NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Samsung reveals new end-to-end VR ecosystem including hosted service, limited Gear 360 release
Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd. has announced a number of changes to its virtual reality (VR) related services, as well as a limited release of its virtual reality camera for sale in the United States.
The company is referring to the changes as delivering an end-to-end VR ecosystem and includes its hosted VR content site and app previously known as Samsung Milk VR now simply being known as Samsung VR.
Unlike the original Milk VR which only allowed certain content partners and brands to upload content, Samsung VR has now opened its doors to anyone who wishes to upload virtual reality content as part a broader play to provide an easier experience for users to shoot and share VR videos.
As well as opening its hosted VR service to the general public, Samsung is also encouraging filmmakers to upload their content through the new Samsung Creators Program that offers seminars and classes about working in VR, along with a contest that includes a number of prizes up to $10,000 and a trip to an awards ceremony in New York City.
“We want to bring the power of VR technology directly to the people,” Samsung Electronics America’s Chief Marketing Officer Marc Mathieu said in a statement. “To help creators learn and perfect the art of VR storytelling, we’ve built an entire VR ecosystem that pushes beyond the frame and empowers them to develop unforgettable, immersive stories, and inspires us all to do the same.”
Gear 360
Along with the shift in its virtual reality hosting, Samsung also announced that its Gear 360 camera is now available to purchase in the United States, be it initially on a limited basis
Samsung describes the Gear 360 as an affordable, high-resolution camera developed for storytellers to create their own 360-degree videos for mobile viewing and within the Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset.
SiliconANGLE’s Robert Pleasant reviewed the Gear 360 back in April, and described it as offering “an impressive beast of a video tool, with an array of lenses around it designed to provide a full 360-degree field of view.”
The Gear 360 is priced at $349.99 will be available for purchase on a limited basis during VidCon convention currently being held in Anaheim, California; details about broader availability will be released later in the year.
Image credit: Samsung.
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