My Cart - An increasingly more prominent technology, virtual reality is entering the mainstream TV watching experience. No longer solely reserved for the gaming industry, recent developments can see virtual reality completely alter how we watch TV.
With its origins in 2010 and created by Palmer Luckey, the Oculus Rift has had effects throughout all branches of the technology industry and television is no different.
Virtual Sets
The company CBS Digital has created a virtual reality system called Parallax. With the possibility of using the system to remove the necessity of on-location filming, various landscapes of the United States have been laser-scanned to create immersive and explorable 3D sets. Actors can, subsequently, be embedded in the overlay of images, composing a virtual set.
With this technology, filmmakers open an infinite range of set possibilities; restrictions won’t be an issue for future movie and TV show filming, allowing for fewer costs and more work to be undertaken with flexible schedules.
Unlimited Imagination
As virtual reality allows directors to create any set or scenery they wish, it allows for an unlimited number of sets to be created. More difficult projects to film will benefit from virtual reality, as they will simplify the shooting phase.
The initial investment might seem too expensive as the technology is still in its early development stages, but it can save directors thousands in the long run. Imagination will be the only limit to which sets are designed. CBS Digital is working towards developing rooms in which actors can have virtual reality, walkable experiences through the use of ‘circular’ virtual reality such as Facebook 360.
Virtual reality for television is about optimising filming, and not about completely replacing the gorgeous sets we are used to see on TV. This technology aims to provide viewers with increasingly more vivid imagery and TV shows in which you feel as if you are part of the story.
Stunning TV Shows
ABC’s American Housewife and Fox’s The Last Man on Earth are already utilising Parallax to help tell the shows’ stories. The latter (spoilers ahead!) used a digitally recreated location of San Francisco and actors in front of a blue screen to blow up San Francisco. Executive producer at CBS Digital, George Bloom, compares the technology to directing a stage play, adding that he is able to “just focus on that performance” and transport the worlds to the screen.
Securing locations for filming can be a big issue, and Parallax allows for the worry to be erased. Three weeks of work can be completed in a day, with the size of the crew being reduced to approximately half. Technicians can scan two blocks in less than 14 hours, ensuring that production and filming are undertaken quickly and smoothly. When the captured images are uploaded, filmmakers are also able to alter it with stock images of objects and other locations to provide additional depth.
At Electronic World we have a wide range of cheap TVs with high picture quality, providing you with vivid and stunning images as you watch your favourite Netflix shows. If you want to know more about our smart, 3D, LED, 4K, or curved TVs, simply get in touch with us by giving our team a call on 0121 769 2623. We’re always happy to help!
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