Earlier in the month, GoPro finally indicated plans to unveil the Omni, a spherical array that will use six Hero4 Black cameras to capture virtual reality content, at the NAB Conference in Las Vegas from April 18 to April 21.
The Omni was first announced in May last year by GoPro CEO Nick Woodman. While another virtual reality product of the company, the 16-camera Odyssey, is yet to be released after the initial expectation of November 2015, GoPro is now diving deeper into the platform with the launch of a virtual reality channel, a wireless streaming tool and virtual reality headset apps.
The virtual reality channel, dubbed the GoPro VR, will launch alongside LiveVR, which is a version of the company's HEROCast for virtual reality, and iOS and Android apps for virtual reality headsets on the first day of the NAB Conference.
GoPro VR will function similar to GoPro's on-demand video channel, but instead of extreme sports videos, the platform will be hosting virtual reality content. Initially, GoPro's sponsored artists and athletes will be providing content for GoPro VR, but it will also soon likely be opened up to all users.
GoPro VR can be seen as a rebranding of Kolor Eyes, a VR video platform acquired by the company alongside a video stitching software with the same name.
LiveVR, on the other hand, will use the Omni as a wireless streaming device for virtual reality content, and it will be used in the partnership between GoPro and the MotoGP. Other major sporting events will also be using the LiveVR service in the near future.
GoPro has also revealed that the price of the Omni, which will be $5,000 including the array, six Hero4 Black cameras, memory cards, cables, the Kolor software, and everything else needed for the system to function. Purchasing only the array will cost $1,500.
However, everything that GoPro has been doing, including the poaching of veteran Apple designer Daniel Coster to serve as its vice president of design and the launch of a developer program for its platform, has not amused investors, as legal woes and a perceived lack of competitive advantage are dimming the company's future.
