While video is one of the greatest mediums, it does have one major flaw, which is that it can only record a few things around it. The cameraman decides what in a particular circumstance is the most important thing, then focuses the camera on it. But what if that thing behind the cameraman is just as important? This realization about the limits of cameras have led many to the creation of 360-degree video cameras, which let users record everything that goes on around them.
While that video is great to have, it's useless if the public have no access to it. Thankfully, Google is looking to change that. The search giant announced that, as of Friday, video-sharing service YouTube now has the ability to host 360-degree video on its site.
The YouTube team can imagine a lot of practical use for this kind of video.
"You could let viewers see the stage and the crowd of your concert, the sky and the ground as you wingsuit glide, or you could even have a choose-your-own-adventure video where people see a different story depending on where they look," the team wrote in its YouTube Creator Blog.
However, that's just the beginning. The potential for 360-degree video is limitless, as long as you have the necessary tech.
While this is certainly a great development, it will require some additional work on the part of the makers. Hosting 360-degree film will require users to modify the video's metadata, and run a particular script to make it work.
360-degree footage will only be available for viewing on the Android version of the YouTube app, on YouTube.com, and via a video embed viewed through Google Chrome.
YouTube is also offering 360-degree video training at its LA-based studio for creators with more than 5,000 subscribers during the month of April.
