Many people confuse 360° video for VR, VR for AR, and so on. Let’s start by setting the story straight. The term ‘immersive media’ can be used to describe all three of the following technologies…
360° Video
360° video (also called VR Video) is a type of video captured by filming in all directions simultaneously. The final product is a round, or spherical video as opposed to a flat, rectangular video as with traditional video production. You can learn more about 360 video production here if you’re interested. These videos allow the users to ‘look around’ in all directions from a single vantage point. 360° video can be:
- Animated or Live Action
- Streamed Live
- Include Titles, Graphics, Animations, etc.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is a three dimensional, computer-generated (CG) ‘virtual environment’ that allows users to interact with their surroundings. These experiences require some form of HMD (head-mounted display or VR headset) to be enjoyed to the fullest. The easiest way to think of VR is to imagine being ‘inside’ a video game that you can fully interact with. I call VR my ‘magic blindfold’. Learn more about CM&D’s VR development services here. Key factors of VR include:
- CG Environments
- Interactivity
- HMD Viewing
Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) superimposes digital assets ‘over the real world’ versus blocking out the surrounding world environment as with 360° video and VR. These experiences react to their surroundings in real-time, are interactive, and can be viewed on most modern mobile devices and tablets. There are also wearable AR devices, but they have yet to become widely available. I guess the matrix will have to wait! Learn more about how CM&D can help you dive into AR development here. AR experiences include:
- Superimposing Digital Assets Over The Real World
- Are Interactive
- Can Be Viewed on Mobile Device, Tablets and Wearables
Interested in learning more? We offer immersive media training sessions for agencies and businesses covering the following topics:
- Terminology
- Best Practices
- Distribution Tactics
- Analytics and Tracking
- Future Predictions
- Hands on demos
- And More…
