VR film and television industry develop rapidly. VR video is divided into 3D video and 360° panoramic video. There are various video formats available for users to choose from in the VR video player. For example: 2D, 3D left and right, 3D up and down, panorama, panorama left and right, panorama up and down. There are seven format options. People who have just started VR devices can't distinguish them.

This article will explain the concepts of the two kinds of videos. Providing methods for people to distinguish these VR video formats.

1. 360° panoramic video-hereinafter referred to as "panoramic video"

The world map must be common to everyone, it just meets all the requirements for a panoramic picture. If you put it in various VR glasses to watch it, it will be like being caught in the embrace of the whole world. It can expand the real scene of the full physical field of view to a 2D picture and restore it to VR glasses to achieve immersive viewing. Its name is projection.

The ordinary world map uses a common projection method called Equirectangular. Trait of the projection is that the image size of the horizontal viewing angle can be well maintained. The vertical viewing angle, when close to the poles, will have unlimited size stretch.

The stretching phenomenon of this projection method is obvious in the figure below. The closer you are to the top of the image; the more severe distortions will appear. Significance of VR helmets and application software is to restore these distorted screens to full-view content. They can give users an immersive sense of envelopment.

2. 3D video-left and right eye mode

When watching a 3D movie, we can not only see the movement in the up and down, left and right direction. We can see the movement away from us or coming towards us. 3D movies have this effect because the world we see has been processed by the brain.

3D video is a stereoscopic video. It uses the viewing angle difference and convergence function of the human eyes to overlap the two images. It produces a three-dimensional effect. When the audience wears special 3D glasses to watch, they get an immersive and realistic feeling. The images in the screen seem to be within reach. When shooting, it is necessary to use two cameras to imitate the angle of view of the human eye and shoot at the same time for viewing by the left and right eyes. This will produce a 3D effect.

3D video and VR video are different.

When we look at a row of bowling balls in real life, the images seen by the left and right eyes are different. After the brain's processing, they will be a three-dimensional image.

This is the end of the introduction about how to distinguish the VR video format. Please forgive us if there are any points that is not professional.