This document discusses the challenges and opportunities of virtual reality (VR) technology. It begins by defining various types of immersive media experiences like VR, augmented reality, mixed reality, and 360-degree video. It then provides a brief history of VR technology and discusses how recent developments in consumer headsets from companies like Oculus, HTC, and PlayStation have driven a resurgence in VR. However, the document notes there are still technical, creative, and production challenges to creating high-quality VR content and experiences at scale. These include issues with latency, focus/vergence, motion parallax, bandwidth requirements, and developing norms around VR content creation. Overall, the document provides an overview of VR and outlines both its potential

1. Virtually Real?
The Challenges and Opportunities of VR
Clifford Dive
strategy | product | technology | business 1

2. Background
• 2½ years understanding and developing the
market for real-time video stitching
technology
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3. 3

4. Video stitching
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5. Some definitions
• Virtual reality
: an artificial environment which is experienced
through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds)
provided by a computer and in which one's actions
partially determine what happens in the
environment
: the technology used to create or access a virtual
reality
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6. 6

7. Some definitions
• Augmented reality
: a technology that superimposes a computer-
generated image on a user's view of the real
world, thus providing a composite view
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8. 8

9. 9

10. Some definitions
• Mixed reality
: the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce
new environments and visualizations where
physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in
real time
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11. 11

12. Some definitions
• 360° video
: 360° video, also known as immersive video or
cinematic VR, is a video recording where a view in
every direction is recorded at the same time, shot
using an omni-directional camera or a collection of
cameras
: depending on the camera and the viewing device
360° video may offer a 3D viewing experience
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13. 13

14. Is 360° video “proper” VR?
• Major differentiator – can the user choose a
viewpoint?
– “Proper” VR allows the user to move around in a
virtual world, requiring a full 3D model of that
world
– With 360° video the viewing point is pre-
determined at the time of filming
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15. History
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16. First Known Use of
“VIRTUAL REALITY”
Source: Merriam Webster

17. First Known Use of
“VIRTUAL REALITY”
1987
Source: Merriam Webster

18. 18
Painting by Robert Barker, 1787, overlooking
Edinburgh
200 years earlier

19. 19

20. ...and technology advances
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Photo by George N. Barnard from the top of Lookout
Mountain, Tennessee, 1864

21. View-Master – 1939
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22. The 1990s – SEGA and Nintendo
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23. The millennium – 3D TV
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24. Whatever happened?
Was it
– too expensive
– too much hassle
– bad luck – the global recession
– not compatible with the lifestyle
– just not needed
The millennium – 3D TV

25. Whatever happened?
Was it
– too expensive
– too much hassle
– bad luck – the global recession
– not compatible with the lifestyle
– just not needed
The millennium – 3D TV

26. ...and then....
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33. Addressing two consumer sectors
• Hard-core gamers
– PlayStation VR,
Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
• Everyone else
– Google cardboard,
Daydream, Samsung
Gear VR
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34. 34

35. So what’s it for?
• Gaming
• Education
• Healthcare
• Retail
• Engineering
• Entertainment
• News
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• Social
• Sport
• Art

36. VR empathy machine
36
Amnesty International Unveils Incredible
VR Experience Showing the Devastation
in Syria
https://www.brandcrap.com/2016/03/14/amnesty-international-unveils-incredible-vr-experience-showing-the-devastation-in-syria/

37. How do I get into this?
• First big decision – get into what?
– Full VR experience
– 360° content
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38. Full VR experience
• Requires 3D VR digital tools and game engines
– Nuke
– Unreal Engine
– Unity
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39. 360° video
• Camera
– Google Jump, Nokia OZO, GoPro rig, Samsung,
Ricoh, Giroptic...
• Stitching and processing software
– From the camera manufacturers
– VideoStitch, Kolor, PTGui
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40. User interfaces for VR
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41. 41

42. Strategic questions
• How do we consume the content? Flat screens
or head mounted displays (HMDs)?
– I’m really not convinced about the concept of
HMDs for every-day use by a mass audience and
engagement of a critical mass in audience
numbers is required for VR to move from niche to
mainstream
• 2D or 3D?
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43. Technical challenges
• Motion sickness – related to latency
• Focus accommodation and vergence – in the real
world the eyes’ focus and alignment depend on
the distance of the object in view
• Motion parallax – if I move my head laterally in
the real world objects in the foreground move
relative to those in the background. Not so with
today’s cinematic VR
• Translation – what happens if I change position?
• Bandwidth and processing power
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44. Creative challenges
• With current technology immersive 360° content
can be spectacular, and currently the novelty
value can make it a very effective marketing tool
but...
– creating content is not easy, especially if you want live
video
• There are consumer products available right now
but...
– cameras are expensive, and quality is not brilliant
– the workflow is not straightforward
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45. Production challenges
• Production norms are still
emerging
• Where do I hide the crew?
• It’s not just about the video
• Camera movement
• Length of scenes
• How, and whether to direct
viewers’ attention
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46. 360° videos and stills
These are mine – many others available on
YouTube, which allows you to filter for 360°
content:
https://youtu.be/D2Ja121TjVE
https://youtu.be/pW6W-gdeFic
https://flic.kr/p/LVKz8b
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47. Other resources
My test of consumer cameras:
http://www.cliffdive.co.uk/360-degree-consumer-cameras-
users-viewpoint/
My curated content of VR related news:
http://www.scoop.it/t/panoramic-video
Contact
cliff@cliffdive.co.uk
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