Netflix Developing App for Oculus

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A new Netflix app for Samsung Gear VR has been released. The app allows members to access a virtual Netflix Living Room and enjoy Netflix programming from a virtual couch when using the Gear VR headset.

With all of the mainstream focus on hardcore virtual games and abstract environments, Netflix is looking to fill the demand for watching movies and shows in virtual reality. Known internally at Samsung as the HMT or “Head Mounted Theater,” the idea of watching a program in full VR is now possible.

This doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to walk around inside of a film or wiggle your hands through, or even high-five a pseudo projected pop-up Han Solo; instead you’ll be inside of a virtual room with a large 3D-modeled television screen upon which you can watch Netflix which the software treats as an applied texture.

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The resolution and quality of the content you can view is limited by the resolution of the headset itself; 2560×1440, which is split in half to give each eye a 1280×1440 view that covers approximately 90 degrees of your field of view. Keeping in mind that most people don’t watch TV with only 90 degrees of vision — most people usually sit pretty far back from large screens — clever programming and magnification of certain objects in the VR space were manipulated to make it feel like you are really watching a screen inside of a screen without the viewer thinking too much about the fact that that’s what they were doing.

The highest quality playback you’re gonna get is 720p HD, which isn’t bad, but isn’t as great as a normal full HD television these days.

Watching a two hour movie is possible with about 70 percent battery use, so make sure your cable is handy.

Do you like the idea of being able to watch Netflix in virtual reality? Let us know on social media or in the comments section below.

[button type=”link” link=”http://techblog.netflix.com/2015/09/john-carmack-on-developing-netflix-app.html?m=1″ variation=”btn-danger” target=”blank”]Source: Netflix Tech Blog[/button]

Last Updated on January 12, 2019.

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