YouTube says it is making a further push into virtual reality, promising to add 3D support for videos that play back in its 360 degree format.
The announcement on Thursday comes a day after the debut of the first online 360° advertisement, a commercial for Bud Light.
Viewers using the mobile YouTube app or Google Inc’s Chrome browser can pan around in any direction in the 360° videos. The videos are shot using special camera rigs that look in many directions and software stitches the film together.
Photo: AP
Support for 3D means wearers of headsets like Oculus VR Inc’s Rift, Samsung Electronics Co’s Gear VR or Google Cardboard can see images in three dimensions as they swivel around to change their view.
YouTube also said it would provide special camera rigs that support the format at its studios around the world, including at two locations opening next year in Toronto, Canada, and Mumbai, India.
YouTube chief executive officer Susan Wojcicki announced the push during VidCon, an annual convention for fans and creators of online video at the Anaheim Convention Center in California
“We’ve seen big name artists like Avicii and Bjork do some breakthrough things with 3D video, but we want to empower all of you to chart this new frontier,” she said.
Wojcicki also announced a redesign of YouTube’s mobile app that allows fans to be notified when creators they follow post new videos. It also adds editing tools for filters and music within the app.
The redesign is available for Android devices now, with support for Apple Inc’s devices still to come.
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