iQIYI – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

July 26, 2018

iQIYI VR Film Shortlisted at 75th Venice International Film Festival

China is one of the largest growth markets for virtual reality (VR), with several new companies emerging from the region. One of those is iQIYI Inc, an online entertainment service for the Chinese market. The company has revealed that its original VR short film ‘The Last One Standing VR’ has been shortlisted for an award at the famous Venice International Film Festival.

The Last One Standing VR is the story of a future world where humans and robots fight each other to death or destruction, incorporating elements of Chinese culture along with strong cyberpunk influences.

The short film is presented in first-person perspective for more immediacy, and was filmed in one single, long take. The Last One Standing VR is the first Chinese sci-fi VR film to be recognised by the Venice Film Festival.

The Venice Film Festival is one of a growing number of arts and entertainment festivals which is including immersive entertainment. The Venice Film Festival has a VR category in its competition, something that was introduced as of 2017.

The Last One Standing VR will get its official premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, after which it will also be shown at Digital Domain Space, China’s largest offline VR cinema.

“Virtual reality and augmented reality have the potential to change the nature of the entertainment industry, and iQIYI is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution,” said Duan Youqiao, Senior Vice President at iQIYI. “The critical acclaim received by our original VR production ‘The Last One Standing VR‘ is evidence that we are on the right track, and we will continue to find ways to offer viewers a more immersive entertainment experience, through both producing the highest quality VR content and further developing our cutting-edge VR technology.”

The 75th Venice Film Festival is due to take place from 29th August until 8th September, further information can be found on the official website. As usual, VRFocus will be sure to bring you the latest on new and upcoming VR projects.

April 20, 2018

iQIYI To Release World’s First 4K VR Integrated Headset

The marketing-leading online entertainment service in China, iQIYI, has revealed that this May it will officially launch the world’s first 4K virtual reality (VR) integrated headset supporting 8K (7680*3840) panoramic video playback.

This announcement follows the debut of iQIYI’s second generation VR headset, the VR II, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this January. The upgraded version will allow for the 8K panoramic video playback functionality and image rendering technology, combined with a fully upgraded 4K LCD screen with a quick response time to reduce latency. This will provide users with an unprecedented portable 4K movie theater viewing experience.

To help provide users with content, iQIYI will leverage their vast content library to allow the VR II to boast a massive amount of built-in video content including VR panoramic videos and pictures, 3D video, 2D video, iQIYI original VR films and television dramas and even VR videogames. iQIYI’s VR II marks the next step for the company is producing high quality content and products to consumers that is accessible and beautiful.

QIYU-II software screenshot

“Clarity, fluidity, and the sense of immersion in a virtual theater are crucial to the VR experience,” said Mr. Yu Gong, the founder and CEO of iQIYI. “iQIYI’s VR II takes each of these to the next level, with four-times higher resolution than standard 2K screens and a 35% improvement in computing performance. We’re confident our upcoming 4K VR headset will set an entirely new benchmark for VR, and once again transform the consumer entertainment experience.”

Elsewhere the company have been focusing their efforts on providing new ways for consumers to engage with content including software and motion tracking solutions. It was back at CES 2018 that they showcased their 8K Kivi Player, able to recognize VR content in various code formats and able to playback content up to 8K in resolution with ease. The VR II is also integrated with the iMotion position and posture tracking device which utilities armbands, the traditional VR controller can be directly upgrades from three degrees of freedom (3DoF) to 6DoF.

As iQIYI continue to develop new products and solutions to allow for more immersive experiences, VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest.

January 12, 2018

QIYU VR Mobile VR Arm Tracking & 4K Video Software Detailed

iQIYI Intelligence has revealed its latest virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD), the QIYU VR II at the CES 2018, Las Vegas. As previously reported by VRFocus, the HMD supports 4320p, 7680 x 4320 video playback, but now iQIYI has offered more details on the software utilised for this as well as the VR videogame experiences on offer.

The independently developed 8K Kiwi Player is able to recognise VR content in various code formats, and is able to play UHD content of up to 8K in resolution. QIYU VR II offers a variety of video content by leveraging on iQIYI’s TOP1 resource pool in China’s video industry. A Wi-Fi connection is all the user needs to access over 10,000 movies, 20,000 programs with panoramic content, as well as hundreds of 8K/4K videos customised for QIYU VR II. The user can watch TV dramas like Nirvana in Fire 2 or My Huckleberry Friends, and also enjoy blockbusters like Marvel Cinematic Universe in 8K/4K via the QIYU VR II.

At the same time, QIYU VR II integrated the iMotion position and posture tracking device. By utilising armbands, the traditional VR controller can be directly upgraded from three degrees of freedom (3DoF) to 6DoF. All the motion information of an arm can be captured in real-time, which presents the user with a richer VR interaction experience.

QIYU-II software screenshot 6DOF interaction also offers new videogame entertainment experiences, showcased at CES 2018 with the previously revealed Planet Dinosaur and a new title, Whac-A-Mole. QIYU VR II has also included the 6DOF position-tracking inside-out camera as an expansion component, an external add-on to the QIYU VR II that can be removed. It uses the algorithms of visual and inertia sensors and is able to detect head movement angles and information on mobile spatial positions without the need to set the external environment in advance.

As the leader in the internet service provider (ISP) industry in China, iQIYI Intelligence is showcasing iQIYI’s VR technologies and content ecosystem again at CES 2018. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on the QIYU VR II HMD and other VR projects from iQIYI.

January 9, 2018

iQIYI Reveal 4K Standalone VR Headset: QIYU-II

2018 is looking set to become the year in which mobile virtual reality (VR) matures. Oculus Go is coming soon alongside Oculus VR’s recently revealed Xiaomi partnership for the Mi VR, and of course the Vive Focus is heading to China imminently. New to the block are iQIYI, revealing their own take on the new paradigm, the QIYU-II, at CES 2018, Las Vegas.

QIYU-II headset

Founded in 2010, iQIYI is China’s largest internet and mobile video service provider. Since its launch, iQIYI has become recognised as an industry leader when it comes to delivering high-definition (HD) online video content to Chinese users, and is now looking to diversify its portfolio. The QIYU-II is key to that expansion.

The QIYU-II is on display at CES 2018, presented with the first videogame designed specifically for the platform: Planet Dinosaur. The QIYU-II features a 4K display, and Planet Dinosaur uses that to immersive the player in a Jurassic world. You can feed ferocious velociraptors by cranking the handle, and get a full 360 degree view of the dinosaur museum thanks to the QIYU-II’s built-in inside-out tracking system. Players can freely roam around in the dinosaur museum and observe every detail of dinosaur specimens.

Given iQIYI’s video background, it is of course to be expected that video playback will remain as large part of the company’s VR strategy. The QIYU-II supports 4320p, 7680 x 4320 video content, delivering a high quality viewing experience on the 4K LCD screen. Demonstrations of the video content are be available alongside Planet Dinosaur at CES 2018.

iQIYI currently operates largely in content distribution, and has built up a diversified business model that includes services such as online reading, manga, gaming, live streaming, movie ticketing, and e-commerce. VR is set to be the next step for the company as the QIYU-II head-mounted display (HMD) approaches the consumer market.

No details are currently available regarding the release date or price point of the QIYU-II HMD, nor any further technical specifications aside from those mentioned above. VRFocus is currently at CES 2018, and will continue to keep you updated with all the latest news directly from the show floor.

June 13, 2017

China’s Leading Video Service Launches VR Program

At The 2017 Virtual Reality Global Conference in Beijing, iQIYI released a white paper on China’s burgeoning virtual reality (VR) industry, and announced projects to help foster the growth of Chinese VR productions. With iQIYI’s experience as a video service, it seems like the perfect fit for the rapidly growing VR market.

The summit was attended by numerous industry figures, of course by iQIYI senior vice-president Duan Youqiao, intelligent hardware vice-president Xiong Wen, Google Spotlight Studio head Rachid El Guerrab, BBC executive producer Charlotte Jones, and many more.

iQIYI have already moved into the VR space in the past with plans to make the world’s largest Chinese-language VR platform, and with the 10+ IP Video Production Program iQIYI have released 10 pieces of VR entertainment, including dramas and videogames, in the last year.

Videogame developers are well catered for too, with the 100+ IP Game Cooperation Plan providing 100 IPs from the platform to game developers to use for free, potentially saving devs a lot of time when it comes to designing characters and artwork.

One VR game from iQIYI, Ling Yu, has already become the most downloaded paid game on the Xiaomi VR platform. The future for iQIYI will focus on online videogames, dramas, films and live concerts, with ambitions to expand into technologies that will help blur the lines between mediums such as films and games.

Wen stated; “Major technology difficulties in VR device development are expected to be overcome in near future and there will be more and more all-in-one VR devices with a potential million-level sales performance,” clearly showing great optimism for the future of VR.

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