Video Site Joost Reboots as a Hulu Clone

On Tuesday, Joost, the much-hyped Internet video service, will relaunch as a Flash-based online video hub with free, ad-supported television shows and films — or, in other words, a clone of Hulu.com, the popular Web site jointly owned by NBC and Fox. New York Times Bits Blog reports.

"The new Flash-based site also abandons Joost’s original peer-to-peer method of distributing video, although Mr. Volpi said the company might still use the technology to broadcast live events.

... In addition to new youth-oriented social networking features, which allow users to share their favorite programs with friends, the new Joost.com will feature full-length shows from CBS, Viacom and the Warner Bros. Television Group.

Most of that material can be found elsewhere on the Web. To really compete with Hulu’s deep library and YouTube’s sheer volume of user-generated video, Joost will have to build its own trove of find-it-nowhere-else material."

emily | 8:50 AM | Video on Demand |
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