World’s first virtual reality production truck has arrived
LAS VEGAS -- The National Association of Broadcasters Show has long been a place for companies to showcase new tech for the TV industry.
But for virtual reality developer NextVR, the annual gathering was a timely opportunity to roll out something a little quirkier:
A virtual reality production truck.
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The Laguna Beach, California-based company, which launched in 2009, has differentiated itself in the VR space by focusing in on putting consumers in the middle of live events, especially sports.
Last year, the company racked up $30.5 million in Series A funding from big companies such as Time Warner Investments, Comcast Ventures, and The Madison Square Garden Company.
The goal of the custom-built truck is to "allow for rapid deployment at an arena or stadium for the increasing demand for live virtual reality content." It is designed to "plug and play," meaning it can pull up to any given venue and deliver a multi-camera, live stereoscopic VR experience complete with fully mixed 3D VR audio.
"We're doing about one live production to week and that's about to multiply so this truck was a necessary next step," DJ Roller, NextVR's co-founder told Mashable.
Roller moved to the virtual reality space after working in film.
Throughout the show, NAB attendees were able to take tours of inside the dimly lit, air conditioned truck, which still had that "new car" smell.
Inside, the layout is simple. There is an audio mixing facility (above) to produce VR 3D audio to improve the overall consumer experience.
There's also a cozy space for broadcast partners and event hosts to monitor the live VR broadcast.
There's also -- of course -- a table for coffee and snacks, Ryan Sheridan, NextVR’s senior vice president for Imaging and Production Technologies, joked to Mashable.
“This truck allows our production to be fully redundant, providing a distinct competitive advantage for us as we continue to produce world-class events with global appeal," he added.
The truck is also a draw for NextVR's partners, including FOX Sports (with which the company has a five-year deal).
“Having a VR broadcast truck to cover major events is another example of how NextVR continues to read the market in this emerging technology,” Michael Davies, SVP, Field and Technical Operations at FOX Sports, said in a statement. "NextVR continues to distinguish itself as the standard setter in bringing live, broadcast-quality VR to sports fans excited about the content.”
The truck will begin making its way across the U.S. beginning in July.
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Topics Virtual Reality
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
