Introduction
360° video is a video format in which every direction of view is available to the viewer. Though the direction of view is free, in most circumstances the viewing position in space is either fixed or on a predetermined “on rails” path.
360° video can be created in a number of different ways:
Captured by a camera or array of camera lenses;
Generated as an export from 3D rendering software (e.g. Blender);
Generated from a real-time 3D game engine. The 360° video exported from a game engine can be the artistic end product (s. for instance "Passage Park #7: Relocate" by Studer / van den Berg) or the documentation of a real-time 3D artwork.
Assessing 360° Video
360° Video uses video formats to encode moving image sequences that surround the user in virtual space. The user is able to freely rotate their head, determining the viewing angle.
The viewing position may be a fixed position, may follow a pre-determined path (on rails), or may offer some degree of positional interactivity through "portals".
The video may have originated through camera capture, or may have been generated through game engines or similar.
Production:
How was the 360° video created?
Was it created through camera capture?
Is the camera type and output format known? See 360° Camera Types.
Did the footage undergo a stitching process, and is the software known?
Did the footage undergo a editing process and is the software known? Are these assets available?
Pending these results...
Metadata
By inspecting file metadata, are you able to determine key characteristics of the 360° video format?
Projection format, such as cubemap, equirectangular.
Monoscopic or stereoscopic.
Acquisition Checklist
The following measures can help ensure long-term access to 360° video:
Ensuring metadata has been captured describing the projection format used.
Ensuring the video file received is the highest quality [add detail] available.
Considering whether the source video files (pre-stitching) should also be acquired.
Further Reading
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