There’s a new way to enjoy stunning drone footage from around the world

By Trevor Mogg May 16, 2017

A photo taken from a drone. — Shperspectives/123RF

A cursory search on YouTube turns up a ton of drone footage posted by enthusiasts. Some is stunning, with carefully edited sequences offering viewers breathtaking journeys over famous landmarks or unique views of beautiful, rarely seen landscape. At the other end of the scale, however, you’ll find plenty of shoddy, less attractive efforts, though often you won’t realize till you’ve wasted time clicking on it and waiting for it to stream.

In an effort to show off just how amazing drone photography can be, and of course to unabashedly showcase its selection of remotely controlled, camera-equipped copters, drone giant DJI has launched a new Smart TV app offering fans a place to go for guaranteed gorgeous footage.

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Kicking off with Samsung Tizen TV and Apple TV platforms, the DJI Smart TV app gives viewers the opportunity to explore a growing range of aerial content and 4K videos captured from various locations around the world, and is organized into curated sections for a more enjoyable viewing experience.

DJI’s Paul Pan said the new app is a great opportunity “for people to be inspired, intrigued, travel to places they would have never imagined, and see the world in a whole new way,” while creators who upload content to the service now have “more ways to share their work with the world.”

Shenzhen-based DJI has been at the forefront of drone technology since its launch back in 2006. While it offers several consumer drones such as the foldable Mavic and Phantom 4 Advanced, it also sells pro-grade flying machines as well as a number of cameras and stabilizers.

Falling costs and ongoing improvements in drone technology mean that machines built by DJI and other firms are continuing to find new roles among both consumers and industry. But for many the most fun continues to come from shooting aerial videos, a skill that, as we’ve seen from efforts online, takes time to master. DJI’s new offering hopes to highlight the best of the burgeoning bunch.

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Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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