mercredi 10 janvier 2018

Virtual 360 Tours For Fun And Recreation

By Mary Sullivan


One of the newest forms of entertainment is online touring. What better way to visit other countries and well known landmarks than through Virtual 360 Tours. Whether previewing for a potential trip or just wanting to experience other cultures, this type of touring can be a fun way to do so. In addition, it is also a good way to take a beautiful vacation without ever leaving home.

In some cases, photographs and videos are free of charge. Whereas, many websites require a paid subscription or membership. In other cases, websites may offer single photographs and videos for a nominal fee. Regardless of cost, most having paid for these video tours have suggested that the experience is well worth the cost. Individuals downloading either photographs or videos need pay close attention to any copyrights in order to prevent copyright infringement which is often a felony.

AirPana is a big player in the virtual world. In fact, the company was one of the first to develop this new technology. The project was founded by a group of professional photographers from Moscow whom love working with objects and movement. As such, the photographers set out to film 360 degree films and photographs.

Most often this type of photography is photographed using a omnidirectional camera or multiple cameras. Once the photographs are stored, individuals can play back the photographs using a viewer which controls the photographs like a panorama. Whereas, 360 degree video is often formatted with an equirectangular projection using either a monoscopic or stereoscopic video camera.

The difference between monoscopic and stereoscopic is whether using one video camera or multiple video cameras. One problem with this type video is that there are often issues in the middle of the picture. Whereas, the top and bottom are almost always clear. While this is the case with pictures and video, the sound is also different between monoscopic and stereoscopic equipment.

Currently, there are specialized cameras and rigs which have been developed for the filming of these type videos. These include Go Pro's, Omni, Odyssey and all-in-one virtual reality cameras. While there are others, these are systems most used in the filming process. Other companies are currently working on research and development as to how to make pictures and videos of a better quality in the future.

These videos are generally viewed using personal computers, mobile devices or dedicated head mounted displays such as Virtual Reality headgear. When viewing on smart phones, there are internal sensors like the gyroscope which can be used to pan across images. While virtual reality headgear can be used to view these videos, it should be noted that it is often advised not to use a virtual reality headset for more than 30 to 55 minutes per session.

Websites providing these videos, while few and far between are often well stocked with videos and photographs. When planning on downloading photographs and video from these websites, individuals need to assure there is enough available space on the device in which the material will be stored, or better yet obtain an external mini-drive on which the media can be stored.




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