The company said it wanted its users to have a “common experience.” The move, announced via email, follows the crowd to browser-based video — like the big boys YouTube and Hulu.

joost.com launched in early fall. The company also pushed a browser plug-in.

Joost’s blog said the move was all in the master plan: “It was always our intention to discontinue the Joost software application.”

“We have a significant amount of intellectual capital built up around P2P technology — but the reality is that most people don’t care how their video is delivered to them as long as it’s delivered to them reliably,” the blog stated.

Joost CEO Mike Volpi told NewTeeVee that he’s looking for the “right application” for the P2P-based video technology the company developed, backed by CBS and Viacom.

Joost told the subscribers via email that support for its P2P app would end today (Friday).

The announcement comes the same week as Veoh transitioned from a desktop client to a browser model.

Users still have to play host to a Joost plugin (18 MB or so), but by and large the move is another signal that the Internet’s video future will come without download applications that insist on control of your desktop.

NewTeeVee’s Liz Gannes got past the pre-beta password protection and posted an early review of the browser-based Joost. The influence of social media plays into the picture — Gannes reports that the home page has a Facebook-like component with which users can monitor what others are watching and interact, although not with IM (browser interface pictured).

Rivals Veoh and Jaman previously went to browser-rendered video.

CBS-backed Joost, only a year ago considered cutting edge, has been scaling back and adjusting its P2P video service for most of the year. Joost used live P2P streaming to carry March Madness games last spring.

Joost comes from Kaza and Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom. The CEO is high-profile Mike Volpi, formerly with Cisco. Unlike YouTube and many other online video services, Joost focuses on professionally created content, but its offerings fall far short of the current pacesetter, Hulu, from NBC and Fox.

Hulu and the BBC’s iPlayer have been gobbling up programming rights and viewer numbers, at Joost’s expense. Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis created Joost, which operates off P2P technology.

The online video story doesn’t cite on-the-record sources or have much detail on which to base its conclusion that Joost “is expected to rein in its global ambitions to focus solely on the online market.”

Anyone on Joost’s email list can attest that the programming seems pretty thin. Today, for example, it’s featuring promos for “The Flash,” BET’s docu “American Gangster” and “Star Trek.” Joost did have rights to show Internet-only early rounds of March Madness basketball, but then many other online video sites. In Britain, Joost will face a scary new competitor in the Hulu-like video site Kangaroo, from the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV.

The Times says, however, that Joost probably won’t be closing anytime soon.

“There are too many egos involved,” said one former employee.

Here was the warning basketball fans encountered in the days leading up to Joost’s premiere NCAA effort. Nothing unusual here. Sounds like the typical online sports experience:

“This is a test of our live P2P streaming service. It’s a pretty complex technology, and we fully expect things to go wrong. The stream may stutter, slow, or stop altogether. If your stream does stop, we recommend restarting the channel — that usually works. Otherwise, you might have to re-start Joost. We apologize for any inconveniences, but your participation will help us build a stable live service!”

Apparently this participation boiled down to filling out a fairly standard marketing form, with questions like “What live programming would you like to watch on Joost?”

Joost says it “had a couple of glitches in the first round, but we learned a lot and are ready for the round of 32.” Reviews from users seemed mixed.

The video comes straight from March Madness rights-holder CBS. So why not just go to cbssports.com for its March Madness On Demand? As they say, “Avoid the lines.”

Someone trying to watch their team on CBS can end up waiting 15, 20 minutes to get a signal. Also, CBS really, really wants you to sign up first, then use Internet Explorer, although a plug-in or two might get the game via Firefox. A pain, just like it’s been since day 1 of the streaming Madness.

The Joost “test” seems like a pretty good marketing campaign, which many “betas” have become in recent times. At least emailing users about the NCAA tourney beats coming up with something about Joost’s latest offering, “Hercules vs. the Moon Men.”

Meanwhile, CBS is taking some Internet heat over the bogus results in its NCAA basketball bracket application on Facebook, TechCrunch reports.

Joost’s software works with Windows and Mac OS X. The requirements aren’t too tough: “All you need to run Joost is a fairly new computer with good graphics capabilities and a fast processor, as well as a broadband internet connection,” the download page says.

Joost is now boasting baseball on “Postseason 2007,” featuring complete playoff replays and a daily highlights reel. The coverage continues through the World Series.

The video host restricts its content to professional sources, unlike YouTube and its imitators. Joost says it has more than 150,000 shows. You can browse channels such as “CSI,” “Adult Swim,” “The Hills” and MTV. CBS is a major backer and content provider.

CEO Mike Volpi said the private beta was partially a move to make users feel like insiders: “We started with an invitation-only model. We went with a European-ish feel which we thought would appeal to a particular generation. … We like to be cool.”

Joost has “excited the imagination of programming partners like CBS … and investors like CBS,” host Lindsay Campbell says, applying a bit of deft irony before beginning the short but interesting Volpi video interview.

“Everything on Joost is legitimate,” Mike Volpi says, separating the Joost concept from YouTube. “All our content providers are professional.”

Of Joost content ads: “The promise we make to the user is, We’ll show you ads and we’ll ask you not to skip them, but we will show much less ads (sic) and we’ll show stuff that’s much more relevant to you as a viewer.” (He needs a “sic” or two, but how’s our Italian?)

Of (P2P): A fascinating technology. … There is a culture associated with it which in its origins can be thought of as a piracy culture. Theft is wrong. You shouldn’t steal content. I don’t see a reason why a technology inherently has to be coupled with a given culture. We’re actually liberating (it) to a much more legal and broadbased use.”

So, pro-cutie Campbell asks, what are you doing to make Joost cool? “The way the logo looks to the type of programming we have on it. … We started with an invitation-only model. We went with a European-ish feel which we thought would appeal to a particular generation. … We like to be cool.”

Asked about a series of technologies and personalities, she asks for his take on Ann Coulter. “I don’t know who Anne Coulter is,” he says with what appears to be a straight face. OK. Maybe we should be talking anime …

(Market tip: WallStrip is worth a look if you’re into finance in a “Mad Money” kind of way.)

Update 10/6: Joost went public with its beta; come one come all.

The startup rated a major story in the New York Times a few months back. The Times and GigaOM spoke with Volpi after last week’s big announcement.

OM asked Volpi, 40, why he though Joost would succeed with so many rival online video players out there:

Joost is not YouTube and Joost is not Apple iTunes. What Joost is: a service that delivers high quality ad-supported long form produced video content in a secure manner using a cost-effective delivery platform. Bringing these three pieces (long form video content, advertising and delivery platform) together is going to be hard and not everyone is going to be able to do it. No one has it packaged together like Joost.

Check out the semi-annoying corporate video about Joost (pronouned Juiced).