How It Works: 360-Degree Internet Video

Immersion Video

Interactive images and the Web have been a natural pairing for several years. Panoramas have allowed us to see 360-degree images using technology such as QuickTime VR. In 1999, Perceptual Robotics introduced a camera you physically control through your browser--moving it left or right and zooming in. But only one user can control a camera at a time, so everyone else has to watch what the user in control wants to see.

You have more control over what you see with 360-degree video. Each user downloads a file with all views included, so they can change their view without being limited by what others are doing.

But don't get any ideas: You're not likely to get your hands on the equipment to make your own film. It is available only through large production companies and in special deals with the companies that make the products. However, you can put yourself in the driver's seat when it comes to watching entertainment made with the technology.

To watch a Be Here or iPix movie that uses 360-degree video, you need either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. With RealPlayer, you must download a small plug-in. IMove requires a special viewer you can download at its site, but it will work with RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, and Apple's QuickTime this fall.

Viewed at 56 kilobits per second (the speed of today's analog modems), the films are jerky and slow. A broadband connection makes the experience more pleasant--all you need is 100 kbps for good-quality video.

Because these technologies are relatively new, you won't find many movies to watch. Be Here has the most extensive gallery so far. The first short movie filmed with Be Here's technology was released in May, called library of contents The company has also used its 360-degree video to cover the NFL draft and musical events.

IMove has a library of contents on its site and says Quokka, CNN, and MSNBC will be using the technology on their sites in upcoming months. IPix says no material is available yet, but announced that Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard are producing a movie short for the Web using its technology, set for a summer release.

Just a Novelty?

Jeremy Schwartz, an analyst with Forrester Research, says 360-degree video has its applications, but he doesn't expect it to revolutionize video. He predicts its best uses will be by real estate and travel companies giving virtual tours.

The 360-degree video companies each have their own vision of the future. IMove and IPix say the technology is suited for online training and selling, sports, and movie shorts. Be Here wants to move the technology onto set-top boxes and give you control over what you see on your TV.

The novelty factor makes it great for entertainment, Schwartz says. But novelty wears off. Schwartz suggests that a melding of two hot areas--narrative video and gaming, for example--may be where the technology takes off. In the meantime, 360-degree video is worth a download just for the experience.

Michael Gowan is an associate editor for PC World.