Gizmos & Gadgets: Will 2018 Be the Year We Can Experience 360-Degree Video?

December 31, 2017 – Once again we welcome a second contribution from guest blogger, Carl Hanson, who writes about the advent of 360-degree cameras in the mobile marketplace. What is 360-degree video? Also known as immersive or spherical video, this technology creates omnidirectional recordings, and in playback gives viewers the ability to pan the image seeing it from all angles. Hanson describes how 360-degree video is becoming more commonplace as the technology form factor gets smaller and the functionality becomes more user-friendly.

When Hanson is not writing about video technology he focuses on the viability of mass-market augmented reality solutions as well as other technologies linked to it. As always feel free to comment.

Over the course of 2017, 360-degree video began to appear sporadically in the online world initially limited to some experiments by a few pioneers. But gradually it is becoming more common on sites like Facebook, YouTube, and other popular social media platforms. But although they are growing in popularity, the main thing still holding them back is the lack of technology out there to let people produce them in the first place.

What has been missing is better and more Accessible 360-degree cameras. The initial offerings have been mostly unimpressive. Some have been complicated multi-camera setups that are bulky, decidedly not portable, and difficult to manage. On the other hand, more mobile cameras have had their fair share of problems as well, mostly related to image quality, battery life, and price.

The good news is that much of that is likely to change in 2018. Already newer devices from Samsung, Garmin, and GoPro are providing cameras that are less expensive and capable of recording higher quality video. While there is still a way to go, the trend is in the right direction to make 360-degree cameras more widely available for the average user.

A step in the right direction is the inclusion of 360-degree cameras on mobile devices such as the Essential Phone which includes a 360- degree camera accessory that snaps on top. While the phone itself has received mixed reviews, the camera add-on has been well-received as it has proven that 360-degree video is no longer limited to the domain of video recorders on PCs.

Other similar 360-degree camera accessory products for mobile devices are in the pipeline to be released in the coming year.

Knitting Together Virtual Reality and Social Experiences

In 2017, 360-degree video made inroads into two areas, virtual reality, and social experiences. This is likely where the technology will find acceptance in 2018 propelling it into the mainstream market.

Some of have deemed 2018 as the year of virtual reality with headset sales dramatically increasing in this year’s Christmas rush. The HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear, and Google’s Daydream are fueling demand for virtual reality video content, and 360-degree video is a natural fit.

As for 360-degree video’s contribution to the social experience, we are already seeing many live streaming events using the technology, giving viewers more immersive content. While still too early to gauge how popular it will become, early adopters seem quite enthusiastic.