Here is another one from Google: Google’s I/O 2017 developer conference isn’t just about it’s search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube’s 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. “It’s not just about the size of the screen,” YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella. “It’s about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can’t match.”
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced that the service’s two-year-old 360 degree feature will “soon” land on smart TVs and streaming devices that run the YouTube app, including Google’s cheap Chromecast streaming dongles. The TV experience works a lot like it does on a laptop: You click on your remote and drag to a new position in the video.
Google says the feature will roll out in the next few months to Android TV, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as 2017 4K TVs from LG and Samsung. Once you have access to it, you’ll be able to play 360-degree videos and use a remote or game controller to pan around the environment as you’re watching. If you’ve ever checked out one of these on your smartphone, the main difference here is you won’t be swiping to get a different view — and you’ll enjoy the videos on a much, much bigger screen.
In conclusion, it doesn’t sound like a compelling experience, but for Google, it’s a simple way to start pushing 360-degree footage into living rooms before VR has a chance to catch on. Can VR just happen already? Why do we need this?
