Five 360 Video Trends from 2016
2016 has been an eventful year for 360 video, whether it’s viewed in VR or on phones and web browsers. From the release of several new VR platform features, to increased production of professional quality 360 video, this year ended with a rich 360 video landscape. These are the top five trends.
1. More consumer hardware
The biggest VR news of 2016 was the release of a trio of much anticipated consumer headsets. Last spring saw the release of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in March and April, respectively. Sony’s PlayStation VR was released a few months later in October, for the surprisingly low price of $399. There were also new mobile VR releases, with Google launching their Daydream platform (including their Pixel phones and View headset), and Samsung releasing a new version of the Gear VR with improved performance via the new Galaxy S7.
While the increased availability of consumer VR hardware was the biggest driver of growth in VR-based 360 video viewership this year, it’s also worth mentioning that the platforms supporting this hardware helped increase 360 video creation via special promotions. Such promotions included Samsung’s #BeFearless apps and Facebook’s collaboration with National Geographic. As consumer adoption of VR hardware continues through 2017, there will be more viewers for this content, and more demand for it.
2. User-generated 360 videos
Related to the last point, 360 video cameras also gained adoption in 2016, which increased the amount of user-generated videos being made and shared. While consumer-level spherical video cameras have been available for a few years, they either targeted hobbyists with a lot of patience, or had resolutions too low to allow for enjoyable viewing in a VR headset. This year, with the release of devices like Samsung’s Gear 360 which does its post-processing (“stitching”) in realtime as the video is being captured, the barrier to creating 360 video content was lowered.
The ability to share these videos on major platforms is the other half of the UGC equation. Youtube 360 and Facebook 360 both existed before 2016, but they gained traction this past year as more non-professional users began uploading content. In June, Samsung rebranded their Milk VR 360 video platform to Samsung VR, adding the ability to upload user-generated videos to the platform. And a few days ago, Twitter added live 360 video streaming to Periscope for select users (more on live streaming below).
With the platforms now accepting 360 video uploads from users, all that remains is for the cameras to become more common, which should happen in 2017. And as VR hardware adoption increases, so will the desire to view different types of 360 videos in VR.
3. Live events in VR
One trend from the last year that looks to continue unabated is the live streaming of video events in VR. This last year saw the Rio Olympics broadcast by NBC in VR, and the NBA, NFL and MLB all began projects to stream their content through partnerships with NextVR. Meanwhile, Virtually Live began streaming Formula E races in a format closer to a full VR experience than 360 video. And as previously mentioned, Twitter now allows select users to stream 360 video via Periscope.
Streaming live VR — whether as 360 video or full interactive experiences — is still in it’s infancy, but 2017 will bring more advances and more opportunities for VR users to immerse themselves in events as they are happening.
4. Scripted 360 video series
After an initial period where most 360 videos produced were promotional or experimental, 2016 saw the first releases of professional quality, scripted series made specifically for 360 video. First was the series Gone, which technically released its first episodes in December 2015, but completed its run in 2016. That was followed in October by the release of Invisible, directed by Doug Limon, of Bourne Identity fame.
Immersive storytelling in VR is new, but it has the potential to change the way series are made. This year saw the first steps in what could be the future of TV.
5. Hollywood directors dip their toes into VR
First, Ridley Scott mentioned in 2015 that he was working on a VR film. Since then, more big name Hollywood directors have followed suit. In January, Steven Spielberg was connected to an unnamed VR project. In February it was announced that Doug Limon would direct the above-mentioned Invisible series. One can only assume that the trend will continue as VR usage increases, with more established filmmakers working on 360 video projects in 2017.
2016 has seen growth in 360 video viewership in VR, which was driven by both the availability of new hardware, and an increase in available professional and amateur content. As we move into the new year, these two factors (hardware and content) will continue to drive growth in VR.
