According to BuzzFeed the online video platform is developing the broadcast quality platform in collaboration with camera manufacturers in the expectation that livestreams filmed in the format will explode over the coming years.
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The biggest challenge faced by YouTube is stitching the video together while it’s streaming live, something the platform is reportedly creating software for as a way to support a variety of different cameras.
At this point, it’s next to impossible to know the connection between Google’s plans and the potential VR camera competitors YouTube is talking to.
The company has been interested in the idea since last March, a few months before Google introduced 360-degree support for Cardboard, and before Facebook introduced 360-degree videos. Google uses similar technology for its Photo Sphere feature on the stock Android camera. In its report, BuzzFeed embedded a 360-degree video shot at Tomorrowland; live footage from the EDM festival would give viewers a chance to feel as if they’re actually there.
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Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles. If true, YouTube would distance itself as the leader in 360-degree content, further building on the platform’s support for VR content. Suddenly all those new 360-degree cameras we saw at CES don’t seem so insane. It is acceptable for those videos that can be uploaded later on; however, it does not work well in case of live streaming videos, as the platform requires exact specifications of each camera. Overall, it will be a herculean task, but Google is a likely bet to achieve it.
