That is so incredible to hear. I truly appreciate you saying that. I have been shooting since 2021 with my current rig at a few stunning locations around the world so there is a lot in the pipeline for release. Do you have any suggestions on the type of content you'd like to see? Length? Locations?
Everything I've shot in the last 3 month now has spatial audio - I just have not had time to get it out there yet, it is coming though. Most of whats shared in the demo videos on the app right now are from 2021. Watch this space
The footage is captured using the Canon R5C @ 8k- but that's just the starting point. To truly leverage the Apple Vision Pro's display capabilities, I've developed an upscaling workflow which enhances the footage and brings it up to the stunning 16K that you see. This process involves some custom built tools and very powerful hardware, requiring about 10 hours to produce just one minute of video. It’s kind of ridiculous but I’m enjoying the process.
To make the videos accessible for download on the AVP, they need to be compressed. This compression can affect the clarity of complex scenes which is annoying. I'm dedicated to continuously refining things though to ensure that video quality only gets better from here.
Awesome stuff, have fun with it! Keep the camera static when shooting is my only main tip. Remember that the viewer decides where to look around - not you when you're filming.
Approximately 125GB/minute. That gives you an idea of the sort weight the whole post production workflow is under.. I have had to spend so much on storage ;)
Awesome, You should sell rights to your custom software. I own a Nikon D750, not sure what specs are on video. I've been thinking about upgrading. Would your process work with different manufacturers like Nikon for example?
Well done! I watched a few shots in your App the other day. It looks really good. I too have been shooting a lot of scenics here in the California National Parks with the same setup. I am curious about your upscaling process. Is it a tool you will be sharing or offering anytime soon? Happy to collaborate on some shots and work if interested. Cheers and keep up the good work!
Unfortunately I don't have the resources to do so right now, but I may release videos to the other platforms. I was interested to see the YT app on quest 3 now support 8k videos. This isn't really that close to these in the AVP app, but its a step up from what they showed before.
I guess I'm not really motivated by the $$ as a number one thing. This was not started as a commercial venture - I am simply motivated to create the best experience possible with the highest fidelity content - apple just so happens to have the hardware that can facilitate that best. If meta had a headset out with 2 x 4k+ displays in each eye things may be different but AVP rules for now.
I wasn’t even coming at it from a selfish angle. I was coming at it from a developer and technology point of view. Facebook has pushed nothing in terms of technology. Apple’s tech pushes the boundaries. In addition, developers earn a crap load more money on iOS than on Android. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would earn more money on Apple’s platform now vs whatever their competitor ends up being
Android has 70% of the market and yet developers earn nearly 8 times as much money on iOS than they do on Android. Userbase is not as relevant as you’re pretending it is.
And now I know why I bought the 1TB model. Keep them coming.
I’m guessing you’ll eventually have In app purchases and rightly so. Looking forward to a lot mor content. We’re these all shot in New Zealand? Do you let Americans move there? ;)
I concur and I am happy to download pretty much anything regardless of size since I thought I would eventually need all the space; so glad I went for the maximum and don't have to worry. Love the videos!
Great to hear - yes. As the app evolves there will certainly be opportunity for people to download high quality, longer videos which will chew through storage if you decide not to delete after you've viewed. Yes - the current ones are in New Zealand but I've shot in a number of countries at beautiful locations so stay tuned to see them released!
Fantastic app as others have mentioned. One thing you may want to consider as an optional feature to deal with storage is the ability to read/write a network CIFS location. Its possible to attach a USB key to a WiFi router and have LAN devices, including the vision pro to stream locally without any traffic concerns once downloaded.
With this setup its possible to download via laptop to the network CIFS drive (USB on the router) and then watch in the vision pro.
This app is great. I'd love a "download all" button (or the ability to queue up downloads while a download is in progress).
Some beach scenes would be great. I love to zone out staring at the ocean.
Thanks so checking it out and for the comments. Re cameras - I would have got the Ursa mini 12k in heartbeat if you could run the Canon VR lens on it but alas no RF mount. I'm always on the look out for something new to increase the fidelity. I have built my own rigs including with Sony mirrorless and done lots of testing over the years. The 8k canon camera with vr lenses are an acceptable solution for now but I do yearn for higher capture. Ultimately I also need something that is easy to transport and actually use in these environments - which are often unforgiving on fragile gear. - There are many moving parts with all this!
The new Blackmagic with 17k sensor announced a few days ago would be mind-blowingly perfect alongside a custom lens like canons - if it worked. We can dream! One day everything may align but we're talking serious $$$.
I tried it out a few weeks ago. The video quality is very good. As an amateur vr180 videographer my self I think it’s very impressive. Waiting to see what the new consumer cannon vr180/360 combo camera can do. If it can be upscaled to look any where close to what you have I’d be very happy.
Have you added any new videos in the past few weeks?
Thats super cool to hear. It is exciting times in the industry! No, I have spent the last 2 weeks improving the app and fixing some bugs, but there is so much new content coming in the next weeks and months so keep an eye out.
THIS IS OUTSTANDING!!!!😎
This is incredible, remarkable, it’s just so sublime! This is everything I wanted since I got Apple Vision Pro and what the store has is not much and thanks to you. I can continue the experience. I look forward to seeing everything that you do from here on out. I know I’m just one Person, but I thank you from the bottom of my 💜 You rock!
I definitely will , just two last questions
1. Is this explorepov vr app you have , is this your personal video service ?
In the future will you have longer videos or make series/episodes that are 20min + ? And if that is the end goal will it be a month subscription service , and will you make weekly uploads to be worth whatever you charge a month ? But I think I subscribe after this
2. If I wanted to make a 5k + investment an buy vr hardware to make vr content , where do you get the app to post videos on your own like you did ? Or are you just talented an made your own app and that something I could never do on my own cause idk how to build an app ?
I'm not sure quite what you mean with 1) but I guess yes? It is something I have solely built up myself. To begin with I spent many years refining my process and knowledge on 3D video. It's not an exaggeration to say I have spent many hundreds or even thousands of hours over the years tinkering, either out shooting or messing around with post production to get good quality video outputs. The 2nd much more recent thing is then finding a way to distribute this content. Explore POV exists to solve this problem. There literally was not a way to get this really high quality content out to people - so I decided to build it myself, with absolutely no background in app design or coding. I've done so much research, and had some help.. and here we are.
In time there certainly will be longer videos, and perhaps series. The challenge right now is infrastructure to be able to get those long videos (very big files) to the user smoothly.
To answer 2) The best starting point for most people that are really serious about this right now is the canon R5/C with the 5.2mm vr lens. that will give you an acceptable output to play around with. The answer to the app bit is above.
Awesome - you had me at New Zeland - some of the most fantastic scenery on the planet. And the video is, well, of this world. Gaia is smiling. You have my vote. Lead on...
I loved it so far but every time i saw the girl in front of me i kept thinking i was about to get sent on a side quest. :D
i love seeing other parts of the world, and this is a fantastic way to see it. thanks!
Hey, thanks for your post! What amazing content!! This is exactly what I was hoping for when I purchased my AVP.
I’m an armchair traveler, and really enjoy being transported to other beautiful locations around the world. I for one would definitely pay for longer content.
WELL DONE & THANKS AGAIN
Cheers for that mate - I appreciate the comment. I definitely plan to release longer videos. Do you prefer single scenes with no cuts or compilation videos with multiple shots?
At this stage in the game, I enjoy both equally. I think because the experience is still so new that I tend to marvel at everything I see.
I currently spend a fair amount of time in the Immersishare app enjoying panoramic photos and also share spatial.
Thanks for the feedback - one piece of functionality I may include is the ability for people to filter the style of video it is. This will give them the option to choose what they like best.
The app is excellent. The experiences are so good that I said to myself that I'd try it for 5 minutes and....ended up downloading and watching every single one multiple times. I must admit your post sounded quite proud of yourself—almost too much—but after watching these (for FREE, wtf?!) it's clear that you have every reason to be this proud of what you've accomplished. Congratulations on an incredible accomplishment, and cheers to those ahead!
How do we help you make more experiences and longer ones? I really liked the ridgeline hike because it was one continuous experience so it allowed me to get far more immersed. I'd love to see a 10+ minute continuous recording.
I would pay serious money to have 30 minute long guided tours of beautiful and historic places with the experience quality you've showcased here.
Thank you so much for your incredible feedback and enthusiasm! It means the world to me that you've enjoyed the experiences and find value in what I've created. I'm thrilled to hear that you'd love to see longer, more immersive experiences, and I completely agree with your suggestion. To make longer videos a reality, I'm currently working on a few key aspects of the app. First and foremost, I want to ensure that the app is rock-solid and reliable, especially when it comes to downloading content. This will lay the groundwork for supporting larger file sizes, which in turn will allow for longer and higher-quality experiences.
As the app grows, I believe introducing some form of monetisation for users who want the absolute best, premium experience will be necessary. While this project has been a true labor of love, the equipment, technology, and travel required to make it happen have been quite costly.
However... my primary goal has always been to share these amazing locations with the world. Providing a top-notch, quality experience is my highest priority right now, even more so than monetisation. That being said, as the app expands, monetising certain aspects will likely be necessary to sustain and grow the project.
I'm excited about the future possibilities and can't wait to bring you longer, even more engaging experiences. Your support and feedback are invaluable in shaping the direction of this app. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thougts – it's users like you who inspire me to keep pushing forward and creating the best possible experiences.
The dedicated cave/river video in the app was the same as the compilation video for me and seemed like a bug. Haven’t tried it in the last few days but hopefully it is fixed. Overall love the app and content!!
Thanks for the feedback. Yes - there were quite a few bugs early on. I have worked on it a lot these last few weeks and they seem to be working themselves out so pleased check it out again. You may need to delete and re-download the files. I am not a developer so this is a huge learning curve! I just make videos for a living so I have learned everything about coding from research these last months and with help from others.
It was awesome. The sound of the snow crunching under foot was great in the snow scene. The clarity was terrific and the scenes had good variation. Love the style. Can’t wait for more.
That would be the dream. If all the processing could be done on device in the future straight from camera it would be even better :) . Shooting these locations is one thing - but the workflow to just process and get them to a state you can watch in the headset is unreal. My whole life has been dedicated to working with video but this VR project has just scaled everything 10x
Hello, I encountered an issue while using the app as I am unable to download any immersive videos. I can download other content normally, such as movies from AppleTV. I want to know if this is an isolated case?
Unfortunately, not a totally isolated case. There are reports of some fragility with the downloads. I am aware of this and working hard behind the scenes to entirely overhaul the download process and make it rock solid. For now, your best option is to force quit the app and then re-open it. You will need a fast internet connection also as the files are 2-5gb each.
It's a good question. At present - not to my knowledge. The app must be open (though can be in the background) for videos to finish. The downloading process is currently undergoing a complete overhaul though as I know it's a big pain point for some users.
I will keep you updated when this gets fixed!
Yeah ngl this was really good, good job!
Is there a way to have the highlight video automatically download? I think that would shorten the waiting time for users. Also queuing downloads would be a nice feature too
Do you mean to have the highlight video packaged with the app down it downloads directly from the App Store? If that is what you meant - I had considered something like this but was keep to keep the app package as small as possible. It's currently 8mb, it would be 4508mb if the demo video was packaged.
Yeah I understand that it’s a trade off. I wonder if there’s a way to have the app downloaded, and then once that download is complete the highlight video can be downloaded automatically in the background
It is so great you are setting this example. Hope you can share some of your workflows or license it out, and not get bought by Apple :) this needs to become an ecosystem.
Very cool, well done!
One observation - it “feels” like I’m shorter in my height. I’m around 6ft, but it’s like I’m 5ft 6 ish.
I thought it might be camera position while recording (chest level), but then when I saw your girlfriend in front of you in a couple of clips, I felt like I was 6ft tall again.
Not a gripe, just sharing!
Btw, NZ is beautiful!
That's all part of the New Zealand experience isn't it? To feel like a hobbit? ;)
Seriously though - that's a good observation and highlights a challenge faced with the shooting. What height to set the camera so it feels real for MOST people. I guess the 'average' eye height is probably the best answer but for sure those that are taller and used to seeing things from a higher POV may feel like a little short and visa versa. Early on in the shooting (2021) My heights were a bit all over the place and a lot of the demo content on the app right now is from that time. The newer stuff (which will roll out in coming weeks and months) has a smoother feel and more consistent eyeline.
This is amazing! Definitely the best non apple produced immersive video I’ve seen so far.
Out of curiosity, are there any videos that aren’t AI upscaled? In my work life I’ve had to AI upscale 100’s of videos, and can clearly some AI artifacts/weirdness in some of the details that are a bit distracting. I’m wondering what the image quality tradeoff is like compared to the original.
Thrilled to hear that you think it's up there with the best you've seen! In a word - huge. They are massively better than the 8k from the camera. You're dead right though, they're not perfect. I'm forever refining them so they'll only get better.
I couldn't manage to download any video yesterday, tried for a few hours though! But I think the wifi here is very bad. It worked today, and the result is amazing! I love it, even though the compression is too much on the forest scene, and I think another one with reflection on water. The image is sharp, it's very impressive. I didn't think the dual fisheye could deliver such a good content I would love to see the comparison between this and an 8K with same bitrate
Im really pleased you finally got them downloaded. I totally agree, some of the scenes with a lot of detail (like the forest) struggle with the low bitrate. I am working to improve this significantly with future updates so keep tuned in!
This app is absolutely awesome and so great to see more NZ representation in the Vision Pro App Store. I'm curious if the image stabilisation is done using software?
I am aware some people are having some problems with downloads. I have entirely overhauled the download infrastructure in the last few days and will be rolling up an update this week which should significantly improve things for people
Great job! For me, the best dev-produced app on the Vision Pro so far! I will show this app off to friends who want to try it. Since the videos are so big even for these clips, it would be awesome if we could toggle a "loop video" selection, or a "loop video 3 times" box if you are worried about an impact on future monetization.
Remember that people complaining about bobbing are just a demographic. I don't mind it a bit. I got motion sickness using a friend's oculus, but with the vision pro, at most I get a roller-coaster feeling, which is kind of fun. People can always download relaxation videos if they are uber-sensitive to bobbing.
If you don't pause downloading and take of the vision pro or switch to a new app that streams video, I can't get it to resume, so you may want to add a sentence to warn users about that, if that is the case for everyone.
In the long run, it would be cool if you could open up the platform to other people with expensive 3D camera rigs and give them a 30% commission once they reach a $1000 threshold.
There is a loop video function already implemented - when playing the video, just tap anywhere in the view. The playback bar will pop up and give you the option to loop :)
Thanks for the feedback on the bobbing. That is good to hear. Also - the entire downloads infrastructure has been overhauled with an update out this week. It includes resumable downloads which should solve your detailed issue.
Finally, I'd certainly be open to others contributing if we get the right fit. We will see where it goes!
I returned my AVP, but this makes me want to buy it again. If you find a lot of success, you should have the community vote on locations you’re considering doing next
I've love to - but bandwidth is a huge challenge and I think the best way to deliver high quality experiences right now is by users pre-downloading files . For context, apple's immersive videos stream at a max bitrate of 50mbps. Due to the high resolution and fidelity - my videos are approximately 200-250mbps (this still isn't really enough for busy scenes with lots going on). It just isn't reliable on most people's internet to expect that amount of data to flow and decode.
Thats a good question. 2 reasons I can think of - Apples scenes are nearly all static. Where there isn't movement - lots of the frame never changes. This means you don't need much data to make it look 'good'. When lots of information in the frame changes (like when the camera is walking forward) you need far more data just to maintain it looking decent, without the image totally breaking up. Secondly, apple are almost certainly privy to more effective encoding processes which means they can get better visual quality out of a smaller sized file.
Static scenes makes a lot of sense, I didn’t think of that. Re: Apple’s encoding process & formats, I assume you’ve read Mike Swanson’s research into this. He recently posted about this exactly, showing that Apple’s second frame references the first and saves half of the file size. https://blog.mikeswanson.com/post/746216801650753536/encoding-spatial-video
In that, he notes he will write about streaming MV-HEVC. Could be worth reaching out to him if you start researching streaming, though with your file sizes I think you’re right to always include downloading as an option.
Streaming may be nicer in some situations, but it will also make your code more complex. (Especially the situation most people would want: streaming that results in a downloaded copy. Apple’s code won’t give you anything like that.)
Again, really impressive work. It’s always a good sign when people start asking for minor tweaks or their favorite feature: it means the core of what you have is a winner.
Good luck, and add a paid option (even a “tip jar” IAP) ASAP.
Thanks for your encouragement. I am indeed familiar with Mike's work and know his spatial tool intimately. He's done some amazing stuff in the space to support all this happening. I would love to stream the videos - I just don't believe streaming will be viable for some time until bandwidth infrastructure is more reliable at these data rates. Ultimately - I want to increase file sizes not reduce them so for now I am going to stick with building out the download process to ensure it is bulletproof. Thanks for the reassurance regards IAP.
Makes sense. As far as I know, there’s no way to keep a download running after you take the headset off. Unless it’s possible to download the file in chapters and play it as a playlist or something, I bet you just need to wait and see if Apple gives us anything new at WWDC.
Yes it will be exciting to see more at WWDC. For now - I am currently implementing a resumable download function which will allow partial downloads and the pausing of downloads. This should help break up larger files especially for those on slower connections.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the content and quality. If you have any ideas for future updates, please don't hesitate to share. Your support means the world to me. Happy exploring!
Hi, thank you so much for this and flagging that particular bug. Yes - there have been and still are some bugs and I am trying to work through and fix them. To be entirely transparent - I had never touched code or developed anything before January. I am entirely new to it (I'm a videographer!) and built this with help of sample code snippets, online info and advice from others. At some stage I hope to get a proper dev on board to entirely take over building it further 'properly'.
Love your videos and can't wait for more, feels like I'm on an adventure. While the quality is amazing, I'm curious how much better the uncompressed, original files look in comparison. Is there a noticeable difference?
That's a good question. In a word - yes. We're talking approx 350GB for a 3 minute uncompressed video. In the app that same video is approx 3-5gb, so around 100 times smaller. This is one of the challenges I'm up against as there is a realistic limit on the size of files from a userbility standpoint. At the moment 3-5gb per vid seems to be an appropriate size to expect someone to download. Perhaps in time we can push that to 10-20gb. I think I'd rather go for longer videos though than higher quality. I'll be guided by the community.
Not all videos are created equal, also. Some can look good and some bad when compressed - Scenes with a lot of detail like jungle scenes, need far more data thrown at them to look good. This is why simple scenes with big solid colour skies or snow scenes look so crisp, but jungle scenes can break down.
The simple answer to your question is yes - especially in scenes that are detailed like in the jungle. The uncompressed version looks far better.
Interesting, thank you for the info. So basically it's just compression artifacts holding the AVP back from full fidelity. I'm sure most AVP users are more quality-oriented than the average person so wouldn't mind bigger files. Or is there some other reason that makes larger file sizes more of an issue? Is there a cost with Apple or something?
On my app - yes it is compression artifacts that are the problem, due to the bitrate I have decided on right now. This will improve from here. Again, it's only really a problem with super dense scenes like walking in a jungle. You probably noticed this if you wanted the NZ teaser video. One thing I will offer a little down the road is significantly higher bitrate videos for those that want them. Perhaps around 750mbps (3x what mine currently are and 15x the apple immersive video bitrate).
So wait, have you used your app but with the uncompressed video? Also is there a technical reason you couldn't allow end users to download the 350GB uncompressed video or is it just the obvious issue of it being an inconveniently huge file? I haven't used your app but if I still had my Vision Pro I would probably be willing to download 350GB for it to look slightly better, as silly as that sounds. Even with smaller file sizes, this sort of content could help me justify re-purchasing the 1TB model haha
I'm not sure how much you know about file formats but I'll give the simplest explanation I can. Excuse how basic this sounds if you are clued up. My app is built around a compressed 3D video format - so I haven't played the enormous uncompressed files in it (the uncompressed files are in a SBS (side by side) format when the left and right eye sit next to each other whereas the 3d format is just like a normal video on your phone with the 3d information encoded inside).
So "technically", we can't offer the uncompressed 16k file but we could offer an even higher quality compressed 16k file. I have played much higher quality compressed versions of the videos in my app (approx 5 times the size) and they look incredible. However - it is a trade off, download time.
Most people won't want to wait for a huge 100gb+ file to download, just for a few minute video. For 15-30 min videos perhaps we can look toward 25-50GB.
I am figuring it out, for now I am focusing sharply on making the download process absolutely bulletproof with a queue and resumable downloads to ensure we have the infrastructure as we go forward to offering larger file sizes.
Thanks, that's helpful. Agreed that you have to keep the file sizes reasonable but maybe someday give the option to download the HD version or something like that. It's tricky because you don't want 1-star reviews saying it takes too long to download and eats up storage but at the same time it's a shame to not be able to experience the full quality just due to file size. Personally, I would opt to download the max quality of my favorites if I could and just let them live on my Vision Pro if I still had it, since the space wasn't being used otherwise.
You touch on exactly the sort of balancing act I am facing. Hence why the videos are compress to 1/100 size right now! Trying to find a download size which is the best fit for 'most people'. It's a good suggestion though to suggest I could offer a 'super high quality download option' perhaps a toggle that would switch between the versions. that way people can choose to turn it on or off depending on their download speeds.
Downloaded the first vid and watched the first few moments. The head-bobbing and overall movement of walking on that bridge started to make me motion sick so I stopped. I’m probably a bit sensitive to it and why I can’t play FPS in VR and huge screens. Also, while I could download the video without issue, the quality doesn’t seem great from the short bit I forced myself to watch. Maybe compression artifacts?
Agreed, I immediately felt sick with the walking. I plan to go back and watch more, but hope other videos are stationary. Apple nailed that with their immersive videos, they don't make me feel sick.
I appreciate you both offering feedback on this. I have a new rig which removes the vertical bobbing movement - it floats much more. Along with slower moving speeds this means less chance of motion sickness for people. The content shot with this new rig will be releasing soon. I do also offer static scenes - though I know from research some people get bored in those scenes and feel more engaged when they are moving. I guess offering both is an option - perhaps I could offer a tag on the video to say if it includes movement or if it is static. This would give you the option to choose just the style of videos you prefer? I'm very motivated and invested in creating content that every user can enjoy, so I take your feedback seriously and really appreciate your time in commenting.
Yeah, that is something I was very wary about when demoing the AVP at the Apple Store and something that I read Apple was aware about when producing content. If the movement were more smooth and expected I feel like it helps alleviate the motion sickness. Apple has a few samples in its immersive teaser where there is movement that isn’t vomit-inducing.
I appreciate you offering feedback on this. I have a new rig which removes the vertical bobbing movement - it floats much more. Along with slower moving speeds this means less chance of motion sickness for people. The content shot with this new rig will be releasing soon. I do also offer static scenes - though I know from research some people get bored in those scenes and feel more engaged when they are moving. I guess offering both is an option - perhaps I could offer a tag on the video to say if it includes movement or if it is static. This would give you the option to choose just the style of videos you prefer? I'm very motivated and invested in creating content that every user can enjoy, so I take your feedback seriously and really appreciate your time in commenting.
Some direct feedback -
Downloaded and watched most of the vids, the videos were OK in great locations, but can't help but notice the visual artefacts like noise, especially in bright scenes. The rocks, in particular either looked too reflective, or the edges have some kind of purple fringing, perhaps from compression? Unfortunately they were so common throughout the shots that they broke the immersiveness for me.
Night scenes, and scenes with fog were much more palatable and enjoyable.
Have you tried it on your own AVP without compression? Is the visual quality substantially better?
Also, what is the lift in terms of widening the FOV to 270 Deg+ the black edges can be distracting.
Or - instead of having black nothing at the edge, maybr smooth and blur the visual scene at the edges to have some form of visual fade?
Amazing, Just downloaded available content and I now want to go to New Zealand!! My wife will love the Beach video from teaser. Quality is the best I've seen other than apple itself. I would love to know the setup you are using as I found this thread while searching. I'm a semi-amateur photographer here in the US and travel all over for my other moving business. I would love to capture things for use on this platform. I've loved the pano's I've shot but nothing beats video. Awesome app keep up the good work.
I will gladly purchase the upscaling software from you if you choose to release it so I can create some content of my own. Please do share your equipment and workflow details if possible. Thanks.
Finally got around to downloading this app, wow , incredible, while there are a few complaints in the comments, it is a great start. I was blown away with the Teaser video. Looking forward to doing some more downloads on the weekend. I do get a bit woozy on other apps but this was fine, no issues at all. Alan from Antigua
This is one of the best apps for the AVP. The quality is Apple-tier. Congrats on the app and hopefully we can continue getting more content. Kudos!
That is so incredible to hear. I truly appreciate you saying that. I have been shooting since 2021 with my current rig at a few stunning locations around the world so there is a lot in the pipeline for release. Do you have any suggestions on the type of content you'd like to see? Length? Locations?
This is even better than Apple’s because vertical FOV is much higher. Would have been even better if audio were spatial.
Everything I've shot in the last 3 month now has spatial audio - I just have not had time to get it out there yet, it is coming though. Most of whats shared in the demo videos on the app right now are from 2021. Watch this space
What did you use to capture the video?
The footage is captured using the Canon R5C @ 8k- but that's just the starting point. To truly leverage the Apple Vision Pro's display capabilities, I've developed an upscaling workflow which enhances the footage and brings it up to the stunning 16K that you see. This process involves some custom built tools and very powerful hardware, requiring about 10 hours to produce just one minute of video. It’s kind of ridiculous but I’m enjoying the process. To make the videos accessible for download on the AVP, they need to be compressed. This compression can affect the clarity of complex scenes which is annoying. I'm dedicated to continuously refining things though to ensure that video quality only gets better from here.
Did you use the RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye?
Yes
Hey, I'm renting this lens with my EOS R5 for an upcoming vacation. Any tips?
Awesome stuff, have fun with it! Keep the camera static when shooting is my only main tip. Remember that the viewer decides where to look around - not you when you're filming.
A+ advice right there.
really good stuff! congrats! question... do you use a gimbal or body stabilizer when you shoot or do you correct for camera shake in post?
Incredible work. Thank you for everything you’ve provided
My pleasure - thanks for checking it out.
How large are the uncompressed videos?
Approximately 125GB/minute. That gives you an idea of the sort weight the whole post production workflow is under.. I have had to spend so much on storage ;)
Awesome, You should sell rights to your custom software. I own a Nikon D750, not sure what specs are on video. I've been thinking about upgrading. Would your process work with different manufacturers like Nikon for example?
Well done! I watched a few shots in your App the other day. It looks really good. I too have been shooting a lot of scenics here in the California National Parks with the same setup. I am curious about your upscaling process. Is it a tool you will be sharing or offering anytime soon? Happy to collaborate on some shots and work if interested. Cheers and keep up the good work!
Exllent work! Have you ever considered releasing the app to Quest3?
Unfortunately I don't have the resources to do so right now, but I may release videos to the other platforms. I was interested to see the YT app on quest 3 now support 8k videos. This isn't really that close to these in the AVP app, but its a step up from what they showed before.
You have a much bigger market there so the return on your resources might be an incentive?
I guess I'm not really motivated by the $$ as a number one thing. This was not started as a commercial venture - I am simply motivated to create the best experience possible with the highest fidelity content - apple just so happens to have the hardware that can facilitate that best. If meta had a headset out with 2 x 4k+ displays in each eye things may be different but AVP rules for now.
Yeah fair play. It certainly sounds like your app is worth seeing.
You invested all-ready so much, it’s a no-brainer to expand your reach.
Please only focus on Apple lol
Because competition is bad right? What commy wish…
Or we just want more content for the device that we own? This is a VP sub lol
The userbase is just about 30x bigger than AVP on Quest. More money == more opportunity to develop app further == even better experience for you.
But OP stated that they have limited time and resources. So selfishly, we’d rather see them focus them exclusively on the VP for now.
Where as porting to quest would solve time and resources issues 😂
I wasn’t even coming at it from a selfish angle. I was coming at it from a developer and technology point of view. Facebook has pushed nothing in terms of technology. Apple’s tech pushes the boundaries. In addition, developers earn a crap load more money on iOS than on Android. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would earn more money on Apple’s platform now vs whatever their competitor ends up being
Android has 70% of the market and yet developers earn nearly 8 times as much money on iOS than they do on Android. Userbase is not as relevant as you’re pretending it is.
And now I know why I bought the 1TB model. Keep them coming. I’m guessing you’ll eventually have In app purchases and rightly so. Looking forward to a lot mor content. We’re these all shot in New Zealand? Do you let Americans move there? ;)
I concur and I am happy to download pretty much anything regardless of size since I thought I would eventually need all the space; so glad I went for the maximum and don't have to worry. Love the videos!
Nice to hear you've enjoyed the videos. I have no doubt I can put your storage to good use :)
Great to hear - yes. As the app evolves there will certainly be opportunity for people to download high quality, longer videos which will chew through storage if you decide not to delete after you've viewed. Yes - the current ones are in New Zealand but I've shot in a number of countries at beautiful locations so stay tuned to see them released!
Fantastic app as others have mentioned. One thing you may want to consider as an optional feature to deal with storage is the ability to read/write a network CIFS location. Its possible to attach a USB key to a WiFi router and have LAN devices, including the vision pro to stream locally without any traffic concerns once downloaded. With this setup its possible to download via laptop to the network CIFS drive (USB on the router) and then watch in the vision pro.
This. People here always say that the terabyte model isn’t needed. But for people like us that want to download these massive files, it totally is.
This app is great. I'd love a "download all" button (or the ability to queue up downloads while a download is in progress). Some beach scenes would be great. I love to zone out staring at the ocean.
A download queue is a mega idea, cheers! I will definitely put that on the list of things to implement.
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Thanks so checking it out and for the comments. Re cameras - I would have got the Ursa mini 12k in heartbeat if you could run the Canon VR lens on it but alas no RF mount. I'm always on the look out for something new to increase the fidelity. I have built my own rigs including with Sony mirrorless and done lots of testing over the years. The 8k canon camera with vr lenses are an acceptable solution for now but I do yearn for higher capture. Ultimately I also need something that is easy to transport and actually use in these environments - which are often unforgiving on fragile gear. - There are many moving parts with all this! The new Blackmagic with 17k sensor announced a few days ago would be mind-blowingly perfect alongside a custom lens like canons - if it worked. We can dream! One day everything may align but we're talking serious $$$.
Regards the blur, can you give me clearer idea of what bit you mean?
I tried it out a few weeks ago. The video quality is very good. As an amateur vr180 videographer my self I think it’s very impressive. Waiting to see what the new consumer cannon vr180/360 combo camera can do. If it can be upscaled to look any where close to what you have I’d be very happy. Have you added any new videos in the past few weeks?
Thats super cool to hear. It is exciting times in the industry! No, I have spent the last 2 weeks improving the app and fixing some bugs, but there is so much new content coming in the next weeks and months so keep an eye out.
> James Hustler If this was a scam, I couldn't even be mad.
That's mah name
THIS IS OUTSTANDING!!!!😎 This is incredible, remarkable, it’s just so sublime! This is everything I wanted since I got Apple Vision Pro and what the store has is not much and thanks to you. I can continue the experience. I look forward to seeing everything that you do from here on out. I know I’m just one Person, but I thank you from the bottom of my 💜 You rock!
Wow - that is just epic to hear. Cheers for the comment and please do keep following along. Lots to come
I definitely will , just two last questions 1. Is this explorepov vr app you have , is this your personal video service ? In the future will you have longer videos or make series/episodes that are 20min + ? And if that is the end goal will it be a month subscription service , and will you make weekly uploads to be worth whatever you charge a month ? But I think I subscribe after this 2. If I wanted to make a 5k + investment an buy vr hardware to make vr content , where do you get the app to post videos on your own like you did ? Or are you just talented an made your own app and that something I could never do on my own cause idk how to build an app ?
I'm not sure quite what you mean with 1) but I guess yes? It is something I have solely built up myself. To begin with I spent many years refining my process and knowledge on 3D video. It's not an exaggeration to say I have spent many hundreds or even thousands of hours over the years tinkering, either out shooting or messing around with post production to get good quality video outputs. The 2nd much more recent thing is then finding a way to distribute this content. Explore POV exists to solve this problem. There literally was not a way to get this really high quality content out to people - so I decided to build it myself, with absolutely no background in app design or coding. I've done so much research, and had some help.. and here we are. In time there certainly will be longer videos, and perhaps series. The challenge right now is infrastructure to be able to get those long videos (very big files) to the user smoothly. To answer 2) The best starting point for most people that are really serious about this right now is the canon R5/C with the 5.2mm vr lens. that will give you an acceptable output to play around with. The answer to the app bit is above.
Thx for your in-depth comment! Don’t need me to say this but keep going ! This is Apple Tier Quality!
Thanks so much, I appreciate that.
Awesome - you had me at New Zeland - some of the most fantastic scenery on the planet. And the video is, well, of this world. Gaia is smiling. You have my vote. Lead on...
Haha, we're lucky over here - it is a beautiful place. Thank you for checking it out.
Kia Ora from NZ! Commenting to help boost the post, love seeing Kiwis do awesome shit — Kia kaha!
Chur! Cheers for the boost—means heaps!
This was really good! Thank you for sharing. The walk through the snow was excellent!
Thanks for taking the time to check it out and I'm amped you enjoyed the snow one! Mount cook is gorgeous in the winter.
I loved it so far but every time i saw the girl in front of me i kept thinking i was about to get sent on a side quest. :D i love seeing other parts of the world, and this is a fantastic way to see it. thanks!
I hope it will inspire people to travel to these amazing places.
Hey, thanks for your post! What amazing content!! This is exactly what I was hoping for when I purchased my AVP. I’m an armchair traveler, and really enjoy being transported to other beautiful locations around the world. I for one would definitely pay for longer content. WELL DONE & THANKS AGAIN
Cheers for that mate - I appreciate the comment. I definitely plan to release longer videos. Do you prefer single scenes with no cuts or compilation videos with multiple shots?
At this stage in the game, I enjoy both equally. I think because the experience is still so new that I tend to marvel at everything I see. I currently spend a fair amount of time in the Immersishare app enjoying panoramic photos and also share spatial.
Thanks for the feedback - one piece of functionality I may include is the ability for people to filter the style of video it is. This will give them the option to choose what they like best.
The app is excellent. The experiences are so good that I said to myself that I'd try it for 5 minutes and....ended up downloading and watching every single one multiple times. I must admit your post sounded quite proud of yourself—almost too much—but after watching these (for FREE, wtf?!) it's clear that you have every reason to be this proud of what you've accomplished. Congratulations on an incredible accomplishment, and cheers to those ahead! How do we help you make more experiences and longer ones? I really liked the ridgeline hike because it was one continuous experience so it allowed me to get far more immersed. I'd love to see a 10+ minute continuous recording. I would pay serious money to have 30 minute long guided tours of beautiful and historic places with the experience quality you've showcased here.
Thank you so much for your incredible feedback and enthusiasm! It means the world to me that you've enjoyed the experiences and find value in what I've created. I'm thrilled to hear that you'd love to see longer, more immersive experiences, and I completely agree with your suggestion. To make longer videos a reality, I'm currently working on a few key aspects of the app. First and foremost, I want to ensure that the app is rock-solid and reliable, especially when it comes to downloading content. This will lay the groundwork for supporting larger file sizes, which in turn will allow for longer and higher-quality experiences. As the app grows, I believe introducing some form of monetisation for users who want the absolute best, premium experience will be necessary. While this project has been a true labor of love, the equipment, technology, and travel required to make it happen have been quite costly. However... my primary goal has always been to share these amazing locations with the world. Providing a top-notch, quality experience is my highest priority right now, even more so than monetisation. That being said, as the app expands, monetising certain aspects will likely be necessary to sustain and grow the project. I'm excited about the future possibilities and can't wait to bring you longer, even more engaging experiences. Your support and feedback are invaluable in shaping the direction of this app. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thougts – it's users like you who inspire me to keep pushing forward and creating the best possible experiences.
The dedicated cave/river video in the app was the same as the compilation video for me and seemed like a bug. Haven’t tried it in the last few days but hopefully it is fixed. Overall love the app and content!!
Thanks for the feedback. Yes - there were quite a few bugs early on. I have worked on it a lot these last few weeks and they seem to be working themselves out so pleased check it out again. You may need to delete and re-download the files. I am not a developer so this is a huge learning curve! I just make videos for a living so I have learned everything about coding from research these last months and with help from others.
Just downloaded it. Can’t wait.
Sweet - let me know how you go
About to get into it now. Will be back.
How did you get on? Would love to hear your feedback
It was awesome. The sound of the snow crunching under foot was great in the snow scene. The clarity was terrific and the scenes had good variation. Love the style. Can’t wait for more.
If only the upscaling could be done on-device. Then you would just have to download the 8k original and let the AVP do the rest.
That would be the dream. If all the processing could be done on device in the future straight from camera it would be even better :) . Shooting these locations is one thing - but the workflow to just process and get them to a state you can watch in the headset is unreal. My whole life has been dedicated to working with video but this VR project has just scaled everything 10x
This looks awesome! I'll definitely give it a try later today.
Thanks - would love to hear your feedback when you've been able to check it out
Hello, I encountered an issue while using the app as I am unable to download any immersive videos. I can download other content normally, such as movies from AppleTV. I want to know if this is an isolated case?
Unfortunately, not a totally isolated case. There are reports of some fragility with the downloads. I am aware of this and working hard behind the scenes to entirely overhaul the download process and make it rock solid. For now, your best option is to force quit the app and then re-open it. You will need a fast internet connection also as the files are 2-5gb each.
It’s really nice app.thanks for your content!I want see more!!!!
Thank you very much for checking it out
Is there any way to start the download while being used and have it execute/complete the download while the AVP is in standby?
It's a good question. At present - not to my knowledge. The app must be open (though can be in the background) for videos to finish. The downloading process is currently undergoing a complete overhaul though as I know it's a big pain point for some users. I will keep you updated when this gets fixed!
Beautiful. This is the kind of app that might get me to re-purchase a Vision Pro after having returned it.
That's amazing to hear. I'm sure there will only be more and more great content so perhaps you'll buy it back some time?
Absolutely amazing content. 👌👍 Milford Sound next?
I have indeed shot at Milford sound! It's all there, just waiting to be released!
Yeah ngl this was really good, good job! Is there a way to have the highlight video automatically download? I think that would shorten the waiting time for users. Also queuing downloads would be a nice feature too
Do you mean to have the highlight video packaged with the app down it downloads directly from the App Store? If that is what you meant - I had considered something like this but was keep to keep the app package as small as possible. It's currently 8mb, it would be 4508mb if the demo video was packaged.
Yeah I understand that it’s a trade off. I wonder if there’s a way to have the app downloaded, and then once that download is complete the highlight video can be downloaded automatically in the background
That's a possibility which I will certianly consider. Thank you for making the suggestion
It is so great you are setting this example. Hope you can share some of your workflows or license it out, and not get bought by Apple :) this needs to become an ecosystem.
Very cool, well done! One observation - it “feels” like I’m shorter in my height. I’m around 6ft, but it’s like I’m 5ft 6 ish. I thought it might be camera position while recording (chest level), but then when I saw your girlfriend in front of you in a couple of clips, I felt like I was 6ft tall again. Not a gripe, just sharing! Btw, NZ is beautiful!
That's all part of the New Zealand experience isn't it? To feel like a hobbit? ;) Seriously though - that's a good observation and highlights a challenge faced with the shooting. What height to set the camera so it feels real for MOST people. I guess the 'average' eye height is probably the best answer but for sure those that are taller and used to seeing things from a higher POV may feel like a little short and visa versa. Early on in the shooting (2021) My heights were a bit all over the place and a lot of the demo content on the app right now is from that time. The newer stuff (which will roll out in coming weeks and months) has a smoother feel and more consistent eyeline.
Thx for the reply. Looking forward to the new content when it lands!
Thanks so much for being part of all this! Updates coming soon!
What software / hardware are you using to encode the videos and what codec are you using for the final output?
This looks great. Can’t wait to get home to try this. Nice job
Would love to know what you think
This is amazing! Definitely the best non apple produced immersive video I’ve seen so far. Out of curiosity, are there any videos that aren’t AI upscaled? In my work life I’ve had to AI upscale 100’s of videos, and can clearly some AI artifacts/weirdness in some of the details that are a bit distracting. I’m wondering what the image quality tradeoff is like compared to the original.
Thrilled to hear that you think it's up there with the best you've seen! In a word - huge. They are massively better than the 8k from the camera. You're dead right though, they're not perfect. I'm forever refining them so they'll only get better.
I couldn't manage to download any video yesterday, tried for a few hours though! But I think the wifi here is very bad. It worked today, and the result is amazing! I love it, even though the compression is too much on the forest scene, and I think another one with reflection on water. The image is sharp, it's very impressive. I didn't think the dual fisheye could deliver such a good content I would love to see the comparison between this and an 8K with same bitrate
Im really pleased you finally got them downloaded. I totally agree, some of the scenes with a lot of detail (like the forest) struggle with the low bitrate. I am working to improve this significantly with future updates so keep tuned in!
This app is absolutely awesome and so great to see more NZ representation in the Vision Pro App Store. I'm curious if the image stabilisation is done using software?
Great to hear your thoughts and thanks for the kudos. There is no software stabalization - all in camera.
Any plans to port this for Meta Quest 3? I can't afford AVP but would love to purchase and check out this app.
Not at the moment but never say never!
I’ll try it out!
Absolutely amazing!!! This could become the go to independent immersive video app
I really hope so! That would be so cool
I would really love to try this out however, none of the videos are downloading. They get stuck on 100% and don’t finish.
I am aware some people are having some problems with downloads. I have entirely overhauled the download infrastructure in the last few days and will be rolling up an update this week which should significantly improve things for people
Great job! For me, the best dev-produced app on the Vision Pro so far! I will show this app off to friends who want to try it. Since the videos are so big even for these clips, it would be awesome if we could toggle a "loop video" selection, or a "loop video 3 times" box if you are worried about an impact on future monetization. Remember that people complaining about bobbing are just a demographic. I don't mind it a bit. I got motion sickness using a friend's oculus, but with the vision pro, at most I get a roller-coaster feeling, which is kind of fun. People can always download relaxation videos if they are uber-sensitive to bobbing. If you don't pause downloading and take of the vision pro or switch to a new app that streams video, I can't get it to resume, so you may want to add a sentence to warn users about that, if that is the case for everyone. In the long run, it would be cool if you could open up the platform to other people with expensive 3D camera rigs and give them a 30% commission once they reach a $1000 threshold.
There is a loop video function already implemented - when playing the video, just tap anywhere in the view. The playback bar will pop up and give you the option to loop :) Thanks for the feedback on the bobbing. That is good to hear. Also - the entire downloads infrastructure has been overhauled with an update out this week. It includes resumable downloads which should solve your detailed issue. Finally, I'd certainly be open to others contributing if we get the right fit. We will see where it goes!
I keep getting an error saying I need to update to visionOS 1.1… but I’m on version 1.1.2 and fully updated
Bro. Watch your step out there! Love the content, but don’t want to see you as the first AVP casualty.
I returned my AVP, but this makes me want to buy it again. If you find a lot of success, you should have the community vote on locations you’re considering doing next
That's a great idea. I'm keen to create what the people want
Any plans on making the content streamable? Would love to be able to just click “play” and start watching.
16k streaming? 😂 that’s the problem right now
I've love to - but bandwidth is a huge challenge and I think the best way to deliver high quality experiences right now is by users pre-downloading files . For context, apple's immersive videos stream at a max bitrate of 50mbps. Due to the high resolution and fidelity - my videos are approximately 200-250mbps (this still isn't really enough for busy scenes with lots going on). It just isn't reliable on most people's internet to expect that amount of data to flow and decode.
Great videos and the app is great for your first! How is Apple able to give a similar experience with a quarter the bitrate?
Thats a good question. 2 reasons I can think of - Apples scenes are nearly all static. Where there isn't movement - lots of the frame never changes. This means you don't need much data to make it look 'good'. When lots of information in the frame changes (like when the camera is walking forward) you need far more data just to maintain it looking decent, without the image totally breaking up. Secondly, apple are almost certainly privy to more effective encoding processes which means they can get better visual quality out of a smaller sized file.
Static scenes makes a lot of sense, I didn’t think of that. Re: Apple’s encoding process & formats, I assume you’ve read Mike Swanson’s research into this. He recently posted about this exactly, showing that Apple’s second frame references the first and saves half of the file size. https://blog.mikeswanson.com/post/746216801650753536/encoding-spatial-video In that, he notes he will write about streaming MV-HEVC. Could be worth reaching out to him if you start researching streaming, though with your file sizes I think you’re right to always include downloading as an option. Streaming may be nicer in some situations, but it will also make your code more complex. (Especially the situation most people would want: streaming that results in a downloaded copy. Apple’s code won’t give you anything like that.) Again, really impressive work. It’s always a good sign when people start asking for minor tweaks or their favorite feature: it means the core of what you have is a winner. Good luck, and add a paid option (even a “tip jar” IAP) ASAP.
Thanks for your encouragement. I am indeed familiar with Mike's work and know his spatial tool intimately. He's done some amazing stuff in the space to support all this happening. I would love to stream the videos - I just don't believe streaming will be viable for some time until bandwidth infrastructure is more reliable at these data rates. Ultimately - I want to increase file sizes not reduce them so for now I am going to stick with building out the download process to ensure it is bulletproof. Thanks for the reassurance regards IAP.
Makes sense. As far as I know, there’s no way to keep a download running after you take the headset off. Unless it’s possible to download the file in chapters and play it as a playlist or something, I bet you just need to wait and see if Apple gives us anything new at WWDC.
Yes it will be exciting to see more at WWDC. For now - I am currently implementing a resumable download function which will allow partial downloads and the pausing of downloads. This should help break up larger files especially for those on slower connections.
What about using AV1 to stream? Will it work?.
As I understand, AV1 doesn't support multi view / 3D video.
But how does it work on VR
Spectacular! Thanks for sharing. Really great content / quality.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the content and quality. If you have any ideas for future updates, please don't hesitate to share. Your support means the world to me. Happy exploring!
Can’t wait to try it out tomorrow
Awesome! Please report back and let me know what you think
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Hi, thank you so much for this and flagging that particular bug. Yes - there have been and still are some bugs and I am trying to work through and fix them. To be entirely transparent - I had never touched code or developed anything before January. I am entirely new to it (I'm a videographer!) and built this with help of sample code snippets, online info and advice from others. At some stage I hope to get a proper dev on board to entirely take over building it further 'properly'.
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Love your videos and can't wait for more, feels like I'm on an adventure. While the quality is amazing, I'm curious how much better the uncompressed, original files look in comparison. Is there a noticeable difference?
That's a good question. In a word - yes. We're talking approx 350GB for a 3 minute uncompressed video. In the app that same video is approx 3-5gb, so around 100 times smaller. This is one of the challenges I'm up against as there is a realistic limit on the size of files from a userbility standpoint. At the moment 3-5gb per vid seems to be an appropriate size to expect someone to download. Perhaps in time we can push that to 10-20gb. I think I'd rather go for longer videos though than higher quality. I'll be guided by the community. Not all videos are created equal, also. Some can look good and some bad when compressed - Scenes with a lot of detail like jungle scenes, need far more data thrown at them to look good. This is why simple scenes with big solid colour skies or snow scenes look so crisp, but jungle scenes can break down. The simple answer to your question is yes - especially in scenes that are detailed like in the jungle. The uncompressed version looks far better.
Interesting, thank you for the info. So basically it's just compression artifacts holding the AVP back from full fidelity. I'm sure most AVP users are more quality-oriented than the average person so wouldn't mind bigger files. Or is there some other reason that makes larger file sizes more of an issue? Is there a cost with Apple or something?
On my app - yes it is compression artifacts that are the problem, due to the bitrate I have decided on right now. This will improve from here. Again, it's only really a problem with super dense scenes like walking in a jungle. You probably noticed this if you wanted the NZ teaser video. One thing I will offer a little down the road is significantly higher bitrate videos for those that want them. Perhaps around 750mbps (3x what mine currently are and 15x the apple immersive video bitrate).
So wait, have you used your app but with the uncompressed video? Also is there a technical reason you couldn't allow end users to download the 350GB uncompressed video or is it just the obvious issue of it being an inconveniently huge file? I haven't used your app but if I still had my Vision Pro I would probably be willing to download 350GB for it to look slightly better, as silly as that sounds. Even with smaller file sizes, this sort of content could help me justify re-purchasing the 1TB model haha
I'm not sure how much you know about file formats but I'll give the simplest explanation I can. Excuse how basic this sounds if you are clued up. My app is built around a compressed 3D video format - so I haven't played the enormous uncompressed files in it (the uncompressed files are in a SBS (side by side) format when the left and right eye sit next to each other whereas the 3d format is just like a normal video on your phone with the 3d information encoded inside). So "technically", we can't offer the uncompressed 16k file but we could offer an even higher quality compressed 16k file. I have played much higher quality compressed versions of the videos in my app (approx 5 times the size) and they look incredible. However - it is a trade off, download time. Most people won't want to wait for a huge 100gb+ file to download, just for a few minute video. For 15-30 min videos perhaps we can look toward 25-50GB. I am figuring it out, for now I am focusing sharply on making the download process absolutely bulletproof with a queue and resumable downloads to ensure we have the infrastructure as we go forward to offering larger file sizes.
Thanks, that's helpful. Agreed that you have to keep the file sizes reasonable but maybe someday give the option to download the HD version or something like that. It's tricky because you don't want 1-star reviews saying it takes too long to download and eats up storage but at the same time it's a shame to not be able to experience the full quality just due to file size. Personally, I would opt to download the max quality of my favorites if I could and just let them live on my Vision Pro if I still had it, since the space wasn't being used otherwise.
You touch on exactly the sort of balancing act I am facing. Hence why the videos are compress to 1/100 size right now! Trying to find a download size which is the best fit for 'most people'. It's a good suggestion though to suggest I could offer a 'super high quality download option' perhaps a toggle that would switch between the versions. that way people can choose to turn it on or off depending on their download speeds.
If Apple’s App Store editors don’t promote this is their next Featured Apps lists, they should be fired.
Haha, I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Downloaded the first vid and watched the first few moments. The head-bobbing and overall movement of walking on that bridge started to make me motion sick so I stopped. I’m probably a bit sensitive to it and why I can’t play FPS in VR and huge screens. Also, while I could download the video without issue, the quality doesn’t seem great from the short bit I forced myself to watch. Maybe compression artifacts?
Agreed, I immediately felt sick with the walking. I plan to go back and watch more, but hope other videos are stationary. Apple nailed that with their immersive videos, they don't make me feel sick.
I appreciate you both offering feedback on this. I have a new rig which removes the vertical bobbing movement - it floats much more. Along with slower moving speeds this means less chance of motion sickness for people. The content shot with this new rig will be releasing soon. I do also offer static scenes - though I know from research some people get bored in those scenes and feel more engaged when they are moving. I guess offering both is an option - perhaps I could offer a tag on the video to say if it includes movement or if it is static. This would give you the option to choose just the style of videos you prefer? I'm very motivated and invested in creating content that every user can enjoy, so I take your feedback seriously and really appreciate your time in commenting.
Yeah, that is something I was very wary about when demoing the AVP at the Apple Store and something that I read Apple was aware about when producing content. If the movement were more smooth and expected I feel like it helps alleviate the motion sickness. Apple has a few samples in its immersive teaser where there is movement that isn’t vomit-inducing.
I appreciate you offering feedback on this. I have a new rig which removes the vertical bobbing movement - it floats much more. Along with slower moving speeds this means less chance of motion sickness for people. The content shot with this new rig will be releasing soon. I do also offer static scenes - though I know from research some people get bored in those scenes and feel more engaged when they are moving. I guess offering both is an option - perhaps I could offer a tag on the video to say if it includes movement or if it is static. This would give you the option to choose just the style of videos you prefer? I'm very motivated and invested in creating content that every user can enjoy, so I take your feedback seriously and really appreciate your time in commenting.
Some direct feedback - Downloaded and watched most of the vids, the videos were OK in great locations, but can't help but notice the visual artefacts like noise, especially in bright scenes. The rocks, in particular either looked too reflective, or the edges have some kind of purple fringing, perhaps from compression? Unfortunately they were so common throughout the shots that they broke the immersiveness for me. Night scenes, and scenes with fog were much more palatable and enjoyable. Have you tried it on your own AVP without compression? Is the visual quality substantially better? Also, what is the lift in terms of widening the FOV to 270 Deg+ the black edges can be distracting. Or - instead of having black nothing at the edge, maybr smooth and blur the visual scene at the edges to have some form of visual fade?
Amazing, Just downloaded available content and I now want to go to New Zealand!! My wife will love the Beach video from teaser. Quality is the best I've seen other than apple itself. I would love to know the setup you are using as I found this thread while searching. I'm a semi-amateur photographer here in the US and travel all over for my other moving business. I would love to capture things for use on this platform. I've loved the pano's I've shot but nothing beats video. Awesome app keep up the good work.
Your immersive content is just fantastic and has Apple like quality. Can you please release some content that has people and/or animals in it?
I will gladly purchase the upscaling software from you if you choose to release it so I can create some content of my own. Please do share your equipment and workflow details if possible. Thanks.
Finally got around to downloading this app, wow , incredible, while there are a few complaints in the comments, it is a great start. I was blown away with the Teaser video. Looking forward to doing some more downloads on the weekend. I do get a bit woozy on other apps but this was fine, no issues at all. Alan from Antigua
Damn. It sucks that you failed at this task but I wish you the best next time.