Category: Oculus TV

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Sling TV Now Supports Multi-User Watching On Oculus Go

Sling TV Now Supports Multi-User Watching On Oculus Go

Sling TV on Oculus TV now supports multi-user watching. That means if you and your friends are Sling TV subscribers, you should be able to watch the service together in VR from anywhere, using Oculus Go headsets.

Sling TV is a streaming based TV service available on many platforms. Channels available in its various packages include Disney Channel, CNN, USA, Cartoon Network and Discovery. Sling also offers a cloud DVR service. Sling came to Oculus TV back in December, along with ESPN and FOX NOW.

Oculus TV was announced back at F8 2019 as a flagship feature of the Oculus Go, a device focused on media watching. At the time, Facebook spoke of a social viewing feature so you could watch movies, shows, and events with your friends.

To use the service, simply enter the Oculus TV app while in an Oculus Party. Select the Sling TV app, and any other party members with a Sling subscription should see your Oculus Avatar and the same screen when opening Oculus TV.

Note that co-watching does not support movie rentals or cloud DVR recordings.

Oculus TV is also available on the Oculus Quest, but this Sling TV app update hasn’t rolled out to Quest yet and there’s no mention of whether it will. While the headsets share the same Android underpinnings, Facebook has positioned Quest as a gaming device, whereas Go is a media device.

If you’ve tried out co-watching with Sling through Oculus TV please share in the comments how it worked.

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Sling TV, ESPN and Fox Now Arrive on Oculus Go for US Customers

The Oculus Go standalone headset is a great bit of kit for mobile gaming, and even better to watch your favourite shows through apps like Netflix and Hulu. When the official launch of the headset was announced during the Facebook Developers Conference (F8) earlier this year, the company announced Oculus TV for apps like those just mentioned, activating the service a month later. Now, Oculus TV has been expanded (for US customers at least), with the addition of Sling TV, ESPN (including ESPN+) and Fox Now.

Oculus Go ESPN

In a similar vein to Netflix, Sling TV is a live streaming service. They differ in the fact that for Sling TV’s monthly fee customers get access to a range of channels. For $25 USD a month, customers can choose from one of two packages; Sling Orange which has 30 channels including A&E, AMC, CNN, and Disney Channel, or Sling Blue, which has 45 channels including USA, Cartoon Network and Discovery. If those aren’t enough then Sling TV has a range of add-on packages covering every interest, from comedy and sports to lifestyle and Hollywood movies.

Oculus and Sling TV have also collaborated on a limited time deal. Between now and 15th January 2019, if you buy and activate an Oculus Go you’ll get a promo code for $80 toward Sling TV subscription services (US only, must be redeemed by 31st January 2019).

For those who prefer wall-to-wall sports then there’s always ESPN. Log in with your TV provider to access ESPN, ESPN2,  ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, and more, featuring live games, studio shows, and on-demand programming 24/7. Sports fans can also sign up for a free trial of ESPN+ to steam MLB, NHL, MLS, international soccer, college sports, boxing, tennis and rugby events.

Oculus Go GDC Promo 03

And Fox Now is where you can watch all your favourite Fox shows, like 9-1-1, The Resident, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Hell’s Kitchen, and Empire.

Why watch all this in VR? Well, you get to enjoy all these shows in a tranquil virtual living room without distractions, and it comes complete with 180-inch virtual screen. For further updates on Oculus TV content, keep reading VRFocus.

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ESPN, Sling TV, FOX NOW Come To Oculus Go’s Virtual TV App

ESPN, Sling TV, FOX NOW Come To Oculus Go’s Virtual TV App

A new update to Oculus TV adds ESPN, Sling TV, and FOX NOW. Oculus TV is an app on the Oculus Go standalone VR headset which provides a virtual TV. All 3 new services are USA-only.

Additionally, from now until January 31st purchasing an Oculus Go in the US will also give you $80 of Sling TV credit, which can be used towards any of their subscription packages.

ESPN includes on demand content and studio panels. With an ESPN+ subscription, you can watch live MLB, NHL, MLS, international soccer, college sports, boxing, tennis, rugby and more. Sports is arguably the most important content for any TV platform- ESPN is a major addition to Oculus TV.

Sling TV is a streaming based TV serivce available on many platforms. Channels available in its various packages include Disney Channel, CNN, USA, Cartoon Network and Discovery. Sling also offers a cloud DVR service.

FOX NOW allows viewing shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Hell’s Kitchen, and Empire. By logging in with your TV provider, you can watch FOX Sports.

When Oculus TV was first announced at Facebook’s F8 conference back in May, the company claimed that it would get a social viewing feature so you could watch these shows with your friends. That hasn’t materialised yet, and no statement on the timeline for that has been given. In fact, the wording has even been removed from the original announcement post. The lack of social means Oculus TV doesn’t take advantage of one of VR’s main strengths. But regardless, the ability to use the Go as a portable big screen TV is compelling in itself.

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Oculus TV: Livestreaming und On-Demand-Videos für Oculus Go

Passend zum offiziellen Verkaufsstart der Oculus Go veröffentlicht Oculus die neue Heimkino-App Oculus TV für die autarke VR-Brille. Innerhalb des Unterhaltungsangebots können Nutzer verschiedene Streaming-Dienste in einem virtuellen Wohnzimmer in Anspruch nehmen. Darunter Live-Content sowie On-Demand-Videos von bekannten Anbietern. Dazu zählen Facebook Video, Red Bull TV, Pluto TV sowie Netflix, Hulu und Showtime.

Oculus TV für Oculus Go – Live-Streaming im virtuellen Wohnzimmer

Nach Oculus Venues offenbart das Unternehmen mit der neuen Unterhaltungs-App Oculus TV für Oculus Go ein großes Entertainmentpaket für Konsumenten. Mit der immersiven Anwendung ist es möglich, in einem virtuellen Wohnzimmer Platz zu nehmen, um vor einer gigantischen Kinoleinwand eine Vielzahl an Streaming-Angeboten zu schauen.

Laut Oculus entspricht die Leinwand einem realen 180-Zoll-TV, der in einer modernen und komfortablen Umgebung platziert wurde. Dadurch soll eine mobile Lösung für das Betrachten von Videos, Filmen und TV-Serien entstehen.

Oculus-TV-Oculus-Go

Als Angebot stehen sowohl kostenlose Livestreaming-Services sowie On-Demand-Dienste wie Red Bull TV, Facebook Video, Neverthink zur Verfügung. Auch zahlungspflichtige Anbieter wie Netflix oder Hulu sind integriert. Allerdings müssen die entsprechenden Anwendungen separat in der Virtual Reality heruntergeladen und geöffnet werden. In Deutschland sind aus lizenzrechtlichen Gründen leider weniger Programme als in den Vereinigten Staaten verfügbar. Auch auf YouTube muss man bisher leider verzichten.

Oculus verspricht allerdings bereits jetzt, das Angebot in naher Zukunft zu erweitern. Neue Ankündigungen sollen uns bereits im Sommer sowie im Herbst des Jahres erwarten.

Oculus TV ist ab sofort fester Bestandteile neu ausgelieferter Oculus–Go-Brillen und ist kostenlos im Oculus Store erhältlich.

(Quellen: Oculus Blog | Video: Oculus Youtube)

Der Beitrag Oculus TV: Livestreaming und On-Demand-Videos für Oculus Go zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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‘Oculus TV’ Brings Live & On-demand Video to Oculus Go, Now Available

Announced back at Facebook’s F8 developer conference earlier this year, Oculus TV is the company’s latest first-party app that pulls a number of flatscreen video options together under one roof. The app is now available for free on Oculus Go.

Displaying video on a virtual ‘180-inch’ TV, the company is billing its newest video streaming app as the “all-in-one living room solution,” giving Oculus Go users not only native support for live video from Pluto TV, Red Bull TV, and Facebook Video, but it also acts as a launcher for dedicated VR apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, Newsy, and Neverthink.

Facebook Watch also provides syndicated programming like The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert, and originals programming like Ball in the Family and Red Table Talk.

The company says in a blogpost that a greater expansion of the app’s channel options will be coming throughout the year, which includes ESPN, and other unnamed streaming apps and broadcast partners.

While offering a plush environment to kick back and watch traditional flatscreen media, Oculus TV definitely has a few pain points at launch, like the lack of support for YouTube, and no ‘void’ or comfort view settings that would allow you to watch TV while laying down. Since the app is a single user-only experience, you won’t be able to jump in with friends online either, which isn’t a giant drawback, but would certainly add to the app’s overall utility.

SEE ALSO
Oculus Go Now Available from European & Canadian Retailers, In-store & Online

Oculus Go users have a few other options to consider for video watching however. Oculus Video, the company’s first video-viewing app created initially for Gear VR, plays host to local context viewing and livestreaming from Facebook 360 videos, Twitch, and Vimeo. There’s also a PLEX viewer so users can browse their home network’s Plex media server, and Bigscreen Beta, which allow you to mirror your PC’s monitor so you can watch whatever you like. Check out the entire list of

It’s currently uncertain when the Gear VR version of the app is headed down the pipeline. Oculus Go users can download Oculus TV for free here.

The post ‘Oculus TV’ Brings Live & On-demand Video to Oculus Go, Now Available appeared first on Road to VR.

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It’s Time to Tune in as Oculus TV Arrives for Oculus Go

The Facebook Developer Conference (F8) 2018 in May was a success for virtual reality (VR) subsidiary Oculus with the rollout of Oculus Go and the announcement of several new services and features. One of those was Oculus TV, and today the service has now begun for the standalone headset.

Oculus TV

With Oculus TV Oculus Go owners can now watch some of their favourite TV shows and movies in a virtual living room on a massive virtual screen (similar to a 180-inch TV). Designed to be a hub for VR entertainment apps, like Netflix, Hulu, SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Newsy, Neverthink, Pluto TV, Red Bull TV and several more (it’s worth noting not all of these will be available outside the US, and some like Netflix require a subscription).

Much like the Oculus Store for PC, Oculus TV has been designed for ease of use, with viewers able to select from on-demand content to live sports thanks to a simple intuitive menu system.

PlutoTV

While the current selection of apps may provide plenty of hours of entertainment there’s more on the way. Oculus has plans to rollout even more content over the course of 2018, teaming up with more broadcast partners and releasing more streaming apps. Confirmed as coming soon for sports fans is ESPN.

If you already own an Oculus Go then simply download the app to start watching. Anyone who buys a new headset will find Oculus TV already installed. The headset retails for $199 USD/ £199 GBP for the standard 32 GB model via Oculus.com. While US customers can find the headset in select retail locations European buyers will have to wait until tomorrow before the device arrives in stores.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Oculus, its hardware and all of its initiative’s, reporting back with any further updates.

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Oculus TV Launches On Go With Facebook, Red Bull, Netflix, And More Channels

Oculus TV Launches On Go With Facebook, Red Bull, Netflix, And More Channels

Facebook bills the Oculus Go headset as a standalone device that lets you enter VR no matter where you are. Now, starting today, that ease of access will include TV-quality content right from the comfort of a private virtual living room. Where Oculus Rooms is all about socializing the VR experience, Oculus TV is all about making you feel right at home.

The Oculus TV app, when launched, puts you on the couch of your own virtual space, just like the one shown in the image above. From here you can watch videos like they’re on TV (and enlarge the screen as shown below) to satisfy your entertainment cravings. In many ways it’s quite similar to the existing Oculus Video services, but there are some key differences.

For starters, Oculus TV includes both on-demand and live content separated into different channels you can surf like an actual TV. The content offerings are geared towards that style of viewing as well:

Facebook Video, which contains lots of original programming like Ball in the Family and even live MLB games,

Red Bull TV’s high-octane sports content such as sky diving and snowboarding,

Pluto TV, which includes an IGN portal, a Horror 24/7 channel, and even non-stop anime streaming,

As well as Showtime, Hulu, Netflix, and others that are already available in VR.

More streaming apps and broadcast partners are coming as well, such as ESPN, to hopefully continue expanding the offerings. Between Oculus TV, Rooms, Venues, and other existing Go apps, the headset is quickly becoming the best all-around VR entertainment destination. It can’t compete with the likes of Rift, Vive, and PSVR in terms of quality and sheer breadth of gaming content, but it’s turning into a great all-around option.

Although, given the focus on social features at the Go’s launch, it feels odd that this only appears to be a solo, isolated app. As far as I can tell, you can’t invite people into your Oculus TV living room and that’s a real bummer. It’s also nowhere near the breadth of content available even on other non-cable streaming services like PlayStation Vue. If Sony got their act together and offered that content in VR, that’d be huge.

If you’ve got a Go, download the Oculus TV app and let us know what you think down in the comments below!

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F8 2018: An Oculus Go Recap

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team certainly had plenty to talk about during the opening keynote of F8 2018, touching on new Facebook features, privacy and of course virtual reality (VR). In fact VR featured fairly prominently with the major news surrounding the new standalone headset Oculus Go. VRFocus covered the announcements extensively yesterday but for those after a nice little round-up of what was going on we’ve created a quick recap video. 

As mentioned Oculus Go was the main talking point when it came to VR. Retailing for $199 USD for the 32GB model and $249 for the 64GB version, consumers can now purchase the headset via the Oculus website in 23 countries. The head-mounted display (HMD) is all about making VR even more accessible to the masses. You don’t need a specific smartphone, or and expensive PC to run it as everything is built in, just an Android or iOS device that can run the accompanying app for setup and software purposes.

While the headset announcement wasn’t really a surprise – it was first shown at Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) – the accompanying software additions were certainly eye catching. Social meetup point Oculus Rooms got an overhaul, updating the original Gear VR version with a customisable environment and new games care of a collaboration with Hasbro. As part of that, Oculus Avatars also got an update adding custom skin shading, hair color, and clothing whilst making them fit with the lighting and scene better.

Then there was Oculus Venues, another social feature that’ll let friends watch live events together, from sports tournaments to comedy shows and concerts, with a big part of that helped by a collaboration with NextVR. And just to round things off there was Oculus TV, a virtual living room with a massive TV which will serve as a launch area for apps like Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Pluto TV and Netflix.

Then there are all the videogames and other apps that Oculus Go customers will be able to enjoy thanks to the headsets integration with Oculus’ Mobile SDK, meaning compatibility with Gear VR content, unlocking over 1000 experiences on day one.

Check out the video below for more details. VRFocus will continue its coverage of F8 as the conference moves into its second day.

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TV Streaming From Within VR with Oculus TV

Streaming video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are incredibly popular, with many people choosing to spend long periods of time binging on a compelling TV series such as Stranger Things or Game of Thrones. At F8 today, Oculus announced that it would be bringing that experience into virtual reality (VR) with Oculus TV.

Oculus TV allows users to enter a VR environment that is like an expansive virtual living room, complete with an expansive virtual screen to display your favourite shows.

The visual controls have been specially designed to work well from within VR, so no need to blindly fumble for your remote. Like many other social VR apps, Oculus TV has been created to let people join a shared virtual space and enjoy the content together.

The streaming service is still in relatively early phases and isn’t quite ready for launch. When it does become available, Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV and Pluto TV will all be integrated, so viewers will be able to enjoy things such as the extreme sports events presented by Red Bull.

The app will serve as a launch area for other VR entertainment apps, such as Netflix, and the new ESPN+ subscription service will also launch through Oculus TV, as will Showtime’s streaming service, Showtime anytime.

The app is due to launch later on in May, though a full lit of content partners has yet to be revealed. Oculus has been making an effort towards creating non-videogame concert, and has announced an app called Oculus Venues in a similar vein to Oculus TV.

Oculus Venues is geared towards live events such as comedy nights, live concerts and sporting events, partnering with companies such as NextVR who have worked with a huge variety of sporting events, including the NBA, NFL and WWE. Live concerts are also planned for streaming in partnership with Live Nation.

For further news on Oculus VR content and news from F8, keep checking back with VRFocus.

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Oculus TV App Will Bring ESPN, Showtime, and More To VR On Oculus Go

Oculus TV App Will Bring ESPN, Showtime, and More To VR On Oculus Go

Did you hear the news? The Oculus Go standalone VR headset is releasing today! We’ve got over 2,000 words of thoughts on the headset right here, a breakdown of its new social VR Rooms hub app, and even more coverage right here. But that’s not it — there’s more coming for Go later this month.

Later this May we’ll see the launch of the Oculus TV app, which will be a dedicated VR portal for all of your “favorite” TV entertainment. It’s a large 3D environment that you can hang out in with a massive screen either by yourself (or with friends) and gain access to not only streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, but cable content as well.

When Oculus TV launches later this month it’ll include sponsorships with providers such as Showtime, ESPN, Pluto, Red Bull, and many others.

Oculus TV, combined with the new and improved Rooms, as well as the bevvy of content available on Go make it a very attractive entry point for the VR market.

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