Skip to main content

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

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.

Recommended 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.

Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
This is what happens ‘when you get two uber-geeks in space at the same time’
NASA's Don Pettit on the space station.



During NASA’s first-ever Twitch livestream from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, current station inhabitant Don Pettit and recent returnee Matthew Dominick talked about what it’s like to live and work in a satellite 250 miles up.

Read more
The GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is $100 off, but not for long
A person holding the GoPro HERO13 Creator Edition in front of the ocean.

Outdoor enthusiasts who want to buy a new action camera should go for the brand that popularized the product and look for GoPro deals. Best Buy has an offer that's going to be hard to refuse, as it features the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition. From its original price of $600, it's down to just $500 as part of the retailer's Presidents' Day Sale. There are still a few days remaining before the $100 discount ends on February 17, but we highly recommend completing your purchase as soon as possible because stocks may run out before then.

Why you should buy the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition
The star of the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is the GoPro Hero 13 Black, which is the latest version of the brand's popular line of action cameras. It's capable of recording video at up to 5.3K resolution, and you can grab photos of up to 24.7MP from your footage using the GoPro Quick app. The GoPro Hero 13 Black can also take videos that are slowed down by 13 times the normal speed, and it can last more than 5 hours on a single charge. The front and rear LCD screens will let you frame your shots perfectly, and the built-in buttons enable easy controls for lengthy sessions.

Read more
ISS astronaut shares epic photo of a ‘starry starry night’
Don Pettit's 'starry starry night' image captured from the space station.

 

Don Pettit's been snapping away in orbit again. This time, the NASA astronaut has captured a stunning image of the Milky Way from the International Space Station (ISS) . It also features Earth and city lights some 250 miles below the orbital outpost.

Read more