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Facebook opens up 360-degree livestreaming to everyone
One of the most useful things that Facebook has done with Oculus is (ironically) make it work on Samsung's GearVR and host 360 degree photos and videos that users can check out on the headset. The social network has now expanded that idea greatly with the wide launch of Live 360, a VR-like way for users to stream and consume live content. Provided you have the tech and bandwidth, the new app gives "your audience a chance to be in the moment through both place and time," Facebook says.
Ofcom to investigate Sky and 21st Century Fox merger
The UK's media regulator will investigate a proposed merger worth £11.7 billion ($14.6 billion) between 21st Century Fox and Sky. Speaking in the House of Commons, Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said she had referred the matter because of "public interest considerations" which "warrant further investigation." These include media plurality -- the need for citizens to have access to a variety of independent news sources -- and a "commitment to broadcasting standards." Ofcom has 40 days to investigate and deliver its report, which will undoubtedly shape Bradley's decision to approve or block the deal.
Now Microsoft's Twitch competitor has an Xbox One app
Microsoft bought livestreaming service Beam last August to fold its advanced viewer interactions with its gaming services on Windows 10 and Xbox. They finally opened testing up to select users at the end of January, but today, they're taking the next step in competing against Twitch by launching the Beam app for Xbox One. As with the previous trials, only certain members of the Xbox Insider Program get first crack at it, but you'll now be able to watch our favorite streamers right from your console.
YouTube rolls out mobile live streaming to its biggest creators
YouTube, despite its dominance in online video, has been slow to adopt mobile live streaming. While Twitter and Facebook have embraced the 'broadcast anywhere' mentality, Google has stuck mostly to Hangouts and other desktop-focused streaming setups. But that's all about to change. Following a small roll out last year, YouTube says it's ready to offer mobile live streaming to anyone with over 10,000 subscribers. While not everyone -- the team says "the rest of you will have it soon" -- the expansion should cover all of the big name YouTubers who have a large, ravenous audience.
Twitter adds live 360 video, still no edit button
Facebook and YouTube jumped on the 360 video train back in 2015, leaving Twitter to tardily trundle out their first all-direction footage experiments during the NBA finals back in June. But now the social network is letting larger broadcasters post their own live 360 videos through Periscope for users to watch and interact with in real-time.
DOJ sues DirecTV for conspiring against LA Dodgers (updated)
The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it is bringing suit against DirecTV for its role in an alleged collusion scheme involving the broadcast rights to Los Angeles Dodgers games. Specifically, the DOJ asserts that DirecTV and three of its competitors -- Cox, Charter and AT&T -- shared "agreed to and did exchange non-public information about their companies' ongoing negotiations" with SportsNet LA, the only channel authorized to show Dodgers games.
Periscope gets iMessage hearts, improved iPad support on iOS 10
Periscope's been tweaking its service to better take on main rival Facebook Live, and with the release of iOS 10 today, the Twitter-owned app gets a big upgrade. The new version of the livestreaming app will come with native iPad support, improved global and home feeds, as well as hearts stickers that you can use in the iPhone's messaging app.
Sony and Panasonic partner to sell 8K TVs by 2020
NHK boldly declared it would broadcast the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 8K (also called Super Hi-Vision), but that's just four years away now and the grand total of 8K TVs on the market is ... one. To get things jump-started, the Japanese broadcaster has teamed up with Sony and Panasonic to develop the tech necessary to get more sets on the market, according to Nikkei.
Periscope broadcasts are now permanently saved by default
Earlier this month, Twitter's live-streaming app Periscope began testing saving broadcasts for more than 24 hours. During that beta phase, you had to include #save to trigger the feature. Permanent saves are now available for everyone by default, and you won't need to use that hashtag to make it work. Likes and comments are saved along with the video footage, so you'll be able to gauge reactions afterwards as well.
Facebook Live will broadcast a Spanish soccer game
Facebook's ability to broadcast live video makes it great for breaking news, but perhaps its eventual aim is to become an entertainment destination in its own right. The Spanish football league has announced that it'll use the service to broadcast a European football soccer game for the first time. The game will be streamed by Grabyo, an online video company backed by luminaries of the game Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas. If you want to watch the title tussle between Atletico Madrid Feminas vs. Athletic Club in the Women's league, then head to the Facebook on Saturday at 11:45 CET.
ESPN and 'League of Legends' studio aren't making a broadcast deal
League of Legends is one of the most popular esports titles in the world, but it's not heading to ESPN any time soon. Spokespeople for Riot Games and ESPN tell Engadget that the companies are not working on a broadcasting deal, despite a report on PVP Live claiming otherwise. "The story is inaccurate -- no active talks with ESPN at the moment," the Riot spokesperson said. An ESPN spokesperson further confirmed, "The story is false. We do not have a deal with Riot Games to broadcast League of Legends."
NextVR and Live Nation team up to stream 'hundreds' of concerts
NextVR has already brought many important firsts when it comes to live VR broadcasting, so after golf, NASCAR, political debates and basketball, it's targeting live music. The company is teaming up with concert promoter Live Nation to stream "hundreds" of performances in virtual reality to fans worldwide. To increase the you-are-there feeling that makes VR broadcasts unique, it's planning "optimized" 3D audio to go along with the views from the front row, on-stage and backstage.
Nokia's Ozo camera now broadcasts live VR
Now that live virtual reality is hitting the mainstream, you need a camera to make it happen, don't you? Nokia is happy to help. It's creating a live VR broadcasting option for its Ozo camera that will show 360-degree video as it happens, complete with spatial audio. You aren't likely to use this yourself when it costs about $60,000 to get an Ozo, but it'll be a big deal for streaming providers and other broadcasters that want to experiment with VR. It'll reach a handful of partners in the spring, and should be widely available this summer.
Twitter will stream Thursday night NFL games
Twitter is frequently pilloried by investors for not being as successful a social network as Facebook, but that's not really what the site is about. The service is reportedly strengthening its case for being a broadcasting platform instead of a social network after signing a landmark deal with the NFL. According to Bloomberg's anonymous sources, Twitter has purchased the digital rights that'll enable it to broadcast Thursday night football games online. The news wire's anonymous sources believe that the company won out against other internet giants such as Yahoo, Amazon and Verizon -- while Facebook itself dropped out of the running a week ago.
Some Olympic events will air in 8K and VR this year
Even though 4K content is only now arriving, parts of the 2016 Rio games in August will be shot in 8K video and virtual reality. The Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) confirmed that it will air around 130 hours of the Super Hi-Vision video (7,680 x 4,320) with 22.2 channel surround sound in Japan only. Coverage will include the opening and closing ceremonies, along with sports including judo, football, swimming and basketball. However, VR footage, including the opening and closing ceremonies and select sports, will be available to viewers around the world, whether they have headsets or not.
ABC's 'Good Morning America' takes you on a live VR safari
If you're a fan of ABC's morning show, the network is offering viewers a rather unique take on remote reporting this week. From 7:00 AM to 9:00 ET tomorrow (February 23rd), Good Morning America will broadcast live in 360-degree VR from the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. ABC News' Amy Robach will be on location as the network captures footage from the Great Migration which includes the largest concentration of Africa's big mammals each February. Robach's report on the dangers the animals face from poachers will be presented alongside the immersive visuals. In fact, ABC says this is the first time on network television that VR cameras and gear will allow viewers to pick their adventure live and in real time.
Making TV shows in 8K is about to get a lot easier
If you want to broadcast a TV show in 8K resolution, then you're going to need a whole room full of computers to encode the image. After all, a regular machine would struggle to process the 60, 35-megapixel images that need to be crunched every second. That's one of the many reasons that 8K video is currently limited to tech demos and the odd, one-off special event where the cost is justified. Japan's NTT, however, is claiming to have squeezed that room full of tech into a single box that's roughly the size of your average server module. Right now, the announcement is just that -- an announcement -- but this could mean we start seeing 8K broadcasts popping up well ahead of schedule.
Fox Sports to stream boxing card in VR this weekend
Virtual reality isn't only taking root in gaming and movies, it's hitting the world of sports, too. This weekend, Fox Sports will broadcast its Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) coverage in VR with the help of NextVR. The network says NextVR will install "multiple cameras" around the ring area to give "fight fans the best seat in the house." Of course, that seat is in your living room. In addition to the visuals, Fox will offer commentary and match stats on the VR stream. NextVR has teamed up with the broadcaster before, with coverage of a NASCAR race and golf's US Open last year.
You can finally watch Twitch streams on Android TV
Twitch has been on Google's Chromecast for over a year, so it's hard to believe it wasn't on Android TV before. But the streaming company has just revealed an official app for the Google's big-screen service, letting you watch live or pre-recorded games, personalities and e-sports tournaments on supported TVs or devices like NVIDIA's Shield. As usual, you'll be able to chat with fellow players, follow channels and games, and view broadcaster profiles and streaming schedules, all at up to 1080p/60fps quality.
Watch the first-ever TwitchCon keynote right here!
What do you do when you're a burgeoning video game start-up that gets bought by Amazon for just under a billion dollars? Well, if you're game-broadcasting platform Twitch, you take over the Moscone Center in San Francisco for a few days and host all manner of panels featuring the top people in your community, game developers and maybe even a few musical guests. TwitchCon kicks off with a keynote address at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT today and you can watch it below via, you guessed it, a Twitch streaming window. In addition to the opening address the weekend's panels and interviews will be broadcast as well.
