Eric Friedman – Marketing.fm

I have been using the beta version of Joost more and more lately. A recent post from the Advertising Lab got me thinking about Joost again. Recently Adam covered his experience with Joost on Marketing.fm. The improvements that have been made are only matched by the increased content I am finding throughout. The recent addition of content from Viacom has made a big difference. Check this explanation of Joost for more information. The product is currently in beta and only available via invitations given out by beta users.

Tonight I watched the Comedy Central show Dog Bites Man.

It was great to watch a program without ads – as I do on my regular TV via DVR.

I did not see an ad until I started watching the National Geographic channel for the show Lions of Darkness. I believe this show has been on Joost since it started – at least since I started beta testing it.

This show was in true National Geographic style; brutally honest, and excellent.

I have been contemplating the idea of what it would really take for me, or anyone, to turn off traditional television cable service. I think I am approaching that point as programs like Joost continue to increase their content. It will take a considerable amount of easy to access content as well as my favorite shows, but I can see that happening within the next few years.

I also do not mind the commercials within Joost. The only one I saw was for Eclipse gum. The funny part about the commercial was that it explains where to enjoy the gum – at home or at work. It also states “if you do not have a job you should not be watching TV” – is this TV? I am still undecided on the naming convention.

The best part for me is the ability to put Joost into a smaller window somewhere on my desktop and have it running in the background. I enjoy this as its a way to keep the program running (while listening) if I am in another program. What is missing is the ability to make it “always on top”, which would be ideal. I would also like it to have the “snap to” functionality of such programs as Winamp which “snap” to grids setup by your already open windows. This would allow you to “dock” the video window somewhere specific and it would conform to the outlines of what is already open.

I believe this is the future monetization method of delivering online video. I foresee some major developments in the advertising we see around this content. In the coming months or years I predict there will be an ever present “contextual” video advertisement in the corner or perhaps at the commercial break showing content relevant to the show you are watching. This is exactly the type of thing Google is probably working on right now. YouTube will be the ultimate testing ground for this type of system given the diverse amount of video clips.

Conclusion:
I believe in Joost as a strong contender for the future of online video delivery. They have found a way to license content that people want to watch. They have built software capable of delivering this video supported by ads for free. The only negative that I see right now is the fact that it is a standalone download. This takes it out of the “cloud” of webware and all users. Currently there are Mac and Windows versions available. During the current beta phase I have not seen any bandwidth delays or problems. The one true test will be when Joost opens its doors to the masses and survives the initial demand for content. By rolling out the network slowly via invites they are most likely testing the limits of the system. My best advice would be to continue the growth organically for as long as it takes to scale the support to handle millions of simultaneous users. With the press and hype that already surround this product you can expect mass early usage and that experience will define the success of Joost.