360-Degree Video Heats Up With VideoStitch And VLC Updates
VideoStitch released version 2.2 of its 360-degree video post-production software. The update brings support for the H.265 video codec, compatibility with Nvidia's GTX 10-Series of graphics cards, and other features that are supposed to make it easier for video editors to work with 360-degree content.
Among those features are feathering that improves blending of input videos; better audio and motion synchronization; and support for Apple's ProRes line of video codecs to allow VideoStitch Studio to "retain high quality during the editing process" and play nice with other software. The update also includes rig presets for automatic stitching. VideoStitch said many of the current presets are for 360Heros rigs, but it plans to add more in the future.
All of these added features are supposed to help VideoStitch's latest software make the creation of 360-degree videos easier than ever. "With the new version of VideoStitch Studio, we give professional 360-degree content creators a great new tool that will save them a lot of valuable time during the post-production process without compromising the quality of their output,” VideoStitch CEO Nicolas Burtey said in a statement to Tom's Hardware.
The 360-degree video market is heating up. YouTube started to let its users live-stream 360-degree video in April, Lytro shared some of its work on a light field camera to capture even better full-circle videos in August, and in November, a company called Molanis VR revealed plans for a consumer software suite that would let more people edit 360-degree videos. VideoStitch is but one company working to help video creators embrace this tech.
There's also some exciting news on the consumer end of the rush to support 360-degree content. VideoLAN released a technical preview of VLC 360, which adds support for 360-degree videos and photos to the popular VLC media player, for public testing. The company said it plans to include this feature in the next major release of its software, VLC 3, which will make it the "first major video player app to play 360-degree videos out of the box."
Anyone who wants to make videos for those VLC users to watch can download the latest version of VideoStitch Studio now. A license for the software costs $295--similar to what Molanis VR wants to charge for its software--and a list of the changes in the 2.2 update can be found at the company's site.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.