VideoLAN has launched a new technical preview of VLC media player that lets users play 360-degree videos on Windows and Macs. The VLC 360-degree will be available in technical preview for few more days, while an all-new VLC 3.0 version will be released by the end of this month.
VLC has partnered with Giroptic, who has provided samples, cameras, code and expertise on the features, to become the first major video player app to play 360-degree videos out-of-the-box. VLC 3.0 final release will come with the 360-degree features for platforms such as Android, iOS and Xbox One. Mobile versions will use the phone sensors to navigate inside the videos.
Some of the features of the all-new VLC version include playback of 360 videos following the Spatial Video spec; playback of 360 photos and panoramas following the Spherical spec; display modes with zoom, little planet and reverse little planet, and can be controlled with system’s mouse and keyboard. VLC 3.0 is open source and will be available cross-platform while will be accelerated with OpenGL and Direct3D11 for 360-degree features.
VLC is one of the video players most widely used in the world. We are very proud to contribute our expertise in 360 degree to this open source player. This will allow the millions of VLC users to take full advantage of a promising new technology and be widely involved in its democratisation.
– Richard Ollier, Co-Founder and CEO, Giroptic.