Computers

YouTube immerses viewers in 360-degree live video

YouTube immerses viewers in 360-degree live video
In addition to being able to look around a live broadcast, viewers will hear sounds based upon in what direction they are looking
In addition to being able to look around a live broadcast, viewers will hear sounds based upon in what direction they are looking
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In addition to being able to look around a live broadcast, viewers will hear sounds based upon in what direction they are looking
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In addition to being able to look around a live broadcast, viewers will hear sounds based upon in what direction they are looking

Having introduced the ability for users to live stream video back in 2011 and support for 360-degree videos last year, YouTube has now brought the two together. 360-degree live video is aimed at putting viewers one step closer to actually being there in person.

Live broadcasting needs no introduction, it should be familiar to anyone who's ever watched a sports game or the news. With the more recently developed 360-degree video, special cameras (like the Samsung Gear 360) that record video in all directions allow viewers to pan around the resulting footage as though they are on-location and simply looking around.

As well as now being able to watch 360-degree live video, viewers will also hear sounds based upon in what direction they are looking. YouTube calls this "spatial audio" and says that depth, distance and intensity all play a role.

The firm is working with third-party companies to make their 360-degree video and 3D audio software offerings compatible with its 360-degree live video functionality, and says that all YouTube Space facilities will be kitted out with 360-degree live streaming and spatial audio technologies.

The video below provides a demonstration of spatial audio.

Source: YouTube

New Orleans Jazz with Spatial Audio

2 comments
2 comments
christopher
Yawn. 360 video in 2D is really boring. They should skip 2D entirely and go to 360-3D, if nothing else, to help encourage the 360-3d market itself. Yes, we have neck muscles and can move our heads, but the fact we have 2 eyes is significantly more important for this kind of video. Heck - go visit a TV shop; there's good reason why 3D exists on all the best ones.
Calson
Will be great in other countries that do not have the shaky internet infrastructure of the USA. There are entire cities in California where all that is available is POT with dial-up speeds of 49K. Thanks to our privatized telecom network the USA has the worst broadband access of any industrialized nation.