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Posts tagged with "Apple Vision Pro"

Immersive Lakers Game Now Widely Available on Apple Vision Pro

Last Friday, basketball fans in the Los Angeles Lakers market got their first glimpse of an immersive live game when the Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks on Spectrum Front Row on Apple Vision Pro. While that experience was limited geographically and only available to Spectrum customers via the Spectrum SportsNet app, the game replay is now available widely and for free in the NBA app. Vision Pro users in eligible regions outside Lakers territory can download the app, sign up for an NBA ID, and stream the game replay and highlights today. The full schedule and availability of immersive Lakers games were announced last week.

Being from Arkansas and not California, I missed out on the live premiere, but I was able to check out the game replay on my Vision Pro yesterday, and the experience was fantastic. Most of the game was shown from a front-row courtside perspective, which meant I was literally turning my head from side to side as the teams moved up and down the court. It was very different from the bird‘s-eye view I’m used to watching televised sports from, and it really gave me the impression of being in the arena. At one point, when a member of the Lakers scored a point, I felt the urge to start clapping as if they could hear me, even though I was sitting in my bedroom, not at the Lakers game.

There were several other camera angles that the broadcast cut to from time to time. The behind-the-basket view was a fun way to take in the action when someone was about to score, and there was a roaming camera that brought you onto the court itself before the game and during halftime as well. The cuts were sparing, which made the whole experience feel less jarring than some of the immersive sports highlights we’ve seen on Vision Pro before, but the combination of immersive video and multiple angles offered the best of both worlds. It felt like I was actually there taking in the game, and no matter what was happening, I always got to see it from the best angle.

Even if you’re not a big fan of basketball or the Lakers, it’s worth checking out the replay to see what the experience is like. Right now, broadcasting a game in this way is a big undertaking, but I have a feeling it will only become more and more common with time. If this concept eventually expands to other sports and live experiences like concerts, theatrical performances, and more, it would make a really compelling case for the Vision Pro and the sorts of capabilities only visionOS can offer.

Immersive Basketball Games Come to Apple Vision Pro on January 9

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Last year, Apple announced a partnership with cable company Spectrum and the Los Angeles Lakers to stream select games in Apple Immersive Video on Vision Pro. Today, the company announced the schedule and availability of the games, which will be offered via Spectrum Front Row starting this Friday.

These are the dates the games will be streamed live in Immersive Video:

  • Friday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m PT
  • Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Friday, February 20, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Thursday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m. PT
  • Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 p.m. PT
  • Monday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. PT

In the press release, Apple revealed details of what viewers can expect from the broadcasts:

Spectrum Front Row in Apple Immersive is directed and produced for Vision Pro with a feed of up to 150 Mbps and seven unique viewing angles: the scorer’s table, the area beneath each basket, a high-and-wide view of the arena, the player tunnel, the broadcast booth, and a roaming courtside perspective for interviews and commentary. The broadcast team features Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mark Rogondino and three-time NBA champion and former Lakers forward Danny Green as an analyst.

Spectrum SportsNet subscribers in the Lakers regional broadcast territory (Southern California, Hawaii, and parts of southern Nevada) can watch immersive games live via the Spectrum SportsNet app or the NBA app. Viewers in other U.S. markets will have access to highlights and full-game replays later, beginning this Sunday, for free via the NBA app or in the SportsNet app with a subscription.

The games will be available in some international markets as well. Users in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea will have access to live immersive games in the NBA app, while users in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, and the UK will be able to watch replays up to 24 hours after each game has ended.

The Vision Pro’s potential for offering viewers the thrill of attending sports events has been a part of the product’s story from the very beginning, with the company including sports footage in the first demos shown to attendees at WWDC 2023. And while we’ve seen highlight videos of various sporting events released publicly since then, this collaboration marks the first time Vision Pro users will be able to experience a full game in Immersive Video. This is also the first time the format will be used for live video rather than on-demand. It’s only a handful of games from one team, but this is a step forward for Immersive Video and the Vision Pro itself that I’m looking forward to experiencing myself this weekend.

Apple Reveals the M5 Apple Vision Pro

Today, Apple announced the first revision to the Vision Pro, the company’s mixed reality headset. The updated device sports an M5 chip and the new Dual Knit Band for improved comfort.

The M5 chip is making its debut in the Vision Pro alongside the new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. It features a 10-core CPU, a 16-core Neural Engine that’s up to 50% faster than the M2, and a 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. The M5 allows the Vision Pro to render 10 percent more pixels on its micro-OLED displays, resulting in a clearer image, an increased refresh rate up to 120Hz, and a smoother Mac Virtual Display experience. It also increases the device’s battery life to 2.5 hours of regular use and 3 hours of video playback. The M5 processor works alongside the R1 co-processor and the device’s built-in cameras and sensors to render the user’s surroundings in real time.

The biggest visible difference this generation is the new Dual Knit Band. Made of two 3D-knitted straps that look similar to the original Solo Knit Band, the Dual Knit Band incorporates a second strap that runs across the top of the user’s head and a counterweight in the lower strap to better distribute weight, increase comfort, and create a more stable fit. The strap is backwards compatible with the first-generation Vision Pro and available to purchase for $99.

Owners of either the M2 or M5 Vision Pro can pair the device with spatial accessories. The Sony PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller, which enables VR games like Elu Legend, Pickle Pro, Ping Pong Club, and Spatial Rifts and can be used to navigate visionOS in lieu of hand tracking, will cost $249.95 and be available November 11. The Logitech Muse digital pencil for drawing and collaboration costs $129.95; it can be pre-ordered directly from Apple now and will be released alongside the M5 Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro itself, meanwhile, maintains its starting price of $3,499 with 256 GB of built-in storage. The storage can optionally be configured to 512 GB for $3,699 or 1 TB for $3,899. The M5 Vision Pro is available for pre-order now with deliveries and in-store availability starting Wednesday, October 22.

CANAL+ Releases Immersive Documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force

Today, French entertainment company CANAL+ is releasing immersive documentary MotoGP: Tour De Force for Apple Vision Pro users. The 30-minute film follows French championship rider Johann Zarco during the French Grand Prix weekend this May, where he became the first French rider to win the race in over 70 years.

One of the first third-party partners to receive access to the technology behind Apple Immersive Video, CANAL+ captured the race and the behind-the-scenes action using four Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive cameras on pedestals and Steadicams in combination with ambisonic microphones. The end result will be very familiar to fans of Apple Immersive Video, with its 8K resolution, 180-degree field of view, 3D, and Spatial Audio.

I got a chance to check out the film ahead of its release and found it to be thrilling and impactful. The subject is a perfect fit for Apple Immersive Video; I could hardly keep up with the motorbikes zooming by from the trackside view. But just as enjoyable was the story, where the film follows Johann Zarco through the emotional ups and downs of the weekend, culminating in the joy of victory in front of 300,000 fans.

If MotoGP: Tour De Force is an indication of what we can expect from future third-party Apple Immersive Videos (and I think it is), I’m excited. The immersive videos we’ve seen from Apple so far have taken us to far-off places to witness stories, sports, and experiences many of us would otherwise never have access to, and with the tools to make this kind of content now in the hands of many more creators, I think of the future of immersive video on Apple Vision Pro is bright.

MotoGP: Tour De Force is available to stream now on Apple Vision Pro. Users in France can stream the film in the CANAL+ app with an active subscription, while users in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.A.E, the U.K., and the U.S. can stream the film for free in the Apple TV app. Alongside the announcement of MotoGP: Tour De Force, Apple also announced its upcoming slate of immersive videos, including new episodes of ongoing series and new entries from partners like Red Bull and CNN.