Joost is coming, Joost is coming! The Best of TV and The Web

We've been hearing rumors about this one for months, and though we still haven't tested it on any of our systems, we thought you'd be interested in the "Next Big Thing":

"You won’t find videos of laughing babies, choreographed wedding routines, or epic karaoke performances on Joost. Unlike YouTube, this new online video site is not a hub for user-generated content, but rather a potential revolution in the way people watch network television. Formerly known by the code name The Venice Project, Joost is being launched by the same powerhouse dotcom entrepreneurs (Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom) also responsible for Kazaa and Skype, which naturally has created a lot of buzz for it.

Currently invitation-only with plans to open up to the public this summer, Joost brings good old regular TV to the Internet for viewing. Although it is similar to Slingbox in that the application enables you to watch TV on your computer, Joost is poised to be a hit in its ease of use: users simply download free software to “tune in”. A deal with Viacom is already in place, in which Joost will be airing MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central programming, as well as Paramount movies. Real time programming from networks such as National Geographic, Lime, and international TV distributor JumpTV will also be accessible for Joost users. For networks that fear YouTube, Joost may be the answer."

via trendcentral