
The Oculus Rift virtual-reality system was officially launched this week, giving consumers interested in what many consider the next frontier in consumer video experiences a chance to reach deep into their pockets (the headset/controller costs $599 and needs to be attached to a relatively capable computer) and become a pioneer. Now the question is whether the first wave of reviews for the system and its related content will help move the VR hype into overdrive. The reviews, so far, are mixed but promising. Which, to those in the industry who have experienced VR, seems about right:
The Oculus Rift is now in the hands of consumers, launching a new era in VR.
For example, Brian Chen of The New York Times says, When it comes down to it, I don't disagree with Mr. Zuckerberg that this is just the beginning of virtual reality. With about 30 games and a few apps available at Rift's introduction, there isn't much to do with the system yet. Oculus will eventually need a larger, more diverse set of content to transcend its initial audience of gamer geeks. I, for one, will be waiting.
Engadget weighs in: As a first-generation VR product, the Oculus Rift delivers an impressive amount of immersion. The big downside is its price, as well as the fact that it requires a PC gaming rig. For most people, it might be wiser to wait until the price drops for high-end VR.
And Ars Technica sees it as a decent first step. It's unique enough that a lot of the things we take for granted in computing and gaming are struggling to catch up with the new rules necessitated by its entirely new viewpoint. That means this first step still feels a little rough and uncertain in many ways that lessen its sheer impact.
The Wall Street Journal, however, taps into some of the fears that can grip someone taking the plunge into a virtual world: The Rift introduction is just the latest in a series of moves forward for the VR format. Samsung's Galaxy 7 smartphone, for example, ships with a free Gear headset, which allows the phone to be dropped into it, serving as the screen and CPU for the VR experience. And The New York Times late last year shipped out a Google Cardboard to all of its weekly subscribers and, to date, has created seven short-form news and cultural pieces in VR.
What all of this means for sports-content creators is that fans and viewers now have multiple options when it comes to getting their hands on a VR headset. And, while there has been plenty of dabbling in VR, the announcements are great news for Fox Sports and NextVR, which recently inked a five-year deal calling for the latter to provide virtual-reality services to the former at a variety of sports events. The first official one was the Daytona 500, but the two companies have a relationship dating to March 2015, when they worked together on a trial at the Auto Club 400 NASCAR race in Fontana, CA.
The Pros and Cons of VR
Virtual reality is the latest frontier in next-generation consumer experience (no offense to UHD), and it ticks a lot of the boxes that can make someone a believer. First, it's cool and definitely can deliver a unique experience. Second, it leverages smartphone technology, meaning that it can be important to the desirable younger generation. And, third, it is relatively easy to set up a VR camera rig, fire it up, and serve content out to the world.
But it ticks some negative boxes as well. First, VR requires headsets, which, for many people, will make the format a non-starter. Even Oculus recommends that people take a break from it after 30 minutes and start out by keeping the experience to around five minutes. The immersive experience is isolating in depriving real-world sensory information to the point where a user can feel vulnerable (it definitely would take some guts to put one on in a public space, such as an airport, where personal effects can easily vanish). And current-generation headsets and smartphones simply don't have enough resolution and processing power to deliver a truly comfortable experience for long-time viewing.
But those positives and negatives are why the Fox Sports' commitment is so important to the market segment. First, consumers who have embraced VR get first-class content to experience. If there was one consistent message with the Rift announcement, it was that the content, overall, is lacking in true wow-factor material.
And, most important, it gives Fox Sports a chance to experiment with a full range of VR activities. The Daytona 500 effort, for example, provided multiple closed-circuit VR streams and a live VR feed that grabbed shots from the track wall and a pit stall, as well as prerecorded features.
In addition, the deal gives Fox Sports and NextVR a chance to iron out production techniques while the world waits for headsets like Oculus Rift and Sony's PlayStation VR, two units expected to give the format plenty of consumer momentum this spring and summer.
Let the Fun Begin
The fun part of VR will be seeing how content creators deliver a truly immersive experience.
The key word is immersive because it is already clear that simply planting a 360-degree VR camera rig at the mid-court line or in the front row of the stands at a football game or NASCAR race does not yield a compelling experience (this may change as screen resolution improves and the image becomes more life-like).
In fact, many involved in VR - let's call them the purists - argue that 360 video is not VR. A 360-video experience involves placing a 360 camera in a location and looking outward from that spot. To a VR purist, the experience means creating a virtual environment in which the user can move anywhere.
For example, a few weeks ago, Virtually Live worked with the Scottish Premier League to create an experience that took live match data of player positions and the ball and pumped
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...
12/03/2025
New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...
12/03/2025
Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...
12/03/2025
ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
12/03/2025
Consumer show back following hugely successful first series
10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...