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Is VR suitable for mainstream entertainment?

VR was very much in evidence at this year's IBC, but there's an interesting question about whether it's suitable for mainstream entertainment - will it avoid going down the same road as 3D?  It's clear that VR can be great for gaming and for some industrial and training uses, but will people really want to spend much time cocooned in a VR environment for their mainstream entertainment?  I'd be really interested to hear other people's views.
  • The NBA in US will broadcast one game a week in VR starting 27 October. Wonder how it will go!
  • Personally Graham, I've always struggled to understand the relevance for VR and indeed 3D and even HD too in the realms of mainstream TV viewing.


    I can understand the appeal for sports and big blockbuster movies etc but mainstream TV? As I said to a friend who was debating whether or not to pay for a TV subscription so she could watch the HD channels, Eastenders is still Eastenders, you'll just be able to see those scowl and frown lines much clearer... And would your experience of watching Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor, The Voice, TOWIE, Made in Chelsea, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Coronation Street, be any more enhanced by watching in HD, 3D or VR? ( I hasten to add none of these programmes are marked on my EPG as a 'must watch'... frown).  In fact my TV consumption figure must be well below the average as I very rarely watch it. 


    Unless the broadcast channels start showing some really top notch programmes that I want to watch then I don't see the point of having a HD or 3D TV or VR either!


    However, I must say the run of Scandinavian Police Dramas on BB4 this year has been particularly good! wink But then again, I don't think my enjoyment of them would have been enhanced in any way if I'd been watching in HD, 3D or VR...
  • I take your point Lisa about the quality of many programmes!  I think one of the key differentiators between HD/UHD and VR and 3D is that HD/UHD can still be a lean back experience, whereas the hardware that you are required to wear for VR and 3D means that the viewer needs to be much more committed to what they are doing.


    Interestingly, with UHD (4k, or better 8k) and particularly if it is HDR (high dynamic range) there are many more visual clues (than with SD or vanilla HD) that help to make the content look as if it was 3D (that is, the way you would see the scene if you were looking directly at it with your own eyes).  This may help to explain the reduced enthusiasm for dedicated 3D technology, even among those who invested in it when it appeared.


    It will be interesting to see how the VR space pans out, since it's hard to see how you could get a fully immersive 360 degree experience without the VR hardware, but wearing it will certainly change the way a viewer might relax and 'lean back' when watching a programme!