YouTube adds support for vr videos with depth effect

YouTube now offers support for virtual reality videos. It has been possible to watch 360-degree videos for some time, but the new VR videos create a depth effect by showing different images to the left and right eye.

The new videos differ from traditional 360-degree movies in the way they are made. Making VR videos requires a special camera setup, such as Google’s own Jump setup, which consists of sixteen GoPros. Created images must then be converted into stereoscopic virtual reality images. With stereoscopy, each eye sees a different image, the composition of which produces a depth effect.

To view the VR videos, a smartphone with a cardboard or alternative VR glasses can be used. YouTube has put together a playlist with examples that use the new technique. Google also announced that it is now possible to watch all videos on YouTube with the cardboard. Users can do this by pressing the cardboard icon in the menu in the app.

Earlier today, Lytro presented its Immerge platform for VR videos. Lytro’s technique should make VR video images even more realistic because the viewer also has the opportunity to move within the video to a limited extent. Lytro makes this possible by capturing the image with light field cameras.