EchoVideo supports uploading and viewing spherical videos (360° Videos). A spherical (360°) video is media captured with specialized hardware in a specific format that captures what is happening around us. When playing, we can interact with the video to mimic the experience of being there. Editing of Spherical (360°) Video is not currently supported.
Why 360° Video
360° Videos immerse viewers in the captured content and let them experience it as if they were there. Playing back 360° videos can offer interactivity and spatial audio, resulting in greater viewer engagement.
How Does It Work?
In the past, 360° Videos were experimental and hard to create. Advances in digital cameras and digital video players have made it easier and more accessible for everyone to capture and reproduce 360° Videos.
Specialized cameras capture 360° Videos. Omnidirectional cameras are most commonly used to create this type of media. The cameras' lenses are actively pointing in all directions. The lens features specialized optics to capture spherical video. This sphere is then mapped into a typical rectangular digital video projection.
360° Videos can also be captured using cameras with an array of lenses. Cameras with an array of lenses capture the world in parallel across all lenses. The camera software then stitches everything together into a cubic or cube map projection. Other cameras put it in a spherical projection.
Special video players are used to play back the captured three-dimensional projection on a sphere or a cube. With the addition of interactive features, viewers are able to be immersed in the captured 360˚ experience.
Creating 360˚ Media
There are several options to create 360˚ Media:
- Cameras that capture 360° Videos
- Mobile apps that capture 360˚ images
- Computer-generated images created with specific engines that create a 360° Video
EchoVideo currently supports cameras that capture 360° Videos.
Note: Spherical video cannot be captioned in EchoVideo.
Suggested Cameras
GoPro Max
You can’t go wrong with Action Cameras, and the GoPro Max is not an exception. The GoPro Max camera is easy to use. You can capture typically GoPro videos, or you can capture spherical footage. The GoPro Max's 360˚ capabilities deliver crisp 360˚ media, videos, and photos. The GoPro Max offers many other notable GoPro features, such as stabilization, spatial audio, and waterproofing.
GoPro Max - source: www.gopro.com
The GoPro Max captures 360° Videos in a sphere projection and a proprietary format by default. The GoPro software on your computer lets you export videos in equirectangular projection as MP4 or MOV files, which you can upload to EchoVideo.
Insta360 One RS
The Insta360 One RS is another action camera with a great spherical lens that delivers beautiful, crisp 360˚ Media. It also has a selfie stick whose software automatically filters the view so the camera captures the media without the stick. The Insta360 has features similar to the GoPro Max, such as stabilization and waterproofing. In addition, their mobile and desktop apps offer a range of features for delivering 360° videos with different modes and transitions.
Insta One RS - source: www.insta360.com
Insta360 captures videos in a proprietary format. By using their software, you can export it to MP4 or MOV which will be compatible with EchoVideo.
Ricoh Theta SC2
Ricoh is a famous Japanese brand of high-end photo cameras. Their Theta series features smaller cameras with 360 ° capabilities, designed to capture photographs. The Theta SC2 is their simplest camera. Of the three cameras listed, this is the least expensive. Although its main feature is 360 ° photos, it can also capture 360 ° videos. Given its price, the Theta SC2 has fewer features than the other two cameras. It captures videos at a lower frame rate and resolution. Due to its lack of stabilization, the Theta SC2 is better suited to capture fixed 360° Videos on a tripod. Ricoh offers a separate casing component that makes the SC2 waterproof.
Ricoh Theta SC2 - source: us.ricoh-imaging.com
The Ricoh Theta SC2 captures videos in equirectangular format. These can be exported from the mobile app to your computer to upload to EchoVideo.
360-Degree Video Playback Specifications in EchoVideo
Currently, only monoscopic 360° Video in .MP4 format is supported.
Uploaded 360° videos are processed according to the following rules:
- Resolution: The output resolution matches the uploaded video, up to 4K (3840 × 2160). Videos exceeding 4K will be downscaled to 4K.
- Frame Rate: The output frame rate matches the uploaded video at up to 30 fps. Videos exceeding 30 fps will be capped at 30 fps.
- Bitrate: Adjusted dynamically based on content complexity to maintain consistent perceived quality. Static content (e.g., slides) results in a lower bitrate than motion-heavy video.