Get Joost

Joost (pronounced ‘juiced’) is an interactive software for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer tv technology, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis the same two that founded Skype and Kazaa.

Joost began development in 2006. Working under the code name “The Venice Project”. The program is based on P2PTV technology and promises near-TV resolution images. In short it turns your PC into on-demand Television without any need for hardware. News updates, discussion forums, show ratings, and multi-user chat sessions (often linked to the active stream/channel) are made possible through the use of semi-transparent widget overlays….

widgets…yes widgets…

Joost’s “Composition”

- Based on XULRunner
- Audio from ZAP Media Kit.
- P2P layer from the Joltid company, (they did Skype’s p2p layer)
-Video playback utilizes the CoreCodec, CoreAVC H.264 video decoder.

I think this one is going to be large. Still in closed beta, but I know a beta tester…hmmmm.

Then we have Zattoo

OK No bad Fantasy Island puns.

Zattoo is a proprietary P2PTV system (as I understand it) focused on the European market. As of December 2006, the product is in public beta testing. The player is based on H.264 (QuickTime and ffmpeg), and is Mac OS X and Windows XP compatible. It needs a minimum downstream bandwidth of 400kbps client side.

On to China and TVUnetworks and TVUPlayer

TVUnetworks is an Internet-based P2PTV company based in China. Interesting. The software they produce is called TVUPlayer, which uses peer-to-peer technology to distribute TV stations from a global selection.

Chew on some Babelgum

Babelgum is software developed by Babel Networks, from former Fastweb’s founder Silvio Scaglia started in 2005 with the aim to develop interactive software for distributing TV shows and other forms of video over the Web using peer-to-peer tv technology.

Go left with Zudeo

Zudeo is both a BitTorrent client and content service by Azureus, Inc. The website allows users to upload, download and share video content using this client. Unlike video sharing websites such as YouTube, Zudeo focuses on DVD-quality and high-definition video content

Why do I bring it up now? Because I don’t see many people talking about it…or maybe I am not listening to the right people. I know Joost is on some of my colleague’s radar…but what of the rest?

Bonus Points

- Revenue Sharing
- Interactive T.V.
- Web 2.0
- Social and Media

1000 Bonus Points if you can figure out what traditional affiliate network was way too early for the rise of P2PTV and related technology.

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