Joost 0.9 released with better video and oh yeah, some ads too

Joost 0.9 was officially released today and despite my anti-Joost tendancies I rushed to download the new version as soon as I could. Within the first 30 seconds I was logged in I managed to see an ad for Eclipse and T-Mobile which didn't exactly kick things off nicely.

After the initial ad scare however I have to say Joost is starting to get better and I didn't see any more ads. Here are some of the improvements you'll notice right off the bat:

New Username: If you've already got a Joost account then you can no longer sign in with your email address, you instead have to sign up for a username which to me seems somewhat pointless, but I'm sure they have their reasons.

More Channels: This is probably the biggest improvement in version 0.9. There are more channels available now and not more crappy channels you'll never want to watch, actual channels that have real programming you might have actually tuned in to see on TV. Big additions include Comedy Central and MTV which are currently showcasing a few B-list shows like Laguna Beach and Dog Bites Man but will probably add some better programming in the future. This was one of my hugest gripes with Joost up to this point, there was simply nothing good to watch.

New Invite System: Invites are now done through "My Joost" in the player window. You can invite someone to the system while you are watching a particular video. Their invite will say something to the effect "Hey I was just watching this great episode of Laguna Beach on Joost, you should check it out." You can also track your invites directly on the site.

Speaking of invites, we've gotten our hands on some shiny new invites to pass out and we're going to share them with you. Leave a comment with why you think you should be the recipient of one of our invites and we'll pick three people at random and give them a key to the kingdom Friday afternoon.

Update: We picked winners this afternoon (4/6) Congratulations to Rene, Doug, and Mike!

Tags: internet tv, InternetTv, joost, online tv, OnlineTv