Joost Streams Your Favorite TV Shows With New Web-Based Tools
Joost, the video streaming service, has rolled out a revamped website designed to shift Joost from desktop client to web-based video service. Starting today you can now watch Joost video directly in your web browser.
It’s been a while since we last checked in with Joost, and quite a few things have changed. You can of course still access Joost’s content through the old desktop clients, but the far easier way is to watch Joost video through your browser.
Although the transition isn’t complete, Joost plans to be completely web-based in very near future. At the moment you’ll need to install a Joost plugin, though when the rest of the changes are launched next month everything will be Flash-based, eliminating the need for the plugin.
Content-wise Joost has grown considerably since we last looked at it. The service has also done quite a bit to simplify browsing for videos. There are currently some 35,000 videos on Joost, which are split into three main categories: Shows, Music and Film.
While Joost offers a nice selection of professional content, I had stopped using it because launching a separate application seemed unnecessary when sites like Hulu and others let me watch video right in the browser.
However, the revamped Joost (which is no doubt a response to the growth of other profession content sites like Hulu) eliminates most of the headache. The plugin requirement is a one-time install and once it’s done you can use Joost exclusively through the browser.
Joost has also improved the social features of the site, and there’s quite a few more changes in store. Already you can share shows with friends, leave comments, favorite episodes and more. There’s also a “stealth mode” you can use when if you don’t want your friends to know that you’ve spent all day watching reruns of The OC.
If you’ve been ignoring Joost because it was too difficult to use, the revamped site should eliminate most of your worries. Once it goes all-Flash next month, Joost may well be the easiest way to watch your favorite TV shows on the web.
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