Knowledge base

Why can't I save shows locally?

Joost allows you to watch any show on the system at any time, so there is no need to worry about saving the content locally. If you want to watch it again, you can just do so right away. This on-demand feature is a key part of Joost's™ design, and it's also part of our strategy for ensuring that TV shows don't get illegally copied and redistributed.

I've downloaded it and run it – what do I do now?

We'd like you to experiment and explore! Once you've spent some time with the software, we'd be delighted to hear what you think of it; please tell us using the bug reporting form available in the help section of the Joost application (press F1 to get to the link).

1

Explore

Move the mouse around the screen, and click on the icons around the edges of the screen to see more channels, options, and community features.

2

Change channels

Browse and change the TV show on the mini programme guide.

3

Search

Search for "sharks" using the search box in the mini programme guide

3

Try Chatting

Start chatting with people watching the same channel by:

Open "My Joost" by clicking the icon on the right of the screen.

Open the channel chat widget in the widgetmenu.

How do I use Explore?

Explore is a feature that is still in progress, and you'll see a lot more development over the next weeks and months. It is a central repository of all the channels that are available on Joost, and all Joost's content appears here in a scrolling list.

You can keep track of the channels you watch frequently or are interested in by customizing your My Channels page. This will make the list of available channels much more manageable and save you from scrolling through things you don't want or need to see. To edit your channel list:

1

Add channel to "My Channels"

To add to My Channels, go to Explore, move your cursor over any channel's logo and click on its "i" icon. Again a control panel will appear, but now with a "+" button. Click on this to add the channel to My Channels.

2

Remove channel from "My Channels"

Go back to Explore, open the My Channels page and move your cursor over any channel's logo. You'll see three icons. Clicking on the "i" icon will bring up a control panel at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on the trash icon in that menu will allow you remove the channel from the My Channels page altogether, so it will no longer be visible.

How do the channels work?

Currently, channels are like playlists of videos. You can flip between channels, or use the programme guide to choose a channel or a video to watch. The channels start when you play them and not at any particular day or time. If you let them continue, they will play all the shows in order and then loop round to the beginning again. If you change channel and then switch back, you'll start at the beginning of the TV show again. In later versions we will have different kinds of channels, including ones that behave more like traditional TV channels. Occasionally, you may see an advert.

Can I use the Joost software on multiple computers? Even simultaneously?

You can install the Joost software on multiple computers, and you can even run it on multiple computers.

What are the ports that need opening?

Please see "I can't see any video! What do I do?" for full network configuration details.

How much bandwidth does the application use? Will it eat all my bandwidth?

IMPORTANT NOTICE for users with limits on their internet usage

You need to read this carefully if:

• you have an upper limit on your monthly internet usage, or
• you pay for internet usage as you go (i.e. you pay per megabyte you download, instead of a flat fee).

Joost is a streaming video application. It actively manages available bandwidth, and when it senses bandwidth might be saturated, it automatically limits usage. In any case, Joost uses a relatively high amount of bandwidth per hour, which means that it could exceed a 1 GB cap in a few hours.

Windows users should note that the application continues to run in the background after you close the main window. For this reason, if you pay for your bandwidth usage per megabyte or have your usage capped by your ISP, you should be careful always to exit Joost completely when you are finished watching.

To stop using bandwidth, you need to exit the application entirely, as follows:

• Windows users: right-click on Joost icon in the system tray (at the bottom right hand corner of your screen) and choose Exit.
• Mac users: exit the application normally.

Can I write my own widgets?

Yes you can, and you are very welcome to join the developer community. Our widget developer site contains all the necessary information: documentation, tutorial, and many examples.

How can I link to a specific channel?

You can link to any channel or show using Joost Links. On the control panel, click on the information button to the right of the channel or show name. A pop-up will appear showing you its Joost Link (e.g. http://joost.com/02000h). Copy this link and send it to your friends in email or on IM, or post it to your website.

How do I quit Joost?

Just click on the button highlighted in the image below and Joost will close.