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Iphone IOS Apple

Apple Releases Spatial Video Recording On iPhone 15 Pro (techcrunch.com) 45

Posted by BeauHD from the getting-ready-for-Vision-Pro dept.
With iOS 17.2 rolling out today, Apple is giving users the ability to record spatial videos on their iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. "The new feature lets users film in three dimensions and experience their favorite memories and special moments on Apple Vision Pro, the upcoming mixed-reality headset," reports TechCrunch. From the report: In order to create a three-dimensional video, Apple explains that the iPhone uses both the main and ultrawide cameras when recording. This is then saved as a single file within a new album in the Photos app titled "Spatial." The videos will also sync across devices with iCloud. Spatial videos are captured in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Spatial video recording can be enabled in Settings by toggling on "Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro" in the Camera section under Formats. Apple suggests holding the iPhone in landscape orientation for optimal results. Spatial videos can be viewed on all iPhones and other devices; however, they'll appear as regular, 2D videos.

The new feature allows users to record videos that Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, describes as "magical" and "setting a new bar for what's possible." While that's marketing speak, it's a differentiator for Apple's high-end iPhone, and will deepen users' connections with Apple's latest product, the AR/VR headset, launching next year. As part of today's release, Apple also launched its Journal app, which is designed to allow iOS users to record key moments in their lives.
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Apple Releases Spatial Video Recording On iPhone 15 Pro More

Apple Releases Spatial Video Recording On iPhone 15 Pro

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  • This is fine (Score:3)

    by GrahamJ ( 241784 ) on Monday December 11, 2023 @09:09PM (#64074963)

    Might be a reason to get a 15 Pro once there are players for this format on other headsets.

    1080p isn't super great but as long as it's played at a size that uses the same number of pixels on the displays it should look good.

    I was hoping for something more than just 3D recording for this, maybe pointcloud or mesh captureof some sort so you can move your head around a little during playback but it's a good start. 3D video does look great in VR.

    • not sure if it's suitable for 3d gaussian splatting but if it is someone will probably make an app for it

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Probably best to wait for the iPhone 16. Using the wide camera for one eye means the quality is going to suck. It will be de-warped in software.

      Maybe next year you will get stereo standard cameras.

      Really though, how useful is this outside of VR porn? To view the videos in 3D, you need Apple's very expensive headset. There are better, cheaper options, unless you really want that headset.

      • Re:This is fine (Score:4, Interesting)

        by CaptQuark ( 2706165 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2023 @03:23AM (#64075471)

        Apple suggests holding the iPhone in landscape orientation for optimal results.

        If this will get a few users to actually turn their phones into landscape mode to record video, I'm all for it. I'm so tired of seeing portrait video snippets with huge sidebars when viewing videos on YouTube, etc. Turn the phone sideways and give us some visual context so we can see what the hell is going on.

        • I used to be extremely in the same "get off my lawn" camp about portrait video. I've softened on it in the past few years. Sites like YouTube are finally giving it first-class support instead of stuffing them into the dreaded bizzarro-letterbox, and more and more videos are being consumed on phone-like devices anyway so it makes more sense these days. As such, I now think portrait video is acceptable to me when filming scenes that are taller than they are wide (as is typically the case when filming 1 or may

      • I think they will digitally crop it? There's a lot more than 1080p worth of pixels on the sensor, so it should work to some extent.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by GrahamJ ( 241784 )

          The problem is they're using the wide and ultrawide cams. Their FOVs only partially overlap so they lens correct the UW then crop.

          What they would need to do is make the UW sensor higher res, like the 48MP sensor on the wide, then they could do around 4k.

      • Probably best to wait for the iPhone 16. Using the wide camera for one eye means the quality is going to suck. It will be de-warped in software.

        Maybe next year you will get stereo standard cameras.

        Really though, how useful is this outside of VR porn? To view the videos in 3D, you need Apple's very expensive headset. There are better, cheaper options, unless you really want that headset.

        Maybe some Cheaper; maybe some Better; but none Cheaper and Better.

    • Might be a reason to get a 15 Pro once there are players for this format on other headsets.

      There are already spatial video viewers for the Quest [google.com] (and probably other headsets)

      I have a Quest 2 but have not tried yet even though I've been taking spatial video for the past month or so (installed the first beta that allowed spatial video recording).

      There is some speculation the Apple headset may do some additional processing to improve the video when viewed on the headset... will be interesting to compare the sp

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by GrahamJ ( 241784 )

        Yeah so I hear. I have a Quest 3 but not a 15P so I'll have to look around for some vids others have recorded.

        I've watched 3D and 180/360 content and the like but I think it would be more compelling to have my own shots. I won't be upgrading the phone just for that but someday it will come.

  • Cuz absent any "AI enhancements" (read: the computer making shit up to fill in the blanks), the 3D you get with two cameras spaced barely half an inch apart is going to look distorted relative to what your eyes spaced 4 or 5 inches apart are used to.

    • the 3d depth actually looks ok (I've watched it on Quest 3 after converting with the spatialify app) but whatever they do to generate the stereoscopic effect is most effective for closer objects and flattens further out

    • Cuz absent any "AI enhancements" (read: the computer making shit up to fill in the blanks), the 3D you get with two cameras spaced barely half an inch apart is going to look distorted

      If you think about it, there's very little having to "make shit up" in increasing the separation between the two views.

      That's because most of what you are doing with closer objects is increasing the spread a single closer object occupies between the two views - which ends up mostly obscuring more of the background, not adding m

  • Let's acknowledge what this technology is all about: Apple providing yet another reason, in the form of big file sizes, for consumers to justify paying the premium upgrade price for flash storage upgrades, and the Apple cloud services they integrate with.

    Per Apple's product purchase page for iPhone, there's a "helpful" dialog option entitled "Not sure how much storage to get?" This can help you determine whether you should pay $100 to upgrade from 128GB to 256GB ($100/128GB), $200 to upgrade from 256GB to

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by pr0nbot ( 313417 )

      C'mon... yes, their storage prices are ludicrous. But if you're seriously suggesting they specifically develop features that happen to require large file formats in order to drive storage upgrades... I think you need to recalibrate your paranoia.

      • C'mon... yes, their storage prices are ludicrous. But if you're seriously suggesting they specifically develop features that happen to require large file formats in order to drive storage upgrades... I think you need to recalibrate your paranoia.

        Right!

        Apple spent over a Decade in R&D and enough money to give half if the U.S. population Vision Pros to sell memory upgrades?!?!?

        Haters are SO funny!!!

    • Let's acknowledge what this technology is all about: Apple providing yet another reason, in the form of big file sizes, for consumers to justify paying the premium upgrade price for flash storage upgrades, and the Apple cloud services they integrate with.

      Per Apple's product purchase page for iPhone, there's a "helpful" dialog option entitled "Not sure how much storage to get?" This can help you determine whether you should pay $100 to upgrade from 128GB to 256GB ($100/128GB), $200 to upgrade from 256GB to 512GB ($100/128GB), or $200 to upgrade from 512GB to 1TB ($100/256GB). Of course, Apple would rather have consumers focus on how "great" a deal to upgrade from 512GB to 1TB, rather than focus on how terrible a deal it is to pay $500 extra for an additional 892GB of storage.

      Oh, For FUCK's Sake!!!

      Can't you Haters EVER give it a Fucking REST?!?

  • If porn doesn't use a consumer video technology then it's likely dead.

    If porn adopts this then there's hope but I wouldn't bet on it.

  • nice try (Score:3)

    by znrt ( 2424692 ) on Monday December 11, 2023 @10:36PM (#64075135)

    The new feature lets users film in three dimensions and experience their favorite memories and special moments on Apple Vision Pro

    simple as that, this is what meta should have aimed at and it would have taken the market and the network by storm.

    apple does have the right idea but ... at $3500 a pop it's just not going to happen.

    the race is still open.

    • The new feature lets users film in three dimensions and experience their favorite memories and special moments on Apple Vision Pro

      simple as that, this is what meta should have aimed at and it would have taken the market and the network by storm.

      apple does have the right idea but ... at $3500 a pop it's just not going to happen.

      the race is still open.

      And Apple is already deep into the Development Cycle for the Cost-Reduced $1500 Vision Air, and the $999 Vision SE.

      The "Race" has already been won.

      Just like GM always tries out its New Ideas in the Cadillac Division, and the ones that Succeed get Cost-Reduced and end up in Chevies in 5-10 years; so is the Vision Pro the "Development and Field-Test" Version.

      Apple (and its Board) very well know that $3500 is going to never reach mainstream adoption; but they are already working on that.

  • The math has been known for years. They must be betting that the Vision Pro is the killer use-case though.
  • Until there is a widespread ability to play back 3D video, no one is going to adopt this. If you can't send a 3D video to your mother who has an Android phone then 3D video is useless. If you have to buy a $600 headset to watch 3D video then few people can view the videos. 3D playback must be ubiquitous or it will never work. Stereo cameras are easy, stereo playback is not.

    • Until there is a widespread ability to play back 3D video, no one is going to adopt this. If you can't send a 3D video to your mother who has an Android phone then 3D video is useless. If you have to buy a $600 headset to watch 3D video then few people can view the videos. 3D playback must be ubiquitous or it will never work. Stereo cameras are easy, stereo playback is not.

      Grandma will still be thrilled with the single-camera 2D versions she CAN play; meanwhile, you and your children and grandchildren will be able to experience those special moments in immersive 3D, forever...

      And if Grandma comes to visit; just sit her down with your Vision Pro/Air/SE, and let her enjoy some of that wonderful Playback for a few hours!

      Sounds like a reasonable compromise. Why shit on it?

  • The new feature lets users film in three dimensions

    3D movies flopped - why would 3D videos succeed? The helmet costs $3,500 and unlike a screen can be used by one person only.

    • The new feature lets users film in three dimensions

      3D movies flopped - why would 3D videos succeed? The helmet costs $3,500 and unlike a screen can be used by one person only.

      This is different. And 3D movies were just gimicky; this is as close to a Holo-Imager as we can get right now.

      And $3500 is going to be under $1000 in about 2 years.

      Phones, Tablets and Computers are largely solitary-use Devices; hasn't slowed their Uptake. . .

    • The new feature lets users film in three dimensions

      3D movies flopped - why would 3D videos succeed? The helmet costs $3,500 and unlike a screen can be used by one person only.

      Wait, you actually believe that Apple designed the Vision Pro to dominate the 3D video market?

  • Look to an Insta360 X3 for similar technology (Score:3)

    by SpzToid ( 869795 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2023 @04:53AM (#64075545)
    This recording technology seems a lot like '360 cameras' have been making for a number of years. I am most familiar with the Insta360 One X2 because I own one. The newer X3 version has the same recording specs but comes with a better display on the camera. They really like a lot of daylight -- there's a pricier Leica version with a much larger sensor. An X2 is probably The Bargain since it is older with the same specs.

    It's a really fun camera too. With a large purpose-built 'invisible' selfie-stick, recordings look like drone shots, (the camera automatically removes the stick).

    The X2/X3 hardware display doesn't seem important, because unlike a regular camera or phone, one rarely looks at the display to record. The hardware can be viewed and controlled remotely via an app -- the unit acts as a wifi access point to connect to it. But even then that kinda misses The Point: After a 360 photo/video is recorded, all the fun stuff is done in post-production, and by that I mean aiming and focusing the camera to generate regular 2d movies, (and a single 360 recording can generate several different movie scenes by capturing different perspectives.).

    I imagine future Apple software will similarly allow one to focus and create scenes in post-production with this new semi-360 format, which clearly is meant to sell expensive VR hardware.

    Here's some examples:
    https://invidious.private.coff... [invidious.private.coffee]

    • They need lots of light because they use small 1/2.5" camera sensor (to facilitate having 180 degree cameras) and you effectively zoom in on the images captured, because you only see a smallish portion of the image at one time.

      There's two coordinated cameras, but they don't do the 180 degree thing where you can look up and down. So ultimately, not really like a 360 camera at all - which is too bad. Having an always there 3D 180 camera would be amazing.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by SpzToid ( 869795 )
        Not only are your assessments accurate given my experience with the 360 hardware, but one thing I forgot to mention is the lens protection is a bitch! Seriously! Like you need a plan if you own one of these things.

        What am I talking about?! No way can you simply place the chocolate bar shaped camera on a flat surface to rest without protection. One touch upon doing so will scratch and thus destroy 1 of the 2, 360' lenses.

        Thanks for your insightful comments.

  • So, something like what the HTC EVO 3D did in 2011? Or am i misunderstanding ?

    • Worse, as the cameras differ.

      • Also... IIRC the Evo had that sort of screen that could see 3D movies ? Stereoscopic LCD ?

        • Yeah, some autostereoscopic type. I also had briefly a xiaomi in 2016, which also had double camera. Pretty good stereoscopic pictures, also with two identical cameras. The Evo was a gem, I had mine stolen; the xiaomi, on the other hand, just decided to die one day.

          HTC did a lot of stuff that was way ahead of its time.

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