To celebrate 10 years of Creator Weekly, I’m sharing tech highlights from 2015 that still resonate 10 years later. This update was for the week of September 26, 2015.
On September 23, 2015 Facebook introduced 360° video in the News Feed. This was initially available on the web and Android, and launched on iOS a few months later.
Almost two years later, in 2017, Facebook added 360° News Feed videos and photos to Gear VR headsets, and also launched Live 360 video for live streaming.
But current interest in VR headsets doesn’t match the original hype. And while 360 video is still being produced, you don’t hear about the consumer side much any more.
And there is some irony that this week Meta is removing user-generated content in Meta Quest TV and Quest Media Studio, including 360 video. (Creators are being told to repost their content to YouTube)
Ten years ago this week, Facebook added 360° video to the News Feed, starting with professional media, and then followed by creator content. This was 6 months behind YouTube's 360° video launch. But a decade on, what happened to all the video in the round?
Immersive Video in the Facebook News Feed
360-degree video in the Facebook News Feed (press image).
You could rotate your phone to open full screen.
The initial videos were mass media content, including videos from Star Wars, Discovery Channel and Saturday Night Live. Creators would soon be able to upload their own 360 video content.
Facebook said this is what people are looking for:
Facebook said this is what people are looking for:
“Over time, we’ve seen that people enjoy more immersive content in their News Feeds. This is one reason video has been so successful on Facebook, and we’re excited to take it a step further with 360 video.”
It fit nicely with 2015 trends:
It fit nicely with 2015 trends:
- Facebook was pushing video, hard.
- Virtual reality was going to be the "reality" with the launch of Facebook's Oculus Rift. And YouTube had launched 360 video, which was viewable on Google Cardboard and other devices.
The View from 2025
Have you watched 360° video in your Facebook News Feed
Almost two years later, in 2017, Facebook added 360° News Feed videos and photos to Gear VR headsets, and also launched Live 360 video for live streaming.
But current interest in VR headsets doesn’t match the original hype. And while 360 video is still being produced, you don’t hear about the consumer side much any more.
And there is some irony that this week Meta is removing user-generated content in Meta Quest TV and Quest Media Studio, including 360 video. (Creators are being told to repost their content to YouTube)
Even if VR and the metaverse finally become mainstream, it will likely feature video from big name professional productions, rather than from smaller creators and personal accounts.
References
Facebook Newsroom, 23 September 2015, "Introducing 360 video on Facebook" (original version)
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