YouTube isn’t just talking about introducing 360-degree video anymore, as the company has officially introduced 360-degree video for viewing and uploading. While the number of devices that support such a thing will be limited – users will be able to take advantage of the new content online by simply interacting with the screen like they would on something like Google Maps. By clicking and dragging a user, can interact with a video that is 360-degrees, and they will have the ability to see everything from any position that they possibly could.
The limits to something like this are few and far between given the fact that it essentially creates hundreds of videos embedded within each one – allowing users to have a unique experience from dozens of different positions. However, in order to upload that content they will need to choose from a list of very selective units that will work with such a thing. That being said though, it isn’t the end of the world – since those who are uploading 360-degree videos will be relatively few and far between.
The opportunity here is pretty significant since YouTube will now have yet another piece of the video landscape that isn’t offered right now. While others are pushing for the instant streaming, or live streaming content – and that is working with relative success – the biggest untapped market is definitely in multi-dimensional videos that actually engage users beyond just watching from the point of view of the camera. Users can create content from a multitude of angles, as well as watch videos from a multitude of angles.
Some of the areas where this might really generate some interest would be when it comes to things like concerts, sporting events, and a lot of other angle-important content that might give two entirely different experiences depending on the users point of view. Most-importantly, of course, YouTube is about bringing the video into the users’ living room or computer – and this is the big way that they can achieve that.
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Combine all of this with the addition of virtual reality headsets, which will fully embody what YouTube is really going for – and users will be left seeing just how far video related technology can go over the course of the next several years.
The timing of this is impeccable as many tech companies are in the process of rolling out, working on, or already have rolled out virtual reality headsets. Companies like Google have even attempted to introduce inexpensive headsets which would make the technology like this even more important to have – to add to the list of benefits that this type of content can bring.
