Comments on: What is on tonight? Not Joost.com

By: gijsbregt

gijsbregt — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:40:23 +0000

@ Rutger
I agree fully: channels are of the past. Since linear (even analogue) television will be around for a while, it is better not to try to compete with that (i.e. channeled thinking). So to make a difference it takes a revolution not an evolution. The ipodisation of TV, so to speak.

@ Boris
I spoke the CTO of Joost in December (van Gulik), he stated that it took 2-3 years: from an idea, through a whitelabel Taipei producer, through Philips development & production to the shopfloor.
Personally I think the timing argument is less important than the walled garden argument. No one will buy more than one settopbox, so they better be universal. The best solution of course being a TV with an internetplug next to the “normal” cable plug.

By: Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten

Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:02:41 +0000

No Gijsbregt, AppleTv is huge failure. But not because it took them three years to develop but because it has limited features. Something that can be fixed with software. Which is where could Joost come in.

By: Rutger van Waveren

Rutger van Waveren — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:07:57 +0000

I think it’s about 2 things: distribution and content (especially how it’s organized and personalized). Both are walled gardens right now. If Joost opens up they will survive.

A hardware device could be a solution, but getting into the browser is more important at this time.

I very much agree with you on the channel paradigm Joost is stuck in. It is not about channels! Unbundle the channels. This is old fashioned push media. You would think that Joost – as digital natives – would understand.

By: Gijsbregt

Gijsbregt — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:29:07 +0000

@boris
And Apple TV is a hugh success?
Clearly, it is not “just” that.

By: Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten

Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:20:11 +0000

I don’t agree that a Settop box takes too long to develop. Consider the Apple TV. It is JUST a computer in an attractive box that connects to the web.

By: Mark Cheverton

Mark Cheverton — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:13:09 +0000

If Joost want to get their content onto the TV, then set-top is not the way to go. As is said above the lead time and rapid obsolescence of the hardware is difficult to manage unless you’re a big service.

Practically all they have to do is setup Joost as a upnp server. The xbox 360 can act as a upnp media renderer and your content can be streamed over your home network from your tv to this or any other upnp renderer such as windows media center.

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:40:26 +0000

“..Joost should start making some headlines soon..”

They’ve made plenty of headlines, but it’s pretty much all been hot air and hype. If they did as good a job delivering their core service as the PR company have done delivering their service, then Joost’ll walk it.

By: Gijsbregt

Gijsbregt — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:32:54 +0000

Settopboxes are a fight of the past. It takes 2-3 years building one and by then all the (better) TV’s will stream IP-content as well.
Besides: which consumer is going to buy all the settopboxes and gameconsoles needed to get the content which is already on TV and can be taped with a DVR.
The future is a meta-EPG/videoplayer, which will be internet based. Veoh.com has the best papers as we speak. Google will be strong (as always(, but a next level EPG is necessary to merge the convenience of the TV with the abundance of the internet.