The HTC Vive Focus wireless headset is now ready to stream and download high-resolution video contents untethered, thanks to the new Visbit 8K VR Player.
The new Vive Focus capability is the result of HTC's partnership with virtual reality streaming expert Visbit, which is known for its View-Optimized Streaming technology that reduces latency for premium video watching experience over Wi-Fi networks. The player also supports content downloads, essentially its solution for viewing 8K contents where and when no internet access is available.
HTC has released the player through the Viveport Marketplace as a free download but only for a limited time and will exclusively benefit users currently based in China. That's because the Vive Focus headgear, which boasts of 3K AMOLED display with 75 Hz of screen refresh rate, remains a China-only release, and there's no telling if and when product release to other markets is happening.
In fact, HTC has already confirmed that no plans for release outside of China exist at the moment. Notwithstanding, the company said the Vive Focus' 8K viewing feature is seen to break new grounds for the still-emerging virtual reality platform.
"We know immersive video is a very important use case for mobile VR platforms," the company said.
Visbit's VVOS Technology
However, Visbit's technology, initially implemented for HTC's gears, is already groundbreaking. Because the former found success in significantly cutting down latency, optimal streaming was made possible starting at 4K and up to 12K resolution. Technically, Visbit's 8K VR Player will just make use of the technology's middle ground but can already deliver premium streaming quality.
In addition, the same technology will employ spatial audio and video encryption. This will be big for content providers and copyright holders alike, as the security feature will serve to actively protect their IP rights.
In support of the newly released player, Visbit plans to put up an offline publishing hub that will give content creators the chance to demonstrate their works that are compatible with the 8K VR Player. The minimum requirement is that the contents need to be produced in 6K quality.
The company is also inviting content providers to start showcasing works that would be suitable for the player. This obviously is in response to the concerns that lack of available contents could hamper the projected growth of the VR platform.
Indeed, the dominant content standard is still 1080p, and it might take some time for 2K and 4K contents to become dominant, more so in the case of 8K videos.
Unperturbed, Visbit appears confident of eventual growth and plans to bring the 8K VR Player to other headset brands.
