PLAYA VISTA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Digital Domain, one of the largest and most innovative providers of visual effects and immersive experiences, today announced an end-to-end set of solutions for the creation, production and distribution of virtual reality (VR) experiences. Building on the company’s legendary visual effects capabilities, Digital Domain has rounded out its VR offering with new hardware, software and cloud services, including a highly portable new spherical camera, advanced livestreaming capabilities, new integrations with post-production suites and a cloud-based VR distribution platform.
Digital Domain is the only company to offer solutions and services spanning creative development, visual effects production, 360 capture hardware and software, real-time stitching and encoding, livestreaming, application development and content distribution. The company is demonstrating its VR suite at this week’s NAB conference, April 24 - 27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“VR experiences can transport audiences to new levels of engagement,” said Amit Chopra, Executive Director and CEO of North America, Digital Domain. “But the process can be a challenge for brands entering this new realm. We’ve made it much easier for our clients and partners by introducing a comprehensive suite of VR broadcast solutions that not only opens their eyes to what is possible but also dramatically reduces the production time and expense involved in bringing new VR content to consumers.”
“Considering the complexity of VR production, the ability to work with a single partner for production, development and distribution makes good business sense,” said Jeff Marsilio, Vice President of Global Media Distribution, National Basketball Association. “Digital Domain brought its artistry and expertise to every phase of the process when creating the first sports talk show in VR, ‘House of Legends,’ in collaboration with the NBA.”
Highly Portable Spherical Camera for Livestreaming VR
Digital Domain has introduced a new and highly portable spherical camera that is optimized for livestreaming 360 broadcasts and situational awareness applications. Kronos provides 4K, 60 FPS video through a single cable for both power and data, allowing rapid set-up and remote configuration. The compact size of the Kronos opens new opportunities for placement while maintaining a high-quality output.
- 12-bit image processing
- Gyro-stabilization
- Integrated 360 audio
- Weather resistant
Advanced Production Capabilities
Digital Domain has long been a pioneer in VR production. The company has added to an impressive list of VR industry firsts, including its patented live-stitching software, which enables real-time broadcasting of immersive video content
- Sophisticated techniques for mixing graphics from various sources without distortion in the 360 sphere and streaming real-time spatial 3D audio
- Advanced director's tools such as multi-camera streams and “virtual cameraman” capabilities make for engaging storytelling and simplify integration with traditional linear television
- Ability to easily leverage Digital Domain’s legendary visual effects capabilities to enrich the VR experience
Cloud-based VR Distribution System
Digital Domain also unveiled a new system for managing the delivery of live and recorded VR content. Digital Domain offers multi-tenant content organization, broadcast-grade distribution control and fine-grained analytics.
- Supports single upload and delivery to multiple destinations—mobile, web and head-mounted displays (HMDs)
- Platform-agnostic distribution (iOS, Android, Samsung Gear VR, PSVR, Google Daydream, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and more)
- Features for content curation, geo-fencing, adaptive delivery, interactivity hotspots and embedded ads
- SDKs and APIs for rolling-out 360 content or embedding it into existing mobile apps and websites
- Dynamically customizable apps across every major VR device
“We're excited to bring our VR platform to the market,” said Dhruv Gupta, Vice President of VR Platform and Apps, Digital Domain. “After a year in development and working with our partners and customers, the platform is now battle tested, scalable to millions of viewers and has reliably powered some of the most popular VR destinations and events on the market.”
About Digital Domain
Digital Domain creates transportive experiences that entertain, inform and inspire. The company is a pioneer in many fields, including visual effects, livestreaming landmark events in 360° virtual reality, building situational awareness applications, creating “virtual humans” for use in films and live events, and developing interactive content. A creative force in visual effects and media applications, Digital Domain and its predecessor entities have brought artistry and technology to hundreds of motion pictures, commercials, video games, music videos and virtual reality experiences. Its groundbreaking visual effects appear in films such as "Titanic," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and recent blockbusters "Furious 7" and "Deadpool." Staff artists have won more than 100 major awards, including Academy Awards, Clios, BAFTA awards and Cannes Lions. Digital Domain has offices in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong. Digital Domain Holdings Limited (www.ddhl.com) is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code 547). www.digitaldomain.com
