooray!
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.run?_id=1ERYphAs3BG0S_BZyzUFzw&_render=rss
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I have created this special RSS feed that automatically turns Scoble & his son into Nokia fans! Hooray!
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.run?_id=1ERYphAs3BG0S_BZyzUFzw&_render=rss
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IPTV is just starting to develop and mature. I can see the benefit of having a separate client to watch media inside. I’ve been using Joost on my media center pc connected to my TV. It looks great and works great. The user interface isn’t the best, but its evolving. Standard broadcast TV will be around for quite some time, but what about paid cable TV and Satellite services? Those paid services will get a run for their money from advertiser supported media services that are internet based. Check out my blog post about my IPTV musings coincidentally written yesterday @ http://thew0rd.com/2007/07/05/just-give-me-some-free-media/ I guess great minds think alike! Keep up the good work Scobleizer!
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IPTV is just starting to develop and mature. I can see the benefit of having a separate client to watch media inside. I’ve been using Joost on my media center pc connected to my TV. It looks great and works great. The user interface isn’t the best, but its evolving. Standard broadcast TV will be around for quite some time, but what about paid cable TV and Satellite services? Those paid services will get a run for their money from advertiser supported media services that are internet based. Check out my blog post about my IPTV musings coincidentally written yesterday @ http://thew0rd.com/2007/07/05/just-give-me-some-free-media/ I guess great minds think alike! Keep up the good work Scobleizer!
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Your son is a teenager. I would extrapolate from him to the rest of the world when you can do the same with all his behavior.
Not everyone has a desperate need to be the center of all innovation. One can watch a play without being on stage; one can read a book without having to be the central character. Perhaps rather than expecting the world to be like your son, you might want to consider introducing how the rest of the world lives, to him.
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Your son is a teenager. I would extrapolate from him to the rest of the world when you can do the same with all his behavior.
Not everyone has a desperate need to be the center of all innovation. One can watch a play without being on stage; one can read a book without having to be the central character. Perhaps rather than expecting the world to be like your son, you might want to consider introducing how the rest of the world lives, to him.
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I completely agree. Online video is conversational and two-way. It is about being INCLUDED, not excluded. Anyone can participate.
So much emphasis lately has been on the “player” (including Podtech, which has its own player). It isn’t about the player – it is about video that can be watched anywhere, on any device, at any time. It is about “open networks”.
My prediction: Joost will have to open up in about a year to compete with all of the other more “open” mechanisms that mainstream media syndicates their content to.
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I completely agree. Online video is conversational and two-way. It is about being INCLUDED, not excluded. Anyone can participate.
So much emphasis lately has been on the “player” (including Podtech, which has its own player). It isn’t about the player – it is about video that can be watched anywhere, on any device, at any time. It is about “open networks”.
My prediction: Joost will have to open up in about a year to compete with all of the other more “open” mechanisms that mainstream media syndicates their content to.
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Robert
One element I think will come in to play here, at least for a while, is advertising via web TV delivery systems. In the UK at least, companies pay millions to put an ad on a commercial channel and assume they reach their desired audience whereas Skinkers, Joost and others can pretty accurately determine who an ad will hit. There will be a shift in ad $ to this route (already is) but as you say, the users will determine the winner but I don’t think any of us can predict that just yet. Still too much to shake out 🙂
Steve
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Robert
One element I think will come in to play here, at least for a while, is advertising via web TV delivery systems. In the UK at least, companies pay millions to put an ad on a commercial channel and assume they reach their desired audience whereas Skinkers, Joost and others can pretty accurately determine who an ad will hit. There will be a shift in ad $ to this route (already is) but as you say, the users will determine the winner but I don’t think any of us can predict that just yet. Still too much to shake out 🙂
Steve
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I love the Joost concept, however after previewing it I also agree it’s UI and application has something to be desired. The content issue has to be addressed as well…not including user submitted/voted on content is just plane techno-sacrilege these days.
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I love the Joost concept, however after previewing it I also agree it’s UI and application has something to be desired. The content issue has to be addressed as well…not including user submitted/voted on content is just plane techno-sacrilege these days.
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I don’t think any of you have mentioned the fact that Joost will be offering a set top box. This will effectively cancel some of your concerns in regards to viewing longer content on the computer. Also, the game is just beginning, watching a short news clip on NYTIMES is not what joost is about. It is about adding a level of interaction to T.V. that these other services fail to do. Just wait till you can right-click a video that was shot on a beach, and using your travelocity widget launch a browser with possible vacation packages to that destination. Joost is providing solutions to problems you don’t even know you have. We have all accepted the static broadcast system and don’t see that someone it taking the lid off this thing! Stay tuned your veils will be lifted.
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I don’t think any of you have mentioned the fact that Joost will be offering a set top box. This will effectively cancel some of your concerns in regards to viewing longer content on the computer. Also, the game is just beginning, watching a short news clip on NYTIMES is not what joost is about. It is about adding a level of interaction to T.V. that these other services fail to do. Just wait till you can right-click a video that was shot on a beach, and using your travelocity widget launch a browser with possible vacation packages to that destination. Joost is providing solutions to problems you don’t even know you have. We have all accepted the static broadcast system and don’t see that someone it taking the lid off this thing! Stay tuned your veils will be lifted.
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Just an aside, what’s the “Microsoft’s new P2P video distribution…”? LiveStation is Skinkers media streamer but where is Microsoft’s? People do realize LiveStation *isn’t* Microsoft, right?
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Just an aside, what’s the “Microsoft’s new P2P video distribution…”? LiveStation is Skinkers media streamer but where is Microsoft’s? People do realize LiveStation *isn’t* Microsoft, right?
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