We’re edging closer to an entirely new way of enjoying movies or our favorite series, and Hulu will be ready for Samsung Gear VR when it will launch next month.
- Samsung Gear VR will launch November 27th, this year
- It will be priced at $100
- Hulu will be launching at the same time, ready to be used by customers of the device
- Productions like 21st Century Fox and Lionsgate have announced their interest in virtual reality content
It still seems within the limits of science fiction, but it will soon become a palpable fact that virtual reality might be part of our lives. The date is drawing closer. Famous video streaming channels such as Hulu and Netflix are getting ready for that big step, and making sure their clients will be well served.
While it might seem like a smaller advancement than seeing robotic aliens craw out of your walls or playing highly interactive horror games on Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR is tackling movies and TV series early on. In fact, with its release on September 27th, the virtual reality headset will be all prepared to stream on Hulu.
According to Julia Eggebrecht, VP of Device Platforms from Hulu, their upcoming app will aim to offer users “dynamic environments of their choice and themed around their favorite shows”. This means that they plan on your living room to become part of the experience, to immerse you deeply into the streamed content.
Hulu is known for offering its subscribers shows such as Family Guy, Empire or Seinfeld, so it stands to question what kind of different approach they can offer. As claimed by the streaming service spokesman, for example, fans could just choose to watch a Seinfeld episode directly from the trademark blue couch in his apartment. That might be a good reason to offer the series another viewing.
It will be truly interesting to see how streaming companies will adapt to the new virtual reality technology. There’s an entire industry that will now have to take these devices into consideration. It will expand their horizons, but it will also present new challenges. However, the same could’ve been said about 3D movies at first. Now, they’re everywhere.
Big movie production names such as 21st Century Fox and Lionsgate have already announced their interest in providing us with movies on VR headsets. But before we move that far, streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu could get the ball rolling. Perhaps at first, VR won’t have the biggest appeal, so it might require some time before big bucks are thrown in.
The Samsung Gear VR will become available next month for $99, aimed for mass-marketing at the general public with its decent pricing. Paired with Hulu, it will be the platform to transport users from “huge 2D videos” to immersive content, right in their living room. The interactive parts will be reportedly limited, but still there.
For everyone anticipating virtual reality, it’s a start.
Image source: ibtimes.com
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