Posts tagged with "Apple Immersive Video"

Immersive Dog Show Series ‘Top Dogs’ Premieres on Apple Vision Pro

Pet lovers, rejoice! After debuting immersive series and specials on subjects ranging from nature and travel to music and sports on the Vision Pro over the past couple of years, Apple is now inviting viewers into the world of competitive dog showing with Top Dogs. Available now, the two-part docuseries offers a one-of-a-kind perspective on Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show, following competitors and their owners as they give their all in hopes of winning the coveted Best in Show trophy.

Let me tell you: having had a chance to see the docuseries, these are some very good dogs. Throughout the roughly 30 minutes of video, I got the chance to see tons of adorable and prim canines, some from breeds I’d never heard of before. Crufts attracts nearly 20,000 competitors each year, so there were plenty of great dogs to meet. It’s worth watching the show just for the shots of the cute pups alone.

But Top Dogs is about more than just making new canine friends. The series offers a great overview of the dog show itself, including some behind-the-scenes footage of the lower-level competitions I wasn’t familiar with from my casual viewings of dog shows in the past. The series also employs the best use of graphics I’ve seen so far in Apple Immersive Video, explaining the dog show’s various rounds with expansive 3D charts. It includes an excellent opening title sequence, too, something I didn’t realize I was missing in these immersive series up until now.

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Immersive Lakers Game Now Widely Available on Apple Vision Pro

Last Friday, basketball fans in the Los Angeles Lakers market got their first glimpse of an immersive live game when the Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks on Spectrum Front Row on Apple Vision Pro. While that experience was limited geographically and only available to Spectrum customers via the Spectrum SportsNet app, the game replay is now available widely and for free in the NBA app. Vision Pro users in eligible regions outside Lakers territory can download the app, sign up for an NBA ID, and stream the game replay and highlights today. The full schedule and availability of immersive Lakers games were announced last week.

Being from Arkansas and not California, I missed out on the live premiere, but I was able to check out the game replay on my Vision Pro yesterday, and the experience was fantastic. Most of the game was shown from a front-row courtside perspective, which meant I was literally turning my head from side to side as the teams moved up and down the court. It was very different from the bird‘s-eye view I’m used to watching televised sports from, and it really gave me the impression of being in the arena. At one point, when a member of the Lakers scored a point, I felt the urge to start clapping as if they could hear me, even though I was sitting in my bedroom, not at the Lakers game.

There were several other camera angles that the broadcast cut to from time to time. The behind-the-basket view was a fun way to take in the action when someone was about to score, and there was a roaming camera that brought you onto the court itself before the game and during halftime as well. The cuts were sparing, which made the whole experience feel less jarring than some of the immersive sports highlights we’ve seen on Vision Pro before, but the combination of immersive video and multiple angles offered the best of both worlds. It felt like I was actually there taking in the game, and no matter what was happening, I always got to see it from the best angle.

Even if you’re not a big fan of basketball or the Lakers, it’s worth checking out the replay to see what the experience is like. Right now, broadcasting a game in this way is a big undertaking, but I have a feeling it will only become more and more common with time. If this concept eventually expands to other sports and live experiences like concerts, theatrical performances, and more, it would make a really compelling case for the Vision Pro and the sorts of capabilities only visionOS can offer.


CANAL+ Releases Immersive Documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force

Today, French entertainment company CANAL+ is releasing immersive documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force for Apple Vision Pro users. The 30-minute film follows French championship rider Johann Zarco during the French Grand Prix weekend this May, where he became the first French rider to win the race in over 70 years.

One of the first third-party partners to receive access to the technology behind Apple Immersive Video, CANAL+ captured the race and the behind-the-scenes action using four Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive cameras on pedestals and Steadicams in combination with ambisonic microphones. The end result will be very familiar to fans of Apple Immersive Video, with its 8K resolution, 180-degree field of view, 3D, and Spatial Audio.

I got a chance to check out the film ahead of its release and found it to be thrilling and impactful. The subject is a perfect fit for Apple Immersive Video; I could hardly keep up with the motorbikes zooming by from the trackside view. But just as enjoyable was the story, where the film follows Johann Zarco through the emotional ups and downs of the weekend, culminating in the joy of victory in front of 300,000 fans.

If MotoGP: Tour De Force is an indication of what we can expect from future third-party Apple Immersive Videos (and I think it is), I’m excited. The immersive videos we’ve seen from Apple so far have taken us to far-off places to witness stories, sports, and experiences many of us would otherwise never have access to, and with the tools to make this kind of content now in the hands of many more creators, I think of the future of immersive video on Apple Vision Pro is bright.

MotoGP: Tour De Force is available to stream now on Apple Vision Pro. Users in France can stream the film in the CANAL+ app with an active subscription, while users in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.A.E, the U.K., and the U.S. can stream the film for free in the Apple TV app. Alongside the announcement of MotoGP: Tour De Force, Apple also announced its upcoming slate of immersive videos, including new episodes of ongoing series and new entries from partners like Red Bull and CNN.