The Top 5 360-degree Videos on YouTube
A few days ago YouTube broke the awesome news that it is now allowing users to upload and watch 360-degree videos. In case you haven't seen one yet, we can summarize the experience by saying it is the closest thing to virtual reality you're going to get in 2D, and it is a lot like watching a video through Street View in Google Maps.
If you're struggling to understand what we mean by all of that, just pick any one of the incredible 360-degree videos that have already been posted to YouTube this week:
(Note: For the best viewing results we recommend choosing the highest resolution your device will support using the small settings icon in the bottom right corner of the YouTube video player).
1. Tomorrow Land 2014 | 360 Degrees of Madness
This 4 and a half minute video takes you on a virtual tour of Tomorrowland show. We chose this video to top the list because it shows a lot of potential as far what is possible with recording events and people in 360-degrees:
2. Time Couch VR Demo
This short video is an animated production that highlights the potential of gaming in VR environments. Now that YouTube visitors can view 360-degree videos there's no need to use a device like the Oculus Rift to get a sneak preview at VR:
3. Red Bull F1 360° Experience
If you've ever wondered what it looks like to sit in the cockpit of an F1 racecar, check out this 360-degree video from Re/Live 360°. This is a good fit for the top five because it illustrates some of the possibilities with 360-degree and sports viewing in the near future. Imagine sitting courtside at a basketball game and being able to look around the arena and up and down the court from the first row.
4. Wingsuit 360° Experience
This is from the same Re/Live 360 channel that posted the 360 F1 racing video above. If you've ever watched a video of a guy flying in a wingsuit, you probably thought it looked like the ultimate thrill ride. After seeing it in 360° you'll be even more impressed with the nuts on these flying squirrels! If you're afraid of heights don't look down:
5. Juan Bagnell's 360-degree Video Test
Although there's not much action going on in this one, we chose it to top off our list for two reasons – first, he didn't have that many videos to compete with, as it has only been about three days since YouTube introduced the feature, and second, he has a lot to say on the topic and this video is a good example of what the average YouTube user can accomplish with a Kodiak SP360 at home:
Being that the feature is only a few days old, we're sure there will be many more 360-degree videos to come, and eventually the videos on this list will fade into obscurity, but for now, these are the top 5 360-degree videos that made it onto YouTube in the first week.
