Video giant tipped to bring a steady stream of live immersive video to the table
YouTube launched a 360 degree video channel last year that has a little over 800,000 subscribers, and it looks like the video giant plans on doing more with the service.
According to a Buzzfeed report, sources “familiar with the company’s plans” say that YouTube is working on bringing live 360 degree videos to the platform. That means broadcast quality streams and not choppy video as you’re sitting down to watch the nightly news or a sports game.
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That’s much easier said than done as high quality streams will be difficult to stitch – specifically, compiling different feeds from different cameras to form a cohesive 360 degree image. Unless the company plans on using its GoPro Odyssey rig, which auto-stitches, other methods will need to be developed.
Samsung, NextVR, Nokia and several other companies have already jumped aboard the 360 video live-streaming bandwagon with their own programs and capture rigs but it’s all been pretty experimental so far.
Facebook is another big name invested in bringing 360 degree videos to your Timeline but hasn’t made any public plans for live 360 degree videos yet. That will likely change in time especially if YouTube decides to get in on the action.
Heck, it probably won’t be much longer before we’re all courtside at a basketball game – with the help of Google Cardboard or Gear VR, of course.
