Oculus TV arrives today with a promising but debatable start



[ad_1]

The test of an earlier version of Oculus TV for a few hours revealed an experience very similar to that of other VR video applications. You are sitting in a lounge-esque environment, with little around you except a virtual landscape, which leads to a pleasant feeling of distraction. The main event is happening right in front of you, in what Oculus describes as the equivalent of a 180-inch TV. Although I can not be sure that it measures exactly 180 inches (virtual), it certainly seems huge. The large viewing area makes reading videos in bed a much more enjoyable experience than watching my phone. The videos seemed bright and colorful.

Still, I can not help but think that watching VR is a niche proposition, at least for the moment – the resolution of your virtual TV will never match that of your phone, at least not before a few years. Wearing a helmet for hours may not be everyone's cup of tea either. Oculus TV promises a social feature that allows you to watch shows with your friends (much like the Netflix app), which elevates it above the normal viewing experience, but that also depends on your friends having VR headsets. Oculus TV could be better with more content than others – perhaps sporting events or documentaries about nature, where having this immersive experience makes more sense.

When you launch Oculus TV, you will see a selection of shows organized in a carousel at the top, with a row of video channels listed below. Select a show, and if you do not already have the app associated, there will be an option to download it. So, for example, if you select Ball in the family and you do not have Facebook's video application yet, you will need to press the Install button to get it.

It is also important to note that if you want to get Facebook Video, you will have to link your Oculus and Facebook accounts together. Indeed, in addition to watching original Facebook Watch, the app also allows you to watch your own downloaded video clips as well as those shared by your friends and family.

These, Red Bull TV offers mainly extreme sports like skydiving and kitesurfing, while Pluto TV is no longer a cord cut alternative, with channels like Food TV and more common options like NBC News.

Other options include Neverthink, which includes the latest Internet memes, and Newsy, which shows news headlines to the minute. Oculus plans to add even more VR video content soon, especially favorites like ESPN.

Now that Oculus TV is official, all Go headsets will install it by default. And if you already have an Oculus headset, you can download it now from the Oculus store.

[ad_2]
Source link