New from 360RIZE: 3DPro Spherical Video Rig for GoPro HERO Cameras

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Paving the way for stereoscopic 360-degree video, 360RIZE, formerly 360Heros, is introducing the 3DPro, a versatile, modular 3-in-1 spherical video rig, and the 3DPro Bullet360, a camera sync control solution for the 3DPro. Able to hold 12 or 14 GoPro HERO3/3+ or HERO4 cameras, the 3DPro yields footage that can reach 8K resolution, great for 360-degree media platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

While the rig itself is a simple pentagon shape, its functionality is more than skin deep. Three different configurations are possible. Full 3D is possible with 14 cameras, meaning that no matter where the viewer looks, the image will be displayed stereoscopically. Another option is to use 12 cameras to record in 3D along the horizon and 2D when looking only to the very top or bottom of the spherical image. This configuration provides 3D in the most important area of the image while cutting down on the amount of processing required in post-production. The image in either configuration can also be processed out as a 2D image, giving you three options for your production. Depending on the configuration of the cameras, your tripod or boom can be placed for easy hiding in the stitching process, giving you a seamless 360° picture.

When combined with the Bullet360 sync technology, the 3DPro and all the mounted cameras can be controlled wirelessly with a single button press. When you want to begin or end recording, simply press the Record Start/Stop button, and a buzzer will sound, ensuring that you can easily sync your footage in post-production.

For capturing even higher resolutions, the Pro24 holder is available. This model configures a whopping 24 cameras to capture 3D panoramic video, with 2D video on the top and bottom. Taking things up a notch, Bullet360 versions of these models are also available.

Operating under a new name, 360RIZE will continue to push spherical video boundaries. If you want to get aboard the spherical video bandwagon, check out the B&H SuperStore website for more information on availability, pricing, and accessories.

2 Comments

Maybe the guys at B&H can help their customers with some sort of review of all the components needed for streaming or recording 360 3-D and then displaying.  This is all pretty new, so it would help a lot if one person can learn for us and explain what is or isn't possible, and what you need to buy.  Just as an example, I love the idea but have no VR gear or any experience with this sort of thing.  I would like to buy the cameras, the synch box, some VR goggles and whatever else I need to record, edit and output in a way that the VR goggles shift the view as you turn your head so the effect is immersive.  The thing holding me back is not being sure in advance if what I buy will all work together, and not knowing if I could get all the software/firmware configured in a way that works.  Its going to be too expensive to risk finding out I should have bought something different or finding I can't get all the soft/hardware working together.  A short tutorial going through all the necessary steps would sway me and probably a lot of others who, like me, are willing but technologically challenged.

Hi James,

The recent VR and spherical video boom is still in its infancy and while I would love to say that it's as easy as "plug-and-play", we both know it's not quite like that. While there are some all-inclusive spherical video solutions out there (like GoPro's Omni: http://bhpho.to/2dOu0fl), you are correct that most solutions require you to build your own rig and do trial-and-error on your own to see what works. Based on product announcements from this past year, I anticipate that all-inclusive solutions will likely become more widely available. Having said that, Adobe and other software companies are also dipping their toes into the post-production aspect, so all-around, assembling a spherical video workflow should be significantly less difficult as the technology matures. Your suggestion for an article is a good one, perhaps in the near future we will be able to publish something like that.

Until then, all the best and thanks for reading!