GoPro announces VR app, 360-degree video sharing platform

PanARMENIAN.Net - GoPro continues to flesh out its virtual reality ecosystem, announcing a new VR video platform along with pricing for its smaller, VR camera rig, The Verge said.

The six-camera Omni set-up, unveiled last week, will sell for $5,000 — a sticker price that puts it out of reach of most amateurs, but that's more accessible than the $15,000 needed to buy the company's professionals-only, 16-camera Odyssey rig.

For $5,000, Omni-buyers will get the six Hero4 Black Cameras needed to run the cube-shaped system, as well as the hardware and software necessary to stitch footage together into 360-degree video. Alternately, videographers who already own six GoPros can spend $1,500 to get just the bare-bones frame. Preorders for both packages will be available from the company's site starting at 8AM PT, April 18.

GoPro is also launching a new platform for sharing 360-degree videos. GoPro VR will be available on the web, and as an app for both Android and iOS from 8AM PT. GoPro says that the site and apps will showcase "original content from GoPro and a global community of artists," suggesting a mix of the company's sponsored athletes and select user-generated content. The apps will also work with VR headsets.

And while GoPro VR will distribute content over the web, the company will also be showing off its tools for broadcasters at the NAB conference this week, The Verge says. These include custom camera rigs as well as a new system for broadcasting live 360-degree video, powered by GoPro's HEROCast software.