As 360-degree and VR video continue to grow, services like YouTube and Facebook are tentatively adding support, but actually finding these videos is a fairly rare occurrence. Streaming service Littlstar made the decision to dive in head-first, focusing exclusively on 360-degree video. And now Apple TV owners will be able to view these videos in their living rooms.
The Littlstar app has already been available for iOS and Android, but this marks the first time the service is available on a streaming service. Content is available for free, and comes from brands including Disney, Discovery, National Geographic, and Showtime.
“Littlstar’s app for Apple TV brings an immersive 360 video experience to the television screen,” company co-founder and chief product officer Tony Mugavero said in a press release. “We wanted to give audiences the ability to consume this content from their living rooms and in a social environment. With Littlstar’s app, users can now view 360 videos on their televisions, and experience immersive video the same way they would a traditional TV program.”
Using the trackpad and built-in accelerometer on the newest Apple TV hardware, users can control the angles from which they view videos with the same ease they would on a mobile device. Compared to clicking and dragging on a PC, this should be relatively intuitive.
Currently, the main issue with 360-degree video is that there isn’t much content available, and for the time being, the best use involves educational or instructional videos. As the equipment required to produce these videos increases in availability, however, it’s going to be interesting to see what content creators do with the additional capabilities.
“As more and more content creators look to 360 videos and virtual reality to tell stories and connect with consumers, we want to provide them with the widest distribution across platforms. The new Apple TV is the latest in a suite of consumer touch points that Littlstar offers brands and content studios,” Ben Nunez, CEO of Littlstar said.
The Littlstar app is available in the Apple TV App Store now. For more information, see the Littlstar website.
