Skype founders unveil Joost Internet TV service
By John Pospisil
The cofounders of Skype, Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, have unveiled an online television service, Joost.
Hopefully there’ll be more to watch than this on Joost
The new television service is currently in restricted beta, but will aim to offer users a TV-like experience, but with more Web 2.0 choice, control and flexibility.
Zennström and Friis sold Skype to eBay for $2.6 billion in 2005.
“People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content,” said Fredrik de Wahl, chief executive officer of Joost.
“With Joost, we’ve married that consumer desire with the industry’s interests.”
Joost claims to be the “first global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment”. The company guarantees copyright protection for content owners.
Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection. It offers broadcast quality video and is free for viewers.
“We’ve received positive and constructive feedback from our early beta-testers and are now at a stage where we’re ready to reveal our true brand,” said de Wahl.
“The Joost name has global appeal, embodies fun and energy, and will come to define the ‘best of TV and the best of the Internet’”.
We’ve applied to become beta testers and we will report on our experiences once we get a chance to try our the new service.
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May 24th, 2007
I saw the article in Newsweek on Joost and had to find out more details. Is there anyone out there that has tried this out already? How do you get a Beta-version?