Ready For VR? 360° Photos & Videos as part of a strategy

Tomas Speight

5 years ago

Welcome to the round table

Panelist: Tomas Speight, Panther Media GmbH, Munich Germany

20 years plus of seeking product innovation

Nevertheless: Slow adoption of complex technologies on the client side – no leapfrog situation

Parking garage underground with blank billboard (c) panthermedia/viechie81

360° images are an exciting new medium for design and creation.
Immersive character allows interaction and engagement with the image's content on a completely different level
Viewers can decide how long and intensively they would like observe its details and which details to focus on.
No force to keep moving on like with video

After 10 years there is little use of cinemagraphs in spite of compelling qualities
A bit like the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) that had better sound than CDs but lasted barely a few years on the market.
Ultimately the cinemagraph is still a still image. Even if somewhat glorified by a spot of motion
Videos slow for stock photo agencies to generate large sales percentages. But maybe they are only a sequence of stills

Find the future in a fusion of clientside technology needs and new desirable products that are not easy to create or replicate

Exciting new and easy to use technology with breakthrough potential for visual creative products other than compliance and “free”
Immersion, interactivity delivered with users’ freedom to explore provides an opportunity for something genuinely new.
More for the future than generating large volumes immediately
New technology will make experience easier and encourage adoption.

Commercial opportunities like virtual travel, education, publishing etc., training or gaming.
Experiences for the aging population particulary as their mobility decreases.
Unfied client and purchsing experience will minimize barrier (Website)
Player of our own to enable streaming on the client side

Universal standardized browser suppert that make using it possible without installing a dedicated player.
Introduction of simple screen glasses for example
Still issues over agreeing mimetype standards hindering harmonization.
On Facebook you can display 360 directly already, more social media support needed

I am optimistic that this content will develop into an inspiring visual product for visual businesses and keep us in step with what our clients like big publishers are already trying to do.
360° puts the user in the middle of things and in control. That differs significantly from videos and cinemagraphs. It’s fun and exciting
Even The Wacken Open Air Festival is now being filmed in 360° and it’s fun to watch the concert from the perspective of the band looking out across the vast expanse of fans and then to glance left and right to your band mates. The drummer behind you.