360 degree video has been picking up speed and gaining serious momentum in the past couple of years with more and more companies making affordable cameras and VR headsets all in the name of delivering “a more immersive experience” to the masses. At BVE 2017 in London this year, 360 degree cameras were everywhere and there were queues in front of stands with VR headsets. There are even 8K cameras for 360 degree video now (like the one here).
With VR/360 video popularity going beyond the borders of video games and bleeding into the world of traditional storytelling it is time for a platform that is very familiar to most of you for its high-quality video content to jump in the 360 game.
All images by Vimeo
Earlier today, Vimeo announced they are introducing support for 360 video, setting a new benchmark for high-quality immersive storytelling.
According to the company, their take on 360 video is rather simple – Vimeo aims to “provide a home for creators to learn new techniques, upload, share, and sell 360 videos, while viewers can discover cutting-edge 360 videos from the world’s best creators across multiple platforms”.
“Vimeo’s creator community is known for pioneering new video formats and pushing the boundaries of storytelling,” said Anjali Sud, SVP & GM of Vimeo’s Creator Platform. “With this launch we hope to usher in a new wave of immersive content that sets the standard for cinematic quality and powerful narratives in a 360 environment. We believe Vimeo creators are the missing piece to taking 360 video from nascent to mainstream.”
Sara Poorsattar, Vimeo’s Director of Video Product, added:
“Vimeo has always been committed to preserving and delivering the highest quality video and our move into 360 expands our premium video technology solution to 360 filmmakers. Their stories now benefit from our advanced video compression and player customization tools, along with streaming and offline viewing in up to 4K.”
Here’s what you get with Vimeo 360:
High Quality 360 Viewing
- Upload in up to 8K
- 4K Ultra HD player
- Two-pass transcoding
- Monoscopic & stereoscopic support
- Downloadable HD video files
- HD offline viewing in Vimeo’s mobile apps.
Powerful & Customizable Settings
- For both monoscopic and stereoscopic video, Vimeo allows creators to add metadata, 360 badge, customize player embed settings, capture email leads and insert calls-to-action directly in the embedded player, and more.
- Customize your field of view, choose the exact point in space where their video begins, and include a compass in the player to orient viewers and encourage interaction.
- Simple upload flow
- Pitch and yaw settings
- Help Center assistance
360 Video School
- Vimeo offers dedicated educational resources to help creators learn the basics and access in-depth tutorials on 360 cameras, pre-production, shooting and editing.
Open Marketplace to Sell 360 Videos
- Sell 360 content direct to audiences worldwide through Vimeo On Demand.
- Available to Vimeo PRO and Business members, 360 creators can choose rent, buy or subscription options, set their price and distribution region, and take home 90% of the revenue after transaction costs.
- 240 Million+ monthly viewers & fans
- Embed anywhere in our ad-free player
- Curated 360 channel & Staff Picks
- Open & global marketplace to sell 360 with Vimeo PRO or Business
Vimeo 360 launches with a curated collection of 360 videos direct from its community of creators, including films from Staff Pick alumni Greg Barth and Jason Drakeford, along with films from brands and organizations like the American Museum of Natural History and charity: water.
At launch viewers can watch 360 video in Vimeo mobile apps, including iOS and Android powered devices, that can be used with compatible VR headsets: Zeiss VR One, Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream, with support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive coming soon. Vimeo’s 360 videos are also downloadable in HD, enabling viewers to watch anytime, anywhere.
Vimeo will introduce its new 360 experience at key festivals and events throughout the year in partnership with Zeiss VR One, kicking off with the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas on Sunday, March 12, 2017.
For more information on Vimeo 360, visit vimeo.com/360.
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