The founders of the Skype internet telephony service have unveiled their fledgling internet TV service.

Previously codenamed, the Venice Project, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, the brains behind peer-to-peer software Kazaa and Skype, have officially renamed their online television software Joost.

By harnessing the power of peer-to-peer technology the aim is to enable broadcasters to get their programmes in front of a global internet audience and television audiences to watch all kinds of television over the internet.

The Joost menu allows users to switch channels with a click of a link. Users will also have control of the content and access to any show offered regardless of time of day. They can also timeshift, rewinding or fast forwarding within a show.

However, the battle for viewers to watch broadcasts over the internet is becoming a crowded arena. Joost faces competition from the likes of Youtube and Apple, as well as Bittorrent, another file-sharing network which last year signed a deal with four movie studios that will ultimately allow it to provide movies.

In addition, Joost will vie for viewers from services such as the BT Vision video-on-demand service launched in December, as well as broadband broadcasting from Channel Four 's 4OD service and the soon-to-be offerings from ITV and the BBC.

Moreover Joost has yet to sway potential viewers with compelling content, as it has not struck any deals with major movie studios or television producers to stream their content over the service. Currently all it offers is a limited line up of sports, documentaries and music programming.

However, Joost's chief executive, Frederik de Wahl, was not deterred about this and claimed the service would offer free broadcast-quality content to viewers, providing a different viewing experience from other internet television ventures.

"It's full-screen, broadcast quality, you've got instant channel flipping, and interactivity - a viewer can come to us and get all their TV needs."

The service is still undergoing trials, and people can still go to the website and sign up to download the software and give it a whirl.

See also:
ITV to stream TV online
Watch TV on your PC
Apple TV announced