Internet television and video content provider Joost launched a simplified version of its player yesterday, designed specifically to work within the PlayStation 3 browser.
The work-in-progress player is designed as a simplified interface that allows you to navigate content using the PlayStation 3 controller. Basic controls have you navigating the menus using the d-pad and using X to select content; holding down X brings up advanced quick controls, like full screen.
I gave it a test run on my PlayStation 3 and it works as advertised — I was able to watch a rousing interview with actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar on a potential Saved by the Bell reunion. The quality left a bit to be desired, somewhere just below what looked like standard definition on my 720p monitor, but mileage may vary based on bandwidth. Also of note is that not all of Joost’s content is available; it looks like Warner Bros., Viacom, and CBS material isn’t viewable using the PS3 interface.
You can hit up the player in your PS3 web browser by navigating to http://labs.joost.com. Let us know how that works out for you, and if it’s something you can see yourself using. It’s neat, and I can’t complain about the extra PS3 functionality. But considering how often I view YouTube videos on my console (read: never), I can’t imagine I’ll be firing Joost up… at least until it can deliver better picture quality.
