Skip to main content

Garmin Virb 360 gains new creative editing controls and 5.7K mode

Garmin VIRB 360: HyperFrame Director Mode offers more creative control.
The medium of 360-degree video is great for creating immersive experiences, particularly when paired with a virtual reality headset. But 360-degree video also has applications when outputting to standard fixed-frame (non-360) formats, with the potential to give editors creative freedom over the framing and angle of the shot. Garmin is taking advantage of this feature in a free update to its Virb Edit desktop app with the new HyperFrame Director mode.

HyperFrame Director allows users to turn 360-degree footage from Garmin’s Virb 360 camera into fixed-frame, 1080p video while panning, zooming, and reframing the shot as they see fit. Users can pull off smooth pans or rapid 180-degree rotations to quickly change perspective. The feature can also be used to slowly reveal one’s surroundings, by starting from a narrow angle of view and slowly “zooming out,” making use of the ultra-wide angle of view. The software will even allow the image to be zoomed all the way out into a “tiny planet” perspective, which is one of the more fun side effects of 360 video.

Related Videos

One of the features we liked most about the VIRB 360 in our review  was its electronic stabilization, which uses information from the camera’s onboard sensors to smooth out rough footage. This feature will remain active within HyperFrame Director mode, so that even as users reframe and zoom into shots, the output video will remain stabilized.

But HyperFrame Director isn’t the only new feature coming to Virb Edit. Garmin has also introduced the ability for users to stitch their own 360 videos in post.

Normally, this process is done in-camera with the Virb 360, but users now have the option to do it manually. The reason for doing this is all about resolution: In camera, the Virb 360 is limited to 4K; when stitched in post, users can take advantage of the full 5.7K resolution offered. With those pixels being spread across a spherical field, immersive video stands to benefit from all the resolution it can get.

This isn’t an entirely new feature for the Virb 360; users have always had the option of stitching via third-party software (such as Adobe Premiere Pro) to capture that full 5.7K resolution. Now, Garmin is simply offering a first-party solution for doing so, which comes at no extra cost for Virb 360 owners.

We’re pleased to see that Garmin — originally known for its GPS units — is continuing to step up its efforts to prove that it is taking photography and video production seriously. 360 video may not be for everyone, but the ability to reframe fixed-frame content after the shot is something that any videographer can find value in.

Editors' Recommendations

Get a live, fly-on-the-wall view with the new 360Fly 4K Pro immersive camera
360fly

The stitch-free 360 camera is going live — on Monday, August 28, 360Fly announced the 4K Pro, an upgrade to the firm's 4K that allows for expanded live-streaming options and even a dual camera set-up.

Unlike options from Samsung, Garmin and Nikon, 360Fly designs 360 cameras that only use one lens — which means there aren’t any funky stitch lines because there’s no stitching. The 360Fly 4K Pro expands on the earlier 4K version by adding live-streaming capabilities. USB and HDMI connectors allow the camera to stream live without any interruptions, while wireless live-streaming is available through equi-rectangular (or 360 by 180) format. The camera uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for controlling the settings through an iOS or Android app.

Read more
Facebook drives 360 video with new 4K support and Gear VR integration
Facebook LIve

Facebook has upgraded its Facebook Live platform with new support for 4K video in 360 degrees, so you can record higher-quality video than ever before for viewing on smart devices and VR headsets. Taking things a step further, it's also enabled live playback for Gear VR users, as well as added a new camera certification program.

Although 360-degree video has the potential to become the video standard of the future, with much greater presence than fixed-perspective, 2D video, it's currently a nascent technology. Part of that is due to a lack of proliferation of platforms to experience it on, but a lack of resolution of recording devices doesn't help either. A 1080p resolution might be great for standard video, but when stretched throughout 360 degrees, it doesn't look so good.

Read more
California startup mixes 7K photos, 3K live-streams in a $99 360 camera
vrdl360 3k live stream camera dsc 3537

Immersive 360 cameras are quickly making their way into the consumer market, but one startup is claiming a few firsts with live-streams at 3K without downsizing and still images up to 7K. VRDL360 is a the first 360 camera that merges 7K photo with 3K video, live streaming and instant sharing.

The camera is the first from VR Dongli, a 2016 Los Angeles startup. The camera uses two 16-megapixel sensors manufacturers by Sony along with a pair of f/2 lenses. That allows the camera to shoot still photos up to 7000 x 3500 pixels and 3K (3072 x 1536) videos at 30FPS. The camera also uses a built-in gyroscope to stabilize footage electronically.

Read more