YouTube is working hard to develop a method of live streaming 360-degree videos on its platform, according to a new report. Sources close to the company claim YouTube has been meeting with 360-degree camera manufacturers in an effort to add support for live-streamed video broadcasts.
No timeline has been revealed for the rollout of the planned update, which at this stage hinges on the technology being produced by camera manufacturers.
It is thought that the meetings in question involve YouTube offering to help manufacturers set up specifications that would allow people to stream live videos from 360-degree cameras, as they do from regular cameras.
Although cameras that allow their operators to review content using live-streams currently exist, the video feeds they produce are low quality. Most cameras designed to achieve the feat tend to stitch together their footage once filming is complete, which obviously won’t do for live streams.
Both YouTube and its parent company Google have plenty of experience when it comes to 360-degree videos. It has been suggested that, with the support of the industry, the two could develop software with a view to making it widely available to manufacturers.
Another possible solution would be to simply restrict the update to 360-degree cameras that permit live streams. That, however, narrows done the list to a handful of compatible cameras at present — although more are set to hit the market later this year — cutting off the update to consumers at large. Initially, live streaming could be limited to these models alone, reports BuzzFeed News. YouTube has declined to comment on the report.
