Category: Samsung Gear 360

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Samsung Push Forward Creative VR With New Video Initiative

Samsung have expressed a strong interest in virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree video, whether this is in regards to its Gear VR headset or its Gear 360 camera. The company is now taking that further with the announcement of Pilot Season, an initiative aimed at supporting the independent VR filmmaking industry.

The Pilot Season programme means that six exclusive new original series will see launch today on the Samsung VR Video service for the Samsung Gear VR.

Through the programme, a selected set of indie filmmakers were given a grant by Samsung in order to create original VR episodes and were offered use of the 360 Round camera, Samsung’s professional-grade 360-degree camera which was specifically design for capturing high-quality 3D content.

Those filmmakers involved were also given exclusive distribution via a dedicated channel on the Samsung VR Video service.

The content currently available on Plot Season includes:

  • Design – by Sibling Rivalry and Curious Octopus

    An episodic series about design that aims to change how people view the world around them by revealing the stories of different design projects.

  • Bro Bots – by Breaking Fourth

    A comedic sci-fi story set in the near-ish future about two robots who move to New York and join the NYPD

  • The Interpretation of Dreams – by Graham Sack and Sensorium

    An examination of some of the case studies of Sigmund Freud and a look at how the unconscious mind works.

  • Lightcatcher – By Occupied VR and RSA VR

    A look at a possible future of 2150 where the world has changed. Incoporating exploration, adventure, romance and science fiction.

  • Sam’s Surreal Games – By RSA VR and Hey Wonderful

    An observational work where viewers are challenged to spot the unusual in the middle of ordinary, real-world settings.

  • Voyages: Pilot – by Kaleidoscope

    An experience that travels through an entire human life from birth to death and examins what it means to grow and age.

A video trailer for Pilot Season is available to view below. All the current Pilot Season content is now available on the Samsung VR Video service. To access it, users will a Samsung Gear VR need to had to the Oculus Store and access the content from the ‘Featured’ section of Samsung VR video,

Further news on new and upcoming VR content will continue to be here on VRFocus.

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Samsung Funds Episodic VR Videos, Filmmakers Use Company’s $10K ‘Round 360’ Camera

Samsung today launched ‘Pilot Season’, a new initiative aimed at putting original episodic VR video content into the Samsung VR Video service. The initiative, which aims to foster the VR filmmaker community and generate exclusive content, has given financial grants to indie filmmakers to create original VR episodes.

Filmmakers taking part in Pilot Season were given access to Samsung 360 Round camera, the company’s professional 3D 360-degree camera. Pilot Season participant Sibling Rivalry opted to do so for its production of &Design.

Costing over $10K, the Samsung Round 360 boasts high-quality 3D 360-degree video captured via its 17-lens array. With the ability to both capture and stream 4K 3D content to VR headsets, the Round 360 package includes a professional suite of tools including PC software for controlling and stitching. Handily enough, the camera even features a IP65 water and dust resistance rating.

image courtesy Samsung

To find the Pilot Season debut episodes, head to the Oculus store on your Gear VR and navigate to Samsung VR Video service. Within the service, users will find the Pilot Season in the “Featured” section.

Pilot Season content includes:

  • &Design (Sibling Rivalry and Curious Octopus) – An original episodic series about design that will change the way we look at the world. The series presents design in its intersection with science, technology and anthropology, weaving an array of items that link each episode by a universally humanistic theme. With renowned and charismatic design curator Paola Antonelli as our guide, the series will take audiences on a captivating, fun, and often surprising journey around the globe to reveal the stories of different projects and the Artists behind them. From designed objects we rely on but rarely think about, to bizarre inventions, to artifacts from other cultures, “&Design” will invite us to see the world in a new way.
  • Bro Bots (Breaking Fourth) – A scripted sci-fi comedy series in VR, set in a New York City of the future. In the not-so-distant future… robots are everywhere. They talk like us. They walk like us. And they have really big personalities. Two British robots – Otis and Roberto – arrive in New York and join the NYPD. Otis acts like a Downton Abbey butler. Roberto is rough and tough, from the other side of the tracks. They are best friends. Bro Bots is an irreverent, quirky, VR buddy-comedy series.
  • The Interpretation of Dreams (Graham Sack & Sensorium) – In 1899, Sigmund Freud published his magnum opus, The Interpretation of Dreams, which shocked the world and forever changed our understanding of dreams and the unconscious mind. This episodic narrative fiction series reimagines each of Freud’s original case studies — “the Ratman”, “Dora”, “Anna O”, “Irma’s Injection” — as visually luxurious, psychologically complex, and emotionally haunting immersive VR dreamscapes. Each episode unfolds as a mystery to be solved. A patient arrives afflicted by a mysterious symptom — insomnia, recurring nightmares, the inability to speak or swallow. In search of a cure, the viewer enters their dreams, which are populated by symbolic objects and characters with hidden meanings. Federico Fellini famously called film “a dream we dream with our eyes open.” VR provides a vast new vocabulary for the exploration and visualization of the unconscious, from the construction of surreal landscapes to the distortion of time, space, perception, and physical law. Written and Directed by Graham Sack. Technical Direction by Sensorium. Original Composition by Tim Fain.
  • Lightcatcher (Occupied VR, RSA VR) – The Earth is evolving and digesting our human footprint. Now humanity has a choice—stay or leave. Lightcatcher is an odyssey that revolves around earth and its people in the year 2150. Get lost with five adventurers as they travel through unique environments—enduring hardships and triumphs in the new world. Explore subterranean caves, soar in zero-gravity and grapple sky high canyon walls. Lightcatcher is a young adult adventure saga that brings you on a journey combining elements of adventure, romance and sci-fi. The series is designed as a virtual reality franchise that will captivate a new generation of fans.
  • Sam’s Surreal Gems (RSA VR, Hey Wonderful) – Set in a collection of real world locations, this fresh, funny and irreverent VR series directed by Sam Cadman challenges its viewers to spot eight surreal and unexpected Easter eggs hidden within each episode. Sam’s Surreal Gems is the antithesis of overly familiar futuristic and fantastical VR, rather, this series will celebrate the truly entertaining and wonderfully funny possibilities within the real world already around us. Each set of surreal gems will have been carefully rehearsed and seamlessly choreographed so as to happen in a single uninterrupted take lasting no more than 2-3 minutes. These gems will be arranged so that they build in spectacle and scale, as well as darting around all 360 degrees of the VR space. The same troupe of actors will appear in each location/episode – playing their characters with a natural and understated ease.
  • Voyages – Pilot (Kaleidoscope) – A virtual reality animation that takes you on an epic journey from birth to death. Comprised of six distinct movements, “Voyages – Pilot” guides you through the emotional arc of an entire life. Experience what it feels like to be born, to grow up, to grow old, and to eventually die. The pilot features original music from Amon Tobin, Little Dragon, Jonny Greenwood, Elliot Cole and Roomful of Teeth.

 

The post Samsung Funds Episodic VR Videos, Filmmakers Use Company’s $10K ‘Round 360’ Camera appeared first on Road to VR.

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Best Buy’s Black Friday Sale to Offer Sizable Discounts on VR Devices, Oculus Rift Priced at $350

Major retailers are now publishing their much awaited Black Friday deals, and by far one of the largest sales to cover VR stuff thus far comes from Best Buy. Sizable discounts come to Oculus Rift, VR-ready computers, Gear VR, and much more.

When & Where

The sale will run from November 23-25. Best Buy’s ‘Door Buster Deals’ start at 5PM on Thursday in stores, but you can bypass the crowds by purchasing from BestBuy.com. If you’re planning on braving the masses, make sure to check out the FAQ first, because as usual, Best Buy is organizing the sale through tickets which are handed out to those waiting in line. Now for the deals.

Oculus Rift + Touch Bundle

As an official retail partner of Oculus in the US, Best Buy is advertising the Oculus Rift + Touch bundle for $350, a $50 savings from the permanent MSRP of $400. As with all current Oculus Rift purchases, you’ll be getting 6 free games including Robo Recall, Lucky’s Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox.

image courtesy Best Buy

There’s also a bevy of PC options if you’re starting from scratch too.

VR Ready PCs

There’s an Oculus Ready GPU in the bunch as well, the minspec PNY GTX 1050 Ti 4GB, making for a quick drop-in if you already have a PC that’s almost all the way there. To find out what your computer needs to be Oculus Ready, check out our handy guide.

SEE ALSO
Target's Black Friday Sale Sees $100 Off PlayStation VR, $100 Off PS4 Console

Gear VR + Samsung Gear 360

If you buy the latest Gear VR + Controller ($130) and Samsung Gear 360 Camera ($200), you can have both for only $200.

image courtesy Best Buy

Gear VR-Ready Phones

Best Buy also has a number of deals on Gear VR-ready phones, including Galaxy S8, S8+ and Galaxy Note 8. Verizon, Sprint and unlocked handsets are all present, but you’ll have to paw through the various options to figure out which one is right for you. Also, cross-comparing with Amazon on a new phone is always advisable.

image courtesy Best Buy

We’ll be bringing you more coverage on Black Friday sales throughout the web, so check back soon for more deep discounts on all your favorite VR stuff.

The post Best Buy’s Black Friday Sale to Offer Sizable Discounts on VR Devices, Oculus Rift Priced at $350 appeared first on Road to VR.

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2018 Samsung Gear 360 4k Camera Showcases New Playful Design

2017 has almost come to an end and with the start of 2018 looming there’s going to be the usual influx of new gadgets and gizmos from events like CES and Mobile World Congress (MWC). Yearly updates aren’t an unusual thing anymore – just look at smartphones – and it seems as though tech giant Samsung has a new Gear 360 camera in the works if newly released images are to be believed.

LetsGoDigital, the German website that’s very good at uncovering patent filings – it recently found the HTC Vive Focus and Vive Eclipse trademark applications – reports that Samsung filed a new patent application with the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) along with some images for a 2018 Gear 360 model.

samsung gear 360 2018

Currently no specifications have been reveal regarding the new camera but as you can see from the images supplied the design has been overhauled somewhat from the 2017 model. The lens housing is far more bulbous and slightly titled – so the lenses are no longer level, and the bottom of the grip is no longer flat, instead it’s rounded with a couple of feet to support it when placed on flat surfaces.

The look is far more playful in its design, almost mimicking some sort of cartoon character – there’s even what look like eyes printed on the front of the lens. The design also looks far more streamlined than the present model with two buttons on the front, one for activating record and another grey button. There doesn’t seem to be a display panel or any of the menu/Bluetooth buttons.

This likely means Samsung is putting more of an emphasis on smartphone controls for fine tuning specific recording functions.

As the 2016 and 2017 models were introduced around February/March time it’s more than likely that Samsung will make some sort of formal announcement around the time of MWC 2018 which takes place at the end of February. When it does, VRFocus will bring you the latest details.

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New UK Bundle Deal For Samsung Gear VR

The Samsung Gear VR is one of the most popular virtual reality (VR) headsets, currently the best selling VR device, and for many people the first contact they have with the VR experience. Samsung are making sure the device stays popular by offering a new bundle deal.

Not only is the Samsung Gear VR device on offer, so is the Samsung Gear 360 camera. The current version of the Gear 360 camera was released in May this year, and features a redesigned form factor, along with allowing for up to 4K recordings or even live broadcasts in 360 degrees. The Samsung Gear 360 app integrated with the device for editing and sharing from a compatible paired smartphone.

Also included in the bundle is, of course, the Samsung Gear VR headset, which is compatible with a number of Samsung smartphones, including the recently released Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. The bundle also contains the Gear VR controller, which offers more precision when engaging with VR videogames or other apps. To make storing 360-degree content easier, a 64GB memory card is included in the bundle.

The bundle, titled ‘The 360 Degree VR Collection’ is available to buy from the UK Samsung website, priced at £299 (GBP). Terms and conditions do apply, so it is wise to double-check before buying.

VRFocus will continue to report on the latest deals on offers on VR hardware and software.

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Trademark Application Suggest Huawei Working on 360-Degree Camera

Chinese tech giant Huawei have recently filed a trademark application in both the United States and Europe for a 360-degree imaging device called the EnVizion Panoramic VR Camera. This information seems to indicate that Huawei have plans to join the virtual reality (VR)/360-degree imaging market.

Information was recently released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as the EU Intellectual Property Office which revealed the name, but few other details regarding the device, though insiders and analysts have already begun speculating based on details that are available, suggesting that the device is likely to be similar to the Samsung Gear 360 series of cameras.

Insta360 - Huawei Honor VR Camera

The application mentioned mobile software and related technologies. Since Huawei is primarily known, especially in the West, for producing mobile devices, it seems likely that the company are also planning on releasing a mobile app to connect to the EnVizion 360. Some analysts have predicted that, similar to the Samsung Gear 360, the EnVizion 360 will also have a small form factor and be capable of connecting directly to an Android smartphone.

Huawei have a hardware event coming up on 16th October, but the new device is unlikely to be announced there, since Trademark applications are a slow process, and Huawei has usually been cautious about announcing a product name before it has been officially trademarked. Most experts are predicting that the device will be officially announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2018, or at Mobile World Congress later that same year.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Huawei’s VR/360-degree projects as it becomes available.

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Life In 360°: Say Cheese, San Diego!

Ah, Comic-Con. Bastion of television and feature film news and reveals… oh and comics as well I suppose. (There are comics there still, right?) San Diego has been bid fairwell for another year as the event continues to get bigger and louder and more important. Already a mecca for pop-culture enthusiasts, it’s even busier, as amazing as that seems, behind the scenes.

As such Entertainment Weekly have created a little video showcasing what you and the show going public do not. A look at the media responsibilities the stars face as they are all led into the publication’s studio for photos before they are rapidly whisked off to their next assignment.

Filmed in time-lapse (and with some gratuitous cuts) using the Samsung Gear 360 and broadcast via OmniVirt, watch as the casts of Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, Dr. Who (past and present), Arrow, Teen Wolf, Fear The Walking Dead and many, many more are whisked in for cast and individual photos in one of the two booths crammed into a corner away(ish) from onlookers as staff make plans and take additional footage and edit on the booths not in use.

You can see the video below. VRFocus will be back on Friday with another video utilizing 360 degrees.

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GoPro Fusion 360-Grad-Kamera: Preis und Launch angekündigt [Update]

[Update] GoPro schließt einige Informationslücken zu seiner 360-Grad-Kamera GoPro Fusion und schaltet die Vorbestellung auf seiner Webseite frei. In Deutschland wird die Kamera 750 Euro kosten, der Hersteller will sie bis zum 30. November 2017 ausliefern. Die GoPro Fusion bietet mit 5.2 K eine höhere Auflösung als beispielsweise die Samsung Gear 360 oder die neue Ricoh Theta V mit 4K, ist allerdings auch deutlich teurer. Das jüngste Modell der Theta-Serie ist derzeit für knapp unter 450 Euro beispielsweise bei Amazon erhältlich.

Originalmeldung:

Der Marktführer für Action-Cams will neues Terrain erobern: Die GoPro Fusion nimmt 360-Grad-Videos auf und bietet mit 5,2K eine höhere Auflösung als beispielsweise die Samsung Gear 360. Vor dem großen Launch hat der Hersteller jetzt erste Exemplare an wichtige Content-Ersteller ausgeliefert und freut sich auf interessante Inhalte sowie wertvolle Informationen.

GoPro Fusion: Die 360-Grad-Virtual-Reality-Kamera

Nach der Vorstellung der GoPro Fusion im April hat der Hersteller ein Programm aufgelegt, um Content-Ersteller mit der 360-Grad-Kamera zu beglücken. Mehr als 20.000 haben sich um ein Exemplar beworben, letztlich hat GoPro aber lediglich zehn ausgewählt. Dazu gehören Schwergewichte wie das USA Today Network, FOX Sports und Getty Images, aber beispielsweise auch der Reiseblogger Louis Cole. Die weiteren glücklichen Empfänger sind The Golden State Warriors, AccuWeather, Digital Domain, Legend 3D Inc., Rapid VR und RYOT. Der CEO von GoPro Nicholas Woodman verspricht sich neben spannendem Content auch wichtige Rückmeldungen von den Erstellern, um noch an Feinheiten zu feilen, bevor die GoPro Fusion später in diesem Jahr auf den Markt kommt.

Mit der GoPro Fusion versucht das Unternehmen, einen neuen Markt zu erobern, nachdem die Umsätze bei Action-Cams schwächeln. GoPro selbst bezeichnet seine 360-Grad-Kamera als Virtual-Reality-Kamera. Das äußerst kompakte Gerät besitzt zwei Linsen, die Auflösung fällt mit 5,2 K höher aus als bei anderen Consumer-Kameras wie der Ricoh Theta S oder Samsung Gear 360. Die Bildrate der GoPro Fusion liegt bei lediglich durchschnittlichen 30fps. Erste Tests bescheinigen der Fusion aber bereits eine sehr gute Bildqualität. Besonders angetan zeigen sich einige Berichte vom Overcapture-Modus. Dieser erlaubt es, einen Videoausschnitt in Full HD aus der Rundumsicht zu extrahieren und die Kamera damit auch als schnöde Action-Cam zu gebrauchen. Praktisch: Wer bereits Zubehör zur normalen GoPro Hero besitzt, braucht kein neues anschaffen, da es mit der Fusion kompatibel ist.

Wer die GoPro Fusion erwerben will, muss sich gedulden: sie soll zwar dieses Jahr erscheinen, allerdings nur in ausgewählten Märkten. Einen Preis nannte das Unternehmen noch nicht, auch bei den technischen Spezifikationen gibt es derzeit ein Fragezeichen, zum Beispiel ist das Seitenverhältnis der 360-Grad-Videos noch nicht bekannt.

(Quelle: RoadToVR)

Der Beitrag GoPro Fusion 360-Grad-Kamera: Preis und Launch angekündigt [Update] zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Samsung 360-Degree Partners For BST Hyde Park Music Festival

Summertime can be unpredictable in the UK, as you can never be entirely sure if the day will bring rain or sun. That rarely stops the British from having a good time, however. As proven with the British Summer Time Hyde Park music festival, which this year will feature Samsung as an official ‘360-Degree Partner’.

Samsung will be on-site during the BST Hyde Park festival with a special booth promoting the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Gear 360 camera. The company have set up a special ‘Infinity Room’ to allow festival attendees to take special 360-degree selfies as a memento of the event. Samsung are also encouraging attendees to use Gear 360 cameras to film the concerts and events at the festival.

The Barclaycard British Summer Time Hyde Park music festival began on 30th June, 2017 and will continue until 9th July, 2017 with a series of concerts from well-known musicians. Still upcoming are concert performances from the Kings of Leon, The Killers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Other events on offer during the festival includes outdoor movie nights, special screenings of big matches from the Wimbledon Tennis competition. There will be pop-up bars serving craft beer, wine and cocktails along with street food stalls selling food from all over the world.

Samsung have created a selfie gallery for some of the best 360-degree photos taken in the Infinity room. Visitors can also try out Samsung’s new hardware, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Gear 360 for themselves to experience the improved features for themselves.

Further information on the British Summer Time Hyde Park festival can be found on the official website.

VRFocus will bring you further news on VR and 360-related events as it becomes available.

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Life In 360°: Blood’s Musical Flow

Last week on VRFocus we brought you news of British rock duo Royal Blood who livestreamed a special one-off gig in 360 degrees as part of Samsung’s Live 360 series.

The performance was apparently not particularly long according to comments we received, but the footage from the event, captured at the Collins Music Hall in Islington, London and premiering the music from their next album How Did We Get So Dark? has now been put up on the Royal Blood YouTube channel. You can see it below.

Royal Blood formed in Brighton in 2013, releasing their first eponymous album in August 2014 following an EP Out Of The Black in March that year. Their efforts netting them awards from the Brits, Kerrang! and NME in 2015. How Did We Get So Dark? is set to be released on 16th June 2017.

VRFocus will be back next week with another trio of visits to Life In 360°.