Facebook introduces video stabilization for 360 video – Massive improvement!
Facebook is rolling out a new algorithm that will stabilize 360° video resulting in a much smoother experience.
I don’t know about you, but I have noticed that 360° degree video is popping up more and more on my facebook feed. In the past few days I’ve seen a tour of Dubai, a skydiving video and someones house party – all in glorious 360 degrees.
One issue that I’ve experienced with 360 video is that it can often feel a bit shaky and unstable. I can imagine watching a 360 video like this on a VR headset would make for a very uncomfortable experience. This is mostly apparent when people are only using their hands to hold the camera – equipment such as a tripod or selfie stick often stops the shakiness.
Facebook 360 video stabilization preview
Facebook has spotted this flaw and has been the first to react, releasing a new feature that will automatically stabilize 360 degree video to make the experience much smoother for the viewer. If their preview is anything to do by it seems that this will result in huge improvements in creating stable 360 video.
The stabilization works by tracking certain points in the video and making sure that each of these points remain in the same position by rotating key frames. I don’t pretend to understand it either, but it works!
It seems that facebook really wants to be at the forefront of 360° video and looks to be cementing their position nicely. 360° video looks clearer on facebook compared to YouTube and facebook has already included options for positioning and storytelling which are missing from other video services.
