Still, when the app settles down and works properly, it will be a nice addition to the iPhone. Lots of great shows to watch while wiling away the hours on a plane. At least until the battery runs out.

Wonh, woonnh. Seems Joost is acting up with the live streams of the NCAA games.

I was able to get a split-second worth of one of those stupid cell shaded Charles Schwab commercials but every other time I’ve tried to get a one of the games loaded up, I’ve been getting an error message. Joost did say “we fully expect things to go wrong,” so I’ll keep trying patiently and understandingly.

Anyone else trying to use Joost to watch the games? Any luck?

Joost LIVE Test with NCAA March Madness [Joost]

There’s a fair amount of warning that this is a test of Joost’s live streaming capabilities, so take that into consideration if you’re hell bent on being able to watch the games reliably. There’s also CBSSports.com’s live stream as well, so you’ve got a couple great options.

Oh NFL, why can’t you be more like the NCAA?

Joost Live Test with NCAA March Madness [Joost.com]

Let me rephrase that title in the form of a statement instead of a question. We better see a browser-based Joost in the near future.

With the impending release of the H.264 codec into Flash Player 9 and its ability to do high quality, full screen video inside a web browser, downloading and installing an external program like Joost is going to become an inconvenient extra step.

Joost knows this and is working on a browser-based version that will be released "when we can deliver the quality that Joost is known for," according to Joost CEO Mike Volpi.

Whether a small P2P program will need to be downloaded to handle the actual transfers — versus a simple browser plugin — is unknown but here’s hoping that it’s a simple plugin so that getting Joost running on any computer you’re will be a quick and painless process, especially since other browser-based services are expected to come out soon.

Joost Coming To The Browser? [TechCrunch.com]

WiTV, short for Wireless Internet TV, requires nothing but a web browser yet it’s designed to behave like internet television services Joost, BabelGum, and VeohTV. The service was announced a few months ago but has recently dropped some user interface photos for the world to see. It looks very slick and easy to navigate although I can’t help but wonder about the “slick” part as it relates to current broadband speeds. For something like this to closely emulate television by using nothing but a web browser and (presumably) Flash would be quite a sight to behold, likely requiring an uberfast connection.

Whether or not it’s possible is one thing. Assuming it is, there’s then the question of content. WiTV will be taking the Joost route, trying to woo the big media companies into providing quality consumables for you and me. Joost in its current form is a pretty cool service but, let’s face it, not many of us are ready to kick cable to the curb quite yet. Furthermore, unlike Joost, WiTV will not be P2P. There will be a central server that everyone uses and only time will tell if WiTV is going experience any growing pains as more and more people sign up.

I hope to hell this service is everything it’s cracked up to be because it seems very cool. It’s supposed to work on most internet-enabled devices including AppleTV, Xbox 360, and cell phones — no fuss, no muss. More info and screen shots over at Web TV Wire…

WiTV Sneak Preview With Screenshots – Better than Joost? [Web TV Wire]

Joost is slick looking, I agree. Joost doesn’t have good enough programming to completely disrupt mainstream television, I agree. Live TV is overrated? Disagree. You’ve gotta have live TV for news, weather, and sports. That’s the biggest thing I see holding Joost back. Laguna Beach isn’t good programming? Agree, and I’ll throw in a “Laguna Beach is one of the worst shows in the history of American television. Same goes for The Hills.”

What I find most exciting about Joost is its potential for peripherals that hook directly into your TV. Coming from the same people that brought Skype into our lives, it’d be great to see them accessorize Joost similar to what they’ve done with Skype. After all, you can’t disrupt TV if you have to watch everything on your computer.

Joost: Battle of the Sexes [LAPTOP Magazine]

Looks like hotshot startup Joost is gaining even more credibility as a true alternative to standard television. It just struck a deal with VH1 that will allow Joost to showcase the new series “I Hate My 30s” a full 10 days before it even hits TVs around the country. With over 500,000 people using Joost, VH1 knows this is a great way to attract people to its programming.

The deal also puts the pressure on other companies like YouTube to start making deals and partnerships with channels. Would you rather watch Days of Our Lives on your regular TV during the daytime or have the power to fire up Joost and watch your favorite prime-time shows? Thought so.

Joost to offer exclusive early look at VH1’s “30s” [Reuters]

Microsoft LiveStation is kind of a Joost-meets-Orb except that it’s live TV (unlike Joost) only and it requires broadcasters to participate (unlike Orb). The guy in the video refers to LiveStation as “Slingbox without the box.” Sort of, but Slingbox doesn’t require broadcaster participation. He’s dead on about the box, though. Slingbox does have a box, LiveStation does not.

LiveStation’s got a real purtty mouth — programmed using Microsoft’s new Silverlight technology and looking to replicate the real-life experience of flipping through your TV channels. I think that this could be a great service, in theory, if they can talk all the major broadcasters into signing on.

That’s going to be a pretty spicy meatball, though. I’ll be floored if they can get sticklers like Major League Baseball, the NFL, and dinosaurs like NBC to play along. The more progressive hipsters like the NHL and, to some extent, ABC and CBS might be easier to woo. Microsoft does have friends in some pretty high places so maybe they’ll be able to pull it off after all.

If this LiveStation project does come to fruition, guess who’s really going to throw a hissy fit? That’s right, your local cable company (and probably DirecTV). I’ve been wanting to bid adieu to shelling out $100/month for TV for quite some time, but there’s been no viable alternative that works well enough to replace TV.

If I could get most of the same channels that I get through Comcast via LiveStation or a similar service, you’d see me pushing Comcast out the door to endure the walk of shame home wearing my least favorite sweatshirt. You can keep the sweatshirt Comcast. I don’t want it back. Not if it means talking to you ever again.

Of course, the holy grail of TV would be a mixture of Slingbox, Joost, Orb, and LiveStation. Ubiquitous access from any computer or TV set, DVR functionality, and free or low-cost access. I think that Joost will ultimately come closest but the Slingboxes, Orbs, and LiveStations of the world will still fill that need for up-to-the-minute news and live sports. It hasn’t been said that LiveStation won’t offer PVR and time-shifting functionality down the road. If they do, they could have a real winner here.

UPDATE: Apparently, this is not a Microsoft project. London-based Skinkers is developing the service independent of Microsoft after purchasing the rights to a Microsoft Research project. Sorry for the confusion.

Microsoft LiveStation: Slingbox Without the Box [TechCrunch]

Joost may be getting a lot of attention lately, but it’s surely not the only new player in the TV-on-the-web game. Veoh claims that, while Joost embraces the old-school channel style of cable TV, their VeohTV service takes it a step further with DVR-like capabilities. VeohTV lets you watch any video on the web, not just channels of pre-selected content, and allows you to record what you want to watch later. Even streaming video. VeohTV is launching in limited beta later this week and will become available to all later this year.

I Want My Veoh [Business2.0]

You can’t throw a stone on the Internet without hitting at least half a dozen video sharing Web sites. Mashable, which covers social networks and the like, put together a list of 33 different, totally free ways to watch TV and other video online. The list includes the usual suspects like YouTube and Joost (where’s Break.com?) but there’s also several lesser known ones. Be sure to check out some of those like Peekvid, where you’ll find the first episode of ALF. Adios, productivity.

33 Ways to Watch Free TV Online [Mashable]

Two things show a company is getting ramped up to enter a business – filing for patents and lining up a trademark.

Microsoft has done both in the online video arena and could be in a position to take on Joost. A recently filed trademark image and a look at Joost matched up to Microsoft’s video + chat patent after the jump.

The symbol shown to the right was recently trademarked by Microsoft under the following business description:

computer software for delivery of broadcast-quality video and television programming over broadband, cable, satellite and wireless networks; computer software for providing video-on-demand services; downloadable films and TV programs provided via video-on-demand; computer software for transmitting personal photos, video and music over broadband, cable, satellite and wireless networks; computer software for digital video recording; and computer software for providing a programming guide to display available video and television broadcasts and downloads

Interesting. Even more so when reading a recent issued patent that Microsoft received covering delivering network TV + Chat. With momentum building with Joost as a early front running IPTV player, Microsoft could be building up to a launch of its own.

As an overview, Wikipedia’s Joost entry describes its technology as: P2PTV technology and is expected to deliver (relaying) near-TV resolution images. It turns a PC into an instant on-demand TV without any need for additional set top box. 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.

An example of Microsoft’s claim with Joost’s description in mind:

While this patent may or may not be a direct issue for Joost, Microsoft’s move to get a logo, accumulate a portfolio of IP and a recent purchase of advertising platform aQuantive are a lot of pieces of a building puzzle.

Microsoft Trademarks Video Service [TechAddress]
Microsoft Enhanced TV [CG]

http://crunchgear.com/2007/05/29/linux-indy-car-just-plain-sucks/

While Linux may not suck, its official Indy car definitely does. A group of hopeful, brash Linux users got together for the Tux 500 campaign to raise enough money to slap a Tux sticker on the front of an Indy car. Sure enough, the dorks succeeded and managed to get car #77 to put the sticker on the front. Shortly after the Indianapolis 500 began on Sunday, the car crashed and took an extensive amount of time to fix.

So, by the end of the race, the car has came in last place. Just like the cheese-doodle-eating nerds who get the fat chick at the bar. Hey, at least the Joost-sponsored car came in seventh! That is definitely ftw.

Tux the penguin waddles to last place in Indy 500; Joost fares better [News.com]

Joost Network Architecture [ScaryIdeas]

I know, I know: I owe you guys Joost invites. I’ll try to put something together next week, but as we’re learning today the service is massively overburdened. According to Liz over at NewTeeVee, they’ve been having all sorts of trouble on their Intel Macs and that Joost is looking into the problems as we speak.

I tried Joost for a little while last week and I found fairly usable, if a little silly. Watching TV on a computer is difficult. If you’re not completely engrossed, you’re essentially generating white noise for yourself and if you’re engrossed, you’re not doing any work. I think it’s a compelling idea — building out a homebrew broadcasting service from the ground up — but I’m worried about its long-term value.

Joost is Error Prone [NewTeeVee]

First, the big news: as of today, existing users of Joost — everyone’s favorite TV thing that no one quite understands but everyone wants — can share invites with their friends. If you know someone who wants Joost, you can now give it to them. That kicks ass.

Joost is also now offering content from Turner Broadcasting System for download over Joost. The deal includes programming from CNN, Adult Swim, Hasbro (!!), the NHL, Sports Illustrated, and Sony Pictures Television.

What does this mean for you and me? We’ll get to watch some ATHF, some Robot Chicken and some hockey. You can also pick up a little Larry King Live — you know you like that — and Turner South programming like Off the Menu, a show that is presumably about the secret foods you get get from… Southern people?

The best part?

Joost viewers will be able to watch two channels based on legendary Hasbro properties – TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE. The TRANSFORMERS channel will feature full-length episodes of the original “G1” TRANSFORMERS animated series, which launched the epic feud between the AUTOBOTS and the DECEPTICONS, later this month. The G.I. JOE channel will broadcast full-length episodes of “G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO,” the iconic series that introduced kids to the “Joe team” and the evil COBRA COMMANDER in 1982. These programs will be available exclusively online through Joost in the U.S.

Ummm… go Joe?

Website

Apple TV already seems to be pleasing every owner who has received a unit. With loads of fantastic features already, you thought it couldn’t get any better, right? Well now a school of tinkerers over at TutorialNinjas have gotten Joost to successfully operate on an Apple TV. Aside from minor issues, it seems to be working out quite well. Joost + XviD hack + Apple TV features = simply amazing.

But be warned! Getting Joost to run on an Apple TV is going to require both time and effort, as well as a dash of patience. The process looks long, but with a six-pack of Dogfish Head and a great CD, you’ll be able to finish the job in an afternoon, Tiger.

Joost successfully run on Apple TV [Joost Team]

I wasn’t really following the Joost train but now my interest is piqued. Ars Technica got their hands on the OS X client and was duly impressed. Except for a few odd problems, it looks like it’s running quite well and is an exact replica of the Windows client.

As much as I like Media Center and hopefully will like Apple TV, this looks like the future. Just as Skype has replaced our dreams of running a standalone video phone in the kitchen, Joost, and services like it, may replace our dream of dedicated IPTV hardware. Give me some TV in a little window in the corner of my screen and I’m a happy man.

First look: Joost 0.8 beta for the Mac [ArsTechnica]

You may remember that last week, Viacom demanded that YouTube pull 100,000 copyrighted videos own that belonged to the media giant. Turns out, it wasn’t just because some guy uploaded an old Hall & Oates video, rather Viacom has decided to go with Joost instead.

That’s right: Joost users will be able to enjoy programming from networks like MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon thanks to a new deal in the works between Joost and Viacom. Now if everyone plays their cards right, Joost could very well end up being a YouTube killer.

Viacom lands video deal with Joost

Om Malik and his blog New Tee Vee are giving away 100 invites to Joost for Mac users. Those of you rockin’ an Intel-based Mac can register for Joost and download the alpha version of the program. All you have to do is just give a little feedback and you’re golden. The contest started yesterday but there’s still time left to make it in!

UPDATE – No more Joost, kids. Stop creating a spam farm.

Joost for Mac, Alpha today, Beta next week [New Tee Vee]