Popular Internet TV software program Joost turned one this week, and it's finally available as a free download for the masses.
For those not lucky enough to get on Joost during its invite-only period this year, Joost is the darling of the new wave of internet television. From the same software mavericks that brought us Skype and Kazaa, Joost has quickly become one of the best streaming television programs out there, with over 150,000 TV shows on over 250 channels, according to the company's website. Even though it has operated as an invite-only service until now, it managed to bring in over one million users and provides an extensive library of programs with a slick user interface.
Before you get started with Joost, make sure your computer meets the system requirements. Even by modern standards, Joost's requirements are quite stringent: you'll need a modern graphics card with at least 32 MB of video RAM, 512 MB of RAM, DirectX 9 (for Windows users), Windows XP SP 1 or higher, or Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. Sorry, no Linux version yet, although Joost fans are rallying for a Linux version in the Joost forums. Another caveat: Joost streams its content over the Internet, so a broadband Internet connection is required.
Joost interface with Aqua Teen Hunger Force playing in the background.
It uses up a lot of data as well, so if your service provider charges you per data transferred, you might want to stay away from Joost's broadband-hogging setup.
The installation process is very straightforward: for Windows users, just open up the file and follow the prompts. Once it's downloaded, Joost checks your hardware to make sure it meets the requirements. If anything doesn't work, it will tell you. After my initial download, Joost prompted me to install the latest version of DirectX, even though I have a brand new PC with Windows Vista. Without DirectX 9, the whole interface was really choppy and difficult to navigate. Once everything is up and running, you'll have to sign up for Joost and pick a login and password. Right now, Joost is completely free, so you won't have to give over private information such as a credit card.
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