Earlier today I asked the question: how long before we see Internet TV service, Joost, running on some kind of a set-top-box? Within “the next 18 months”, answers CEO Mike Volpi, during a video interview conducted by Liz Gannes over at NewTeeVee*, to coincide with Joost’s full public launch.
Volpi explains that Joost’s current user base is made up of a younger “early adopter” demographic who are comfortable with viewing content from the Internet TV service on a PC or Mac, as they already do when “popping in a DVD” or browsing sites like YouTube. However, for Joost to go mainstream, the service will need to run on other platforms.
“Over the long term I think we kind of expect that… we have to have to other platforms that attach to the television set because we are delivering a high quality viewing experience”, says Volpi.
“When you want to reach out to 35 – 40 – 45 – 50 year old kind of demographic you really have to have the television as a viewing platform. Our entire design is oriented around that. Those kind of folks are not early adopters, they’re not as prone to trying out new things and changing their ways of doing things, so that’s not where we starting.”
As it stands, Volpi doesn’t think Joost is quite ready for mass consumption.
“I wouldn’t expect the mainstream to go with Joost [yet]. I would expect the mainstream would probably get to Joost when they see the platform on television.”
When can we expect to see Joost on a set-top-box?
“As soon as we can get it to work right and we have some good partners, because we won’t do the hardware, we’ll rely on partners. But, you know, the next 18 months.”, Volpi tells NewTeeVee.
As previously noted, whether those partners will be consumer electronic companies who sell direct to consumers and whose products run on the “open” Internet or manufacturers who target telco or cable companies who already offer IPTV services running on their own “closed”networks, remains to be seen. Although, right now, the former looks the most likely.
* Our request for an interview with a high level exec. at Joost was recently turned down as the company “isn’t currently doing interviews”. Go figure.
