Break loose from your TV with Joost

Today I am continuing my tests for the TV for free series with my review of Joost. As in the other tests, I am grading on the aspects of video quality, show selection, user interface, and commercial interruptions. I should add that Joost is different from the two services that I have reviewed because it requires you to download the application to use the service. So lets jump right in.

Joost has good video quality with a high enough resolution for good viewing in full-screen mode. The video quality differs by provider, but all providers are selected for their ability to provide video that meets Joost’s quality standards. On a side note, I was a little disappointed that none of the video was able to fill up my big new monitor.

As for show selection, Joost has a large catalog. Joost uses a system of channels to organize video clips. You can even build your own channels with individual clips. Indie content make up most of the video on Joost, but CBS and Viacom (includes networks such as MTV and BET) are now on-board. Negotiations are currently underway with FOX to get their shows on Joost.

More importantly, full episodes of popular shows are usually available. I found that Jericho is a great channel because you can watch the entire season, but many mainstream shows have at least a few full episodes available.

Something interesting that I found out is that the Joost channel lineup differs by location since Joost automatically blocks content based on where you are viewing from. This is done using an IP address trace. I would guess that the U.S. has the largest channel selection.

Joost’s user interface is very polished, pleasing to the eye, and just downright cool. I’m no design expert, but Joost should be up for some kind of award. Transparency, colors, and other effects are all used to achieve a great overall effect.

Customization with widgets is a big part of the user interface. Joost includes various widgets that include a clock, instant messaging client, blogging interface, news ticker, and channel chat. Great for the habitual multi-tasker.

I like to use the clock and news ticker while watching TV. I also tried out the Blog This widget (where you blog about what you are watching), but I couldn’t get it to work. It says that it works with Livejournal.com, TypePad.com, and WordPress.com, but there was an error logging in. I don’t know about the instant messaging widget since I don’t have Gmail or Jabber. Joost even provides the tools to create your own widgets. You can learn about creating widgets or download user submitted ones from the Joost Widget developers site.

Commercial interruptions on Joost are very minimal. Ads are displayed between shows sometimes, but you are free to skip them unlike most other free TV services. Sometimes an annoying bubble ad was displayed on the screen over the show I was watching, but I think this only happens on certain channels such as the ones provided by CBS.

I only had a few minor complaints with Joost. The first is that it’s more difficult to find shows on Joost than on the other services that I’ve tested. Don’t get me wrong. The organization is good, but it’s just not as good as hulu.

My next complaint is probably the biggest that I have. Sometimes I found it irritating that Joost allows little user customization besides widgets. For example, it would be nice to be able to choose if you wanted to have the popup bubbles for sharing and next video on or off.

My final complaint is that you are required to register to use the service. I know this is really minor since registration is free just like the service is, but I don’t like being forced to register to use something.

Overall Joost is a solid TV service with a good channel lineup, beautiful interface, and bright future. Although the program is still under development, the list of necessary changes is small. If Joost can get some more mainstream shows in its collection, I could see it replacing your cable company in the near future.

You can view the gallery of screen shots that I took of Joost here. Joost is free software available for Windows and Mac OS X. You can download it from the Joost website here.

In the next installment of the TV for free series I will be reviewing Miro, a late entrant to the testing, so be sure to check back.