Joost Re-Invents Itself

Flash back a year or so and you might remember that getting your hands on a Joost invite was all the rage. The web a buzz over the new video streaming video site, and people would do almost anything to get in the door to check it out. Now over a year and half later Joost has all but been forgotten.

In an attempt to remedy that the company has decided to stop broadcasting videos through its standalone application, and will instead join the ranks of many other video Web sites broadcasting video via a flash based interface directly from it's site.

Originally launched back in October Joost's new Flash-based, download-free service at www.joost.com, has a social design element meant to help people navigate through their favorite videos. To help reinforce their social side Joost implemented Facebook Connect, which allows people to enjoy Joost within the context of their real identity and friendships on Facebook, as well as adding a Joost application for the iPhone and iPod touch. Additionally the company says it is working with a number of third-party platforms, including Boxee, chumby, Delicious, Digg, FriendFeed, Lifestream, Meebo, Mister Wong, Netlog, Netvibes, reddit and VideoSurf, to make it easier for people to use and access Joost across the web.

In it's October announcement Joost claimed to have more than 46,000 professionally-produced videos for a total of more than 8,000 hours of video entertainment. Some of Joost’s partners include CBS (Entertainment, News and Sports, and classic library content), Showtime, Last.fm, Wallstrip, Moblogic; Viacom, including Atom, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, LOGO, MTV, The N, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1 programming; television series and full-length feature films from Sony Pictures Television; and the Warner Bros. Television Group, which is partnering with Joost on three branded channels in the U.S.: The WB (featuring complete episodes of hit series, including “Friends,” and original digital productions from TheWB.com), Classic WB TV (boasting full-length episodes of classic favorites from the Warner Bros. collection of series) and WB Sci Fi Fix (featuring complete episodes of the Studio’s most popular science fiction titles).

Earlier this month Joost added 11 new content providers and more recently Joost bolstered their Indie music catalog with the addition of nine independent music labels and aggregators. Boosting the total to more than 18,000 music assets – including music videos, interviews and live performances – available in the Music section of Joost.com.