This demo has been available for viewing on the official Yellowbird site , however, it has been taken down in preparation for the next set of examples. For those that missed it I thought I’d embed it above.
Yellowbird lets you watch video in a complete 360 degree view, that you control. Think of it like Google street view in video form.
Could this the be the future of video?
I’m not sure people will always want to control the view of the video they’re watching but I can imagine it would be perfect in many contexts. Hook this up to some motion sensor technology that knows where your face and eyes are pointing, add some 3D and it really will be just like being there.
When this technology becomes accessible to all, it could create a whole new genre of video, with a whole new way to capture the world around us. We might have the written word, the photo, the video and the 360 video, with the 360 video not actually taking any-things place but simply creating a whole new world of possibilities. In our digital world where we are sharing are experiences more and more through social media, this technology could really take things to another level.
Furthermore, at a professional level the technology will require a whole new set of skills, a whole new way of thinking, and many many opportunities. Imagine integrating the technology with live sport, viewers could see the main feed with others through a TV but perhaps they could have a personal 360 view via their laptop or mobile. Or perhaps even a feature length film being filmed using this technology, perhaps you watch the film as the director indented on first viewing and then in subsequent viewings you get to explore the film however you wish (of course this really would require a whole new way of filming).
Whether the technology takes off we’ll have to see, but it’s certainly another step forward in the world of consumer controlled media.
Update: It appears Yellowbird aren’t the only people developing 360 video technology, another company called Immersive Media has also been developing the technology. Check out their website for some more amazing 360 video examples.
2 Comments
August 28, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Nice post and update. There are a number of organizations working on bringing this medium forward, but primarily, they break down into two groups: those using Immersive Media’s camera and those using the Ladybug series of camera from Point Grey Research. Yellowbird uses the Point Grey camera, as do the majority of others, due to its affordability. Immersive Media has a different camera of its own design and manufacture.
For a really unique online experience, take a tour of MATIvision.com. They use multiple Ladybug camera’s, placed on stage at a concert to give the viewer open access to an experience. There is an instructional video at http://bit.ly/3tRQC7 and lot’s of concert footage from this summers festivals to explore.
@video360
August 31, 2009 at 6:38 pm
[...] “Yellowbird lets you watch video in a complete 360 degree view, that you control. Think of it like Google street view in video form. Could this the be the future of video?” Citat: Trendplanner.com. [...]