Category: bigscreen beta

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Funimation’s Catalogue of Anime is Coming to Bigscreen, Starting With ‘Your Name’

Bigscreen

With everyone stuck at home, Bigscreen Beta has been ramping up its movie content lineup thanks to partnerships with Paramount Pictures and Lofty Sky Productions. Today, Bigscreen has announced a new movie studio partnership with Funimation, adding popular anime films to its slate.

Funimation and Bigscreen

Bigscreen users will be able to enjoy films including classics like Akira, as well as more recent examples such as Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. Over 30 movies will arrive at launch with new releases arriving through the year.

The app will celebrate the launch beginning with a special weekend screening of Your Name. Viewed on a pay-per-view basis starting at 6pm PT (9pm ET), retailing for $3.99 USD.

Future Anime Weekend Screenings:

  • 1st May – Your Name
  • 8th May – My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
  • 15th May – Akira
  • 21st May – The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
  • 29th May – The Girl Who Slept Through Time
  • 5th June – Sword of the Stranger
  • 12th June – I am a Hero

“Anime has never been more popular and we’re pleased to be working with Bigscreen to bring new releases and classics to their audience,” said Colin Decker, General Manager of Funimation in a statement “Anime has always been built around community and shared-experiences. Enabling fans to connect through the magic of VR is a natural expression of our commitment to connect fans with the art and culture of Anime through innovative experiences.”

Bigscreen

“We are excited to partner with Funimation to host anime film screenings in VR,” said Darshan Shankar, CEO and Founder of Bigscreen. “Our unique platform enables people to hangout with anime fans from around the world and watch their favourite anime together.”

The Bigscreen Beta app itself is free for users to download, supporting  HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go and  Oculus Quest. As Bigscreen Beta continues to add further content,  VRFocus will keep you updated on all the latest announcements.

Full list of Bigscreen VOD anime Movies:

  • Your Name
  • Planetarian: Storyteller of the Stars
  • The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Movie
  • The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
  • Steins Gate Movie
  • Strike Witches Movie
  • Fairy Tail Dragon Cry Movie
  • Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess
  • Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie
  • Akira
  • Attack on Titan Part 1
  • Attack on Titan Part 2
  • Shin Godzilla
  • I Am A Hero
  • Parasyte Part 1
  • Parasyte Part 2
  • My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
  • Boy and the Beast
  • Triguns Badland Rumble
  • Death Note: Light Up the New World
  • Death Note
  • Death Note: The Last Name
  • Psycho-Pass: The Movie
  • Eden of the East: Air Communication
  • Eden of the East: King of Eden
  • Eden of the East: Paradise Lost
  • Assassination Classroom The Movie: 365 Days’ Time
  • Garo: Divine Flame
  • Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic
  • Sword of the Stranger
  • The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow
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Slamdance Documentary Ask No Questions Moves Festival Run Onto Bigscreen Tomorrow

Ask No Questions

If you own an Oculus Quest or Go headset then hopefully you spent some of last week enjoying Tribeca Immersive’s Cinema360 programme which had 15 short films to enjoy. Tomorrow that trend continues as Bigscreen will play film festival host to documentary Ask No Questions.

Ask No Questions

Toronto-based Lofty Sky Pictures will be holding the event on the popular virtual reality (VR) app due to the current pandemic halting its festival run. Premiering at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City during January, the VR screenings will offer a live Q&A with the filmmaker whilst helping to support the nonprofit Roxie Theater.

Four shows will take place tomorrow with tickets available through Eventbrite. The times for each screening are as follows.

  • 1st Screening – 10 am PT / 1 pm ET
  • 2nd Screening – 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET
  • 3rd Screening – 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET
  • Final Screening – 7 pm PT / 10 pm ET

“VR is not a replacement for the cinema,” says “Ask No Questions” director/producer Jason Loftus in a statement “But with the world on lockdown, it’s the closest we can get to that shared experience that makes a film festival so unique. We also wanted to support an independent theatre because we believe it’s such an important platform for independent filmmakers.”

Bigscreen Cinema - Official Press Image

“Ask No Questions tells the story of a former Chinese state TV insider who is held in a brainwashing camp and compelled to accept the official narrative on a fiery public suicide, which he believes was a government plot,” explains the synopsis. “The film’s themes of misinformation, propaganda, and the perils faced by whistleblowers in China are timely given the initial coverup of the coronavirus and the reprisals faced by the initial whistleblowing doctors.”

Bigscreen Beta supports a wide range of headsets including HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go and Oculus Quest, all for free – no PlayStation VR support at the moment. As Bigscreen Beta continues to add further content, VRFocus will keep you updated on all the latest announcements.

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Bigscreen Cinema’s Partnership With Paramount Continues Adding More Content

Last month Bigscreen continued its rollout of new features for 2019 with the addition of Bigscreen Cinema, partnering with Paramount Pictures to bring a selection of its movies onto the virtual reality (VR) app. Bigscreen has now revealed what new movies will be coming in the following weeks as well as what’s being worked on.

Bigscreen - Social Movie Watching in VRUnlike a streaming service like Netflix where you have content on hand whenever you want it but have to pay a monthly premium for the service, Bigscreen Cinema works far more like a bricks and mortar theatre, scheduling movies every 30 minutes for a one off price and only showing them for a single week.

Which encourages users to come back and see what the lineup of movies are. The selection changes every Friday so currently this week you can see Star Trek Beyond, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Transformers: Dark of the Moon all in 3D, with Interstellar available in 2D. From 17th – 24th January will be Bigscreen Cinema’s 3D Week where Transformers: The Last Knight, Terminator Genisis, Ghost in the Shell and Top Gun are all available in glorious 3D. Prices start from $3.99 USD.

After its first month Bigscreen Cinema has beaten internal sales estimates with 3D movies making up 77 percent of those sales. Due to this success Bigscreen will be able to license more movies the company informs VRFocus.

Bigscreen - LobbyAs for what’s to come, the team is currently working on a friends system in an effort to make it easier to make new friends, invite/join rooms, and see who’s online. A drive-in theatre-style environment will be added and movie events like a horror week are also in the works. A big planned feature will be the option to rent a movie to then watch with friends in your own private room, without restricted show times.

Lastly, Bigscreen wants to add more movie studios to the list, in an effort to expand that content lineup even further whilst licensing Bigscreen Cinema in even more countries (its already available in 10).

As Bigscreen continues to progress into 2020, VRFocus will keep you updated on all the latest announcements.

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Bigscreen Beta Halloween Update Adds 10 Themed Channels & Retro Cinema

Today, Bigscreen Beta continues its push to add more content and expand its platform whilst getting into the Halloween spirit. Launching a ‘Spooky Update’ for the social entertainment app, users will receive new TV channels, theatre environment and several small tweaks and improvements.

Bigscreen Beta

From tomorrow until 31st October, you’ll find ten new horror-themed channels in Bigscreen TV like Fear Factor, Disney Channel, The Addams Family, the Asylum, Criss Angel: Mind Freak, Thrillers, Terror, and more. These are only available for Halloween week so enjoy them while they’re available.

Much more permanent is the addition of the movie theatre theme, with Bigscreen Inc. launch a Retro Cinema. Designed as a throwback to those classic 70s and 80s theatres, it’ll complement the Modern Cinema which arrived over the summer.

In conjunction with the update, Bigscreen Inc. also mentioned future plans, such as PlayStation VR support coming in 2020 and 3D movie screenings. The latter first appeared way back in 2017 when Bigscreen Beta partnered with movie studio Paramount Pictures to offer free virtual reality (VR) screenings of Tom Cruise’s iconic action movie Top Gun in 3D. The app will begin screening 3D films in December in partnership with some major studios. At present, no details have been released regarding which studios they might be or the potential films on offer.

Bigscreen Beta is one of the most widely available apps supporting almost every VR headset for free. Currently, these platforms are HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift/Rift S, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung GearVR.

Over the years BIgscreen Beta has morphed from a PC desktop screen sharing app into a socially driven community hub, where people can hang out, watch a movie, play games on massive movie screens and more. Additions such as Bigscreen TV have helped to expand the content lineup with a variety of shows alongside several regular podcasts.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Bigscreen Beta, reporting back with the latest updates and announcements.

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Bigscreen Beta Will Officially Host The International 2019 DOTA 2 Tournament Next Week

Bigscreen Inc. has been rolling out the updates for its popular cross-platform app Bigscreen Beta, with the most significant being July’s Bigscreen TV feature. This has allowed the app to become more than just a screen-sharing social app, evolving it into an entertainment portal in its own right. While there are a bunch of channels to watch, Bigscreen Beta is looking towards the eSports market to attract new users, announcing The International 2019, the DOTA 2 eSports tournament will be officially streamed via the platform next week.

The International Dota2 2019 Championship

Taking place in Shanghai, China, The International 2019 has a prize pool of $32 million USD, helping it retain its place as the biggest eSports tournament in the world – the recent Fortnite World Cup had a $30 million prize pool. And for all those fans who can’t head over to China to watch, they don’t need to thanks to Bigscreen Beta.

This isn’t the first time Valve has streamed this competition in virtual reality (VR), originally experimenting with the feature in 2016 for HTC Vive owners. Bringing it to Bigscreen Beta, on the other hand, opens the tournament up to even more viewers thanks to the apps support of multiple platforms such as HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift/Rift S, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung GearVR.

Watching The International 2019 DOTA 2 tournament live via Bigscreen Beta also means you can customise avatars, change virtual environments, and voice chat with friends and other DOTA 2 fans.

The International 2019 DOTA 2 tournament schedule is as follows:

  • 15th – 18th August – Group Stage featuring 18 teams divided into two groups.
  • 20th – 24th August – Main Event
  • 25th August – Finals (First place nets $14 million)

Bigscreen Beta

That’s not all Bigscreen Beta has planned. “As Bigscreen makes a bigger push into eSports, we plan to create an “eStadium” virtual environment where fans can gather together to cheer for their favourite teams,” notes Bigscreen Inc. CEO and founder Darshan Shankar in a blog post.

At the end of the week Bigscreen Beta will be launching a new environment to enjoy, a new modern-themed cinema. The app is free on all the aforementioned headsets, and as further updates are released, VRFocus will let you know.

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Bigscreen Beta Hopes to Support PlayStation VR in the Very Near Future

When it comes to cross-platform, social virtual reality (VR) interaction Bigscreen Beta has got most platforms covered. The app which once allowed PC users to see their monitor in VR has grown enormously, supporting HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung GearVR. But there’s one important headset missing from that list, PlayStation VR. However, it seems that might not be the case for much longer.

Bigscreen Beta

Over on Twitter Bigscreen confirmed that it is working on a PlayStation VR version, looking at a release either late 2019 or early 2020. When the app does arrive it should tie-in every major headset, with the PlayStation VR version hopefully having the same social features as the other versions. PlayStation VR support had previously been mentioned back in 2017 for release in 2018 yet that plan never came to fruition.

That was most likely due to the features Bigscreen Beta had at the time. As mentioned, Bigscreen Beta was primarily about remote desktop streaming, being able to take what was on your desktop PC and view it in VR, usually on a massive cinema screen. This allowed users to watch movies or play PC videogames in a virtual movie theatre or by a campfire, with the option to invite friends into your virtual space.

However, that all changed this month with the rollout of Bigscreen TV, giving users over 50+ channels to choose from so they can watch movies, news, anime, sports, and more, with each TV channel hosted in social rooms in groups of eight. Thanks to Bigscreen TV, having the app on PlayStation VR makes a lot more sense as owners will be able to watch a multitude of shows just like PC VR and standalone headsets owners can.

Bigscreen TV UI

Bigscreen TV isn’t just about fixed streaming channels, the service also offers live events. This week saw the app cover the SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch with thousands of fans watching. Tomorrow, 27th July will have the F.Reality VR Podcast with Zimtok5, VR Oasis, Nathie, and RowdyGuy, as well as the Tomorrowland Music Festival.

Bigscreen Beta is completely free on all supported headsets. As further details are announced, VRFocus will let you know.

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Bigscreen Boasts 5,000+ RSVPs for SpaceX Launch Viewing Today

Bigscreen released their ‘Bigscreen TV’ update two weeks ago, which brought 50+ livestreaming TV channels to the platform for free. Now, company founder and CEO Darshan Shankar reports the social viewing platform received more than 5,200 users who want to watch it in VR this afternoon.

If those numbers sound a bit too good to be true, Shankar explains that it’s actually in the realm of possibility. Last week, the platform hosted a viewing party for FReality podcast with YouTubers Nathie, VROasis, Rowdy Guy, and Zimtok5 which garnered a total of 1,201 people.

Granted, not all 5,200 users will be in the same room together, but rather given access to publicly available rooms that hold a maximum of eight users a piece; a channel can however technically support “thousands of people,” Shankar says.

SEE ALSO
'Bigscreen' Brings 50+ Free Steaming TV Channels to Social VR Viewing Platform

The launch, which is destined to ferry 5,000 pounds (~2,300 kg) of supplies to the International Space Station, will also be carrying a new dock adaptor for the ISS that will allow for an additional ship to dock at the station. As reported by The Verge, the adaptor is the third of its kind; the first was destroyed in a failed SpaceX launch in 2015, and the second was installed on the ISS in 2016.

The launch is slated to take place today, July 24th, at 6:24 PM ET (local time here) from SpaceX’s launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The weather is a factor here however, with a 70 percent chance that the launch will be delayed.

Bigscreen supports HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung Gear VR. Check out the links below to download.

The studio says there’s more events coming later this week, including the Fortnite World Cup Finals and a few free movie events too. Most recently, the platform hosted a free viewing of Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical film The Dictator (2012).

The post Bigscreen Boasts 5,000+ RSVPs for SpaceX Launch Viewing Today appeared first on Road to VR.

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‘Bigscreen’ Brings 50+ Free Steaming TV Channels to Social VR Viewing Platform

Bigscreen, the social VR platform that lets you stream your computer’s screen to others, just got a substantial update that brings with it 50+ streaming TV channels, including sports, gaming, movies, anime, news, and more.

All streaming TV is served up for free directly from Bigscreen and shown in its public theater rooms around the clock. Some channels may not be available in all areas, however we’ve confirmed that a majority are at least available in Europe.

The update comes to all supported platforms, including HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung Gear VR.

Public Bigscreen TV rooms support up to eight users, although a channel can technically support “thousands of people,” Bigscreen CEO and founder Darshan Shankar writes in a blog post.

To accomplish this, Shankar says the company created a new VR video browser technology that can load video streaming and livestreaming sites such as YouTube, Twitch, Pluto, and Comet. And while the platform’s peer-to-peer screen sharing has been greatly optimized, direct streaming means there’s no upload bandwidth requirements.

The UI has also been modeled after smart TV interfaces, which favors one-click actions instead of laborious text insertion.

Image courtesy Bigscreen

Here’s a quick list of some of the channels you can jump into today:

  • Movies & TV: Rifftrax, MST3K, Anime, Pokémon, Pluto Movies, Comet, Shout! Factory, and more
  • Gaming & Sports: Red Bull TV, 24/7 Poker, 24/7 Trivia, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, Top Twitch (Ninja, Shroud, Sodapoppin, Timthetatman, Lirik, DrDisrespect, DrLupo, Pokimane, Summit1g), and more
  • News & Finance: NBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Sky News, Newsy, Cheddar News, RT America, Weather Nation, Crypto News, and more
  • Random: Monstercat, Lofi Hip Hop Beats Radio, Comedy Central, NASA, SpaceX, 24/7 Cats, and more

In a few weeks, Bigscreen will also be announcing its own Bigscreen TV events, new TV channels, and a new cinema environment. At some point this summer, the platform will also release a friends system, and premium 3D Movie Nights in partnership with major movie studios. Upcoming events include:

  • July 11–14 — Overwatch League Playoffs
  • July 21 — SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch
  • August 25 — The DOTA 2 International Grand Finals

The post ‘Bigscreen’ Brings 50+ Free Steaming TV Channels to Social VR Viewing Platform appeared first on Road to VR.

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Access 50+ Channels of Content With Bigscreen TV

Bigscreen Beta has been adding a bunch of updates over the last few months, expanding the app from its original PC screen mirroring solution to a one-stop-shop for social virtual reality (VR) interaction and content consumption. Today, the team has released another big update, with this one seeing the launch of Bigscreen TV, allowing users to watch movies, news, anime, sports, and more with friends.

Bigscreen Home

Bigscreen TV arrives with over 50+ channels to choose from (some content like CBS Sports won’t be available in all countries), all free and live 24/7. Some of the free ones come with ad-supported services integrated, like YouTube, Twitch, Pluto, Comet.

These channels include:

  • Movies & TV: Rifftrax, MST3K, Anime, Pokémon, Pluto Movies, Comet, Shout! Factory, and more
  • Gaming & Sports: Red Bull TV, 24/7 Poker, 24/7 Trivia, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, Top Twitch (Ninja, Shroud, Sodapoppin, Timthetatman, Lirik, DrDisrespect, DrLupo, Pokimane, Summit1g), and more
  • News & Finance: NBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Sky News, Newsy, Cheddar News, RT America, Weather Nation, Crypto News, and more
  • Random: Monstercat, Lofi Hip Hop Beats Radio, Comedy Central, NASA, SpaceX, 24/7 Cats, and more

Just like the rest of Bigscreen, Bigscreen TV is designed to be social, with each TV channel supporting thousands of people (in groups of 8 per room). The feature is cross-platform and works on headsets including HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, and Samsung GearVR.

Bigscreen TV UI

Working in conjunction with Bigscreen TV, a new VR UI has been created so there’s no need to fiddle around trying to type in searches. Channels are only a click away with the menu highlighting channels users may like. And then there’s the new Bigscreen Home, a new modern-themed starting environment to arrive in.

The update also includes bug fixes and UX improvements to make the whole Bigscreen Beta experience smoother. Then in a couple of weeks, the Bigscreen TV events will arrive along with new TV channels, and a new cinema environment. These events are:

  • July 11–14 — Overwatch League Playoffs
  • July 21 — SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch
  • August 25 — The DOTA 2 International Grand Finals

There’s a lot more planned for late summer as well. Bigscreen Beta is free to download, and as further announcements are made, VRFocus will keep you updated.

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Bigscreen Beta’s New Filters Add More Fun and Comfort

After releasing the rather substantial ‘2019 Update’ in February, Bigscreen Inc. has announced its next set of improvements, called ‘The Filters Update’. This sees both fun and useful additions for users to play with.

Bigscreen Beta

We’re all constantly looking at screens of some description, whether that’s a TV, mobile phone or virtual reality (VR) headset. A lot of research has gone into the effect looking at screens for long durations can have on people’s eyes and brains, finding that the reduction of blue light can reduce eye strain and improve quality of sleep, hence why Android phones, for example, have a ‘Blue Light Filter’ mode.

And that’s the reasoning behind Bigscreen Inc’s. new Night Mode for Bigscreen Beta. As Darshan Shankar, CEO of Bigscreen Inc explains in a Medium blog posting: “On average, users spend 1 hour in each Bigscreen VR session. Some people spend 20–30 hours each week in Bigscreen. Our new Night Mode filter reduces blue light emitted from the virtual screen, and it can make a significant impact on health and comfort during these long VR sessions.

And then there’s the fun stuff. Adding some special effects to Bigscreen Beta are the 8-Bit and CRT Filters. The 8-Bit Filter makes PC videogames look pixelated while the CRT Filter adds moire and barrel distortion. Plus there have been several presets added like Movies, Text, Sports, and Black & White. And for those users who like to fine tune things even further the Brightness slider has now been joined by Sharpness, Contrast and Saturation sliders.

Bigscreen Beta

As for the future of Bigscreen Beta? The studio is working on a Friends System, a Videoplayer, and new environments, plus the Oculus Quest version which has now been confirmed as a launch title. Bigscreen Inc. eventually hopes to leave the beta branch behind later this year, adding more polish and reliability.

Bigscreen Beta lets you use your PC desktop in VR. It is free for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Go and Samsung GearVR. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Bigscreen Beta as the studio continues to roll out further improvements, updating you with the latest announcements.