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Weekly wrapup, 20 – 24 August 2007 »

Wallstrip interviews Joost CEO Mike Volpi

by Steve O'Hear

August 24th, 2007 | Posted in Net TV | CommentsComments

Wallstrip interviews Joost CEO Mike VolpiWallstrip, one of my favorite online video shows, has bagged an interview with recently appointed Joost CEO, Mike Volpi. In this week’s episode, host Lindsay Campbell and Volpi discuss the company’s pitch to content owners, how the service differs from competing Internet TV offerings, and the value proposition Joost is offering to advertisers.

A few key quotes from Volpi during the interview:

  • On Joost’s appeal to content owners: “We are very focussed on copy-protected content… everything on Joost is legitimate… all of our content providers are professional.”
  • The competition: “…right now you have CBS news and you have YouTube… and there’s a gaping hole in the middle.” [Joost's niche, says Volpi, is that it's professional, on-demand, and targeted content.]
  • On the viewing experience: “A high quality experience that’s full screen… the viewing experience is more television-like.” [Translucent menus blah, blah, blah]
    “More of a TV-viewing experience rather than a classical web with a small screenshot.”
  • Advertising: “We know a little about you [demographics] and all of your viewing history”. As a result, advertising on Joost, says Volpi, will be less intrusive and highly targeted. [This isn't new information or unique to Joost, but it sounds a lot more scary hearing Volpi describe Joost's big brother tendencies out loud. Would you want your cable company to keep a record of everything you've watched?]

Watch the full Wallstrip episode after the jump.

last100 is edited by technology journalist and consultant Steve O'Hear. Aside from founding last100, Steve has written for numerous publications, including The Guardian, ZDNet, ReadWriteWeb and Macworld, and also wrote and directed the Silicon Valley documentary, In Search of the Valley.

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  • Joost is great - but still lacking in content. It does fill a hole, but it is also a hole that others are filling and better. For example, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX all have their own online offerings - though limited in the fact that they only offer content on their own network. Still, many of the shows they offer are much better than the shows Joost offers. Joost is still too focused on the small-time and also lacks comprehensiveness - a few episodes from this, a few from that. Who wants to watch four episodes? Episodes out of order? Etc.?
  • the approach from Joost is quite clear, and that is good. The market gap for a service like this does exist, but maybe not as clear as Mike presents.

    It is very clear that based on this interview, just will gun for the existing TV users, and hopefully be able to put down their foot in that competition. Will be fun to see
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