The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera shoots solid VR180, but it’s not your best bet if you plan to shoot a lot of 360 video.

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Since the moment I tried creating VR180, I’ve enjoyed it. Returning to a time when I could be by the camera while I filmed, direct audience attention, and not have to worry about stitch linesThe seams in a 360° video where footage from one camera has been combined with another. was freeing!

However, VR180 definitely has its immersive limitations. So, sometimes I prefer using a 360 camera and other times, VR180 is where it’s at. That’s why cameras like the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera were made: to give users both options.

It isn’t the first camera that can offer both 360 and VR180 shooting modes (the Qoocam from Kandao was released last year), it is the highest resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More option offering both modes AND the second-highest resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More of the all-in-one VR180 camera solutions (second to the professional grade Z Cam K1 Pro).

I had the chance to test out the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera for a few weeks. Here you’ll learn:

• More about the VR180 medium
• The Vuze XR’s specs
• How to use the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera
• Tips for shooting VR180
• Post production for VR180 & Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera
• Pros and cons about the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond.

Let’s jump right in!

What exactly is VR180?

VR180 is a term coined by Google in the summer of 2017 that had the express goal of making immersive content more accessible. By not shooting 360 degrees, creators wouldn’t have to worry about stitching. It also felt a bit more familiar to traditional videography, since there is a frame. This gives the user  the ability to direct attention (whereas the viewer has total control of where to look in 360) and gave the director a place to hide behind the camera (rather than hiding behind a nearby rock or wall in 360 video production.

Additionally, VR180 meant that 3D content could be delivered at about the same speed, with about the same file size, as flat 360-degree footage. For watching videos like this in a headset, it’s always nice to have that 3D option! And, VR180 content could be delivered at a higher resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More than 360-degree video.

For example, the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera can shoot both VR180 and 360 video at 5.7K, however, the VR180 video shot at 5.7K will look higher-resolution than the 360 video shot at 5.7K. This is because that 5.7K number refers to the roughly 5700 horizontal pixels (5760 to be exact) being spread around a 180-degree (or 360-degree frame). When you’re spreading the same number of pixels around twice the space, of course it isn’t going to look as good!

Although the whole VR180 trend began as a way to get flat filmmakers (and, presumably, YouTubers) to make immersive content, it has become more popular among 360 filmmakers because it solves some of the most painful and time-consuming aspects of our job.

• We don’t have to hide.
• We can direct talent on camera.
• We can focus our viewers’ attention more easily.
• We can get 3D without as many bandwidth issues and at a higher resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More.
• We can light the scene we’re shooting from off-camera.
• We don’t have to stitch.

When I first shot VR180, I felt so spoiled by these luxuries I’d gone years without!

When I spoke to Adobe Director of Immersive Media Chris Bobotis at IBC when they first announced support for VR180 within Premiere and After Effects, he made some really good points about what VR180 could do for the industry.

What he noticed was that many of the high-end VR studios were making money. Nothing much had changed for creators at the low-end (4K or below). But the people in the VR industry suffering the most were mid-range studios. (IMHO, his opinion mostly tracks with what I’ve seen).

VR180 eliminates the time suck that is stitching (which Bobotis said takes up 65-75 percent of post production time for 360 content creators), but–perhaps even more importantly–VR180 could enable these mid-range studios to make more money!

“Typical budgets can only get you 6 to 8 minutes [of 360VR video],” he said. “There’s very little tolerance to pay for that much content.” For the same amount of money, a studio might be able to deliver a 20 or 30 minute production in VR180. Or, they could have some shots in 360 and the rest in VR180.

Hopeful but skeptical, I took this idea to a happy hour of VR filmmakers and they overwhelmingly agreed with this logic (whether or not people are willing to spend 30 minutes watching a VR film in a headset is yet to be fully determined…).

What is the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera?

The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera is an immersive camera that can shoot both 360-degree monoscopic (flat) video, as well as 180-degree stereoscopicVideo shot with two parallel cameras (or in the case of 360° video, multiple pairs of parallel cameras) Commonly referr... More (3D) video (AKA VR180).

Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. is actually one of the highest resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More all-in-one VR180 cameras out there, and the highest resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More option under $1000. The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. costs $439 (Amazon, B&H Photo) and shoots 5.7K.

The highest resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More VR180 camera is Z Cam’s K1 Pro ($2995). There are also plenty of pros who use high-end fixed-frame cameras with special lenses to shoot VR180, but that’s a bit more complicated.

On the consumer end of the spectrum, there’s the Lenovo Mirage ($270) which shoots 4K and the LucidCam ($367) which shoots 4K (I reviewed that camera here). The most comparable camera to the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. is the Kandao Qoocam ($399), because it also shoots both flat 360 video and VR180, at a resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More of 4K.

Below you can see the 360 video quality of the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. and the GoPro Fusion:

But, Kandao offers some sweet features in the form of being able to generate depth maps from your VR180 shots, including being able to adjust depth of focus AFTER you shoot a photo or video. Kandao has great stabilization, same as the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond..

Here you can see a comparison of the K1 Pro, Lenovo Mirage and Kandao Qoocam from Hugh Hou of CreatorUp. He plans to compare the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. to these cameras in a future video:

The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. can also livestreamDistribute video playback in real-time. either 360 or VR180 at 4K resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More. I won’t talk much more about that, since live video is not my forte. The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. can also shoot 4K 360 and VR180 videos at 60 fps.

It’s worth noting that the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. can only stitch 4K videos and photos using its companion iOS and Android apps and you have to SHOOT the footage IN 4K to stitch or even watch it on your phone.

Enough about specs…let’s talk about actually using the camera.

Setting up the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond.

There’s very little ancillary stuff that comes with this camera. Inside the box is the camera, a neoprene sleeve for the camera, the charging cable, a wrist strap, safety information and a one-page setupA camera position for a given scene. You might shoot more than one shot from a single set-up (wide shot and close-up). guide.

To get started with your Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera, you’ll first need to charge it until the light next to the USB C port turns white. Then, you’ll insertClose-up shot of an object or detail previously seen in a wider angle. a micro SD card (not supplied; class 10 required, U3 recommended).

While you wait, you can download the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. app for iOS and Android, and Vuze VR Studio.

The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. has four buttons. On the side, from bottom to top, is the power button, WiFi button, and a button to flip the lenses out to shoot VR180 mode. On the front of the camera is the shutter button.

Press the power button to turn your camera on, then press the WiFi button to connect it to your smartphone.

Open your phone’s WiFi settings and select your camera’s network. It’ll be something like Vuze or VXZ followed by your camera’s serial number, which is located on the bottom of the camera. The default password is 12345678. One of the screens in the app has this wrong (123465678). Nope, it’s simple 1-8.

Then, you can launch the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. app. You may need to adjust some IP settings manually, but the app will walk you through this if needed (I needed to do this to update my camera’s firmware before I could even connect it to my phone).

Once connected, you can select Camera to view preview what you’re shooting, Gallery to see previous shot clips, and Settings to adjust camera settings.

With Camera, you’ll see a live preview of what you’re about to shoot (you cannot see what you’re recording while recording it, though, and you can’t watch footage with resolutions above 4K on your smartphone).

At the top, you can also monitor camera battery, space available on your micro SD card, and your filming mode (VR180 or 360). The filming mode changes automatically when you click out or clip in the two lenses. At the bottom of this screen, you’ll see viewing options on the left, Gallery on the right, and shutter and shooting modes (live, video, photo) in the middle.

You can also tap the power button to switch between modes manually on the camera. The mode you’re in is visible on the side of the lenses, lit white when selected.

Under Settings, you can change the video resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More (4K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, and 5.7K at 30 fps), photo resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More (and turn on/off in-camera stitching), broadcast settings (manage connected profiles and choose your bitrate), and camera settings.

Under camera settings, you can adjust when your camera will automatically power off, WiFi settings, turn on/off camera sound, add GPS data and check for firmware updates. Also available on this screen is your stitching distance. You can choose near or far.

This really only matters if you’re shooting 4K 30 fps 360 video with the camera, because otherwise this decision would be made when using Vuze VR Studio to stitch 360 footage.

One unexpected issue is that the mode and shutter buttons on the camera no longer seem to work when it is connected to your smartphone, so it’s one or the other.

Shooting with the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond.

When it comes to shooting 360 video with the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond., most of the same standards apply:

• Put the light source in the stitch so it evenly lights both lenses
• Don’t put your subject in the stitch
• Keep objects at least a foot away from the camera lenses
• Etc.

If you’re using the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. to shoot 360 video, check out our detailed series on how to shoot and edit 360 video.

When it comes to shooting VR180–one of the supposed benefits of which is that things can get very close to the camera–I discovered they shouldn’t get that close. I think a minimum of 2 feet will prevent crossed eyes and headaches when watching in a headset. It’s also important to note that depth decreases as things get farther from the camera, so VR180 isn’t ideal for wide shots like that.

Other than that, shooting with the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. is simple and intuitive. Most of the time, I didn’t connect the camera to my smartphone because it’s deadAn environment with little or no reflections or reverberations of the sound. simple to use. The lights and the beeping make sense, whereas some cameras this can be just too confusing (yellow means video, green means photo, blue means livestreaming, red means problem, blinking red means a video is in the process of saving so don’t do anything, and on and on).

One issue that was quite the bummer is that this camera’s battery life is not great. Supposedly, it should last for an hour in constant use. When you’re shooting and stopping, it’ll probably last a lot less than that. I know mine did not last a full hour. And, since the battery isn’t removable, you either have to wait to recharge or you have to charge from an external battery pack while you shoot. With VR180, that’s not really a problem; you could just charge it while you use it. But, it can be tough to hide an external battery pack in some 360 shots. Comparatively, the Qoocam has a pretty robust battery (it is quite large for a 360 camera!) with a 3-hour battery life.

The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. also doesn’t capture depth maps like the Qoocam can, which means it can’t be used to capture photos and then adjust the depth of focus after the fact or to make 3D photos for Facebook. However, they plan to add some depth mapping features in the future, but there’s no specifics or timeline on the arrival of that feature.

They’ll also be adding the “Director’s Cut” feature–essentially overcapture or free capture–to Android (it’s already available for iOS, but, again, only for 4K 30 fps videos.

According to Vuze, the app allows you to add filters and stickers to your immersive videos and photos. However, I did not see this feature, but that’s probably because I only shot at 5.7K, which could not be stitching in-camera. It isn’t a feature I would use–at least not until SnapChat and Instagram stories support 360 videos–but it’s there, nonetheless.

Tips for shooting VR180

It’s best to center the action in the middle of the frame. Users will see the edge of the frame when they look even the slightest bit left or right when watching in a headset.

Keep the camera level. With flat 360, you can adjust the horizon in post. With 3D, doing so messes with the disparity. It’s best to just get it right when you shoot.

As with 360, you’ll want to limit camera motion. Since the whole point of shooting 3D is for people to watch in a VR headset, this is all the more important since camera shake can make people queasy when watching in VR versus “Magic WindowA method of viewing 360 content where a rectangular frame acts as a portal to the larger, spherical recording. The viewe... More” mode on desktop or smartphone.

The Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. has built-in stabilization for that very reason.

You may also pay extra attention to the time of day you’re shooting so the tripod and camera doesn’t cast a long shadow across your scene (if the sun is low behind the camera) or create wicked lens flares if it’s too low on the horizon in front of your camera. Both of which are true for both VR180 and 360 video.

When it comes to storytelling in VR180, you also need to consider the benefits of the medium. It’s higher resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More, good stereo even when things get pretty close to the camera, and the ability to light the scene. It’s also easier to hide other equipment required for the shoot, like stabilization gear (cranes, rovers, etc.). TakeIndividual instance of a shot; a take = each time the camera is started and stopped. advantage of those things in your story.

For this and other advice on shooting VR180, I highly recommend this video with Lex Halaby, director of Escape the Night (one of the best VR180 videos I’ve seen so far): 

Here’s the Escape the Night VR180 experience itself:

I’d also recommend finding best use cases for VR180. Since the disparity (the 3D effect) decreases the further objects are from the camera, many landscape shots may not be ideal for VR180. Instead, close and medium-range shots tend to look better in this medium.

Post production for VR180 & Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera

If you’re using the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. to shoot 360 video, check out our detailed series on how to shoot and edit 360 video.

Regarding VR180…First thing’s first: make sure you’re updated to Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019; that’s the version they added all the VR180 support to. You will be in for a lot of unnecessary pain if you try to use 2018.

It’s important to note that even though Premiere Pro 2019 supports VR180, in my experience, you still must render your video through Vuze VR Studio to get files that can be recognized as VR180 videos by Premiere.

Editor’s Note: I spoke with Vuze and they said that, yes, all 5.7K VR180 files must be rendered through Vuze Studio before editing in premiere. The right and left eye videos captured for VR180 are stacked in a single multi-track mp4 file that Premiere cannot read, so you will only see the left-eye video in circular fisheyeAn extreme wide-angle lens, with image distortion occurring at the edges of the frame. format when importing directly from the camera. Vuze Studio will de-warp each vdeo and combine them into a single mp4 file  that is 5760×2880 in size using the side-by-side format.

Just navigate to your files in the panel on the left and click the clip you want. Most of the tools within Vuze VR Studio (like the LevelsThe adjustable sensitivity settings of microphones. Levels are set (and changed as necessary) to best capture the vocals... More tool) are unnecessary if you plan to edit the video within Premiere.

Other tools, like flip 180 degrees and NadirThe bottom of the sphere. Patch aren’t helpful for VR180 videos. The only tool I use regularly is Stabilize, and only when my camera wasn’t attached to a tripod.

I also always set in and out points using the bracket icons below the video so I only render what is necessary. Turn your audio on, make sure the dropdown menu above the Render button is set to Stereo, and you’re good to go.

For your render settings, I recommend:

• Render type: 3D
• ResolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More: Maximum (or 5760 x 2880 in Custom)
• You do not need to change the aspect ratioThe display ratio of resolution pixels along the x axis to the y axis (i.e. HD video of 1920 x 1080 pixels has a 16:9 as... More.
• Encoding: H.264 if file size is an issue, ideally ProResA high-quality video compression format created by Apple that supports up to 8K resolution. for maximum quality (for example, an 8-second clip was 104 MB as an H.264 file, but 3 GB as a ProResA high-quality video compression format created by Apple that supports up to 8K resolution. file. However, a ProResA high-quality video compression format created by Apple that supports up to 8K resolution. file gives you more editing and color correctionThe adjustment of color in post-production to match different shots and enhance the picture. flexibility)
• Bitrate: Auto optimal
• I do not check the box to expand video to 360
• Choose your destination and file name…and you’re done!

At least in my experience, even after rendering the files through Vuze VR Studio, Premiere didn’t automatically notice that they were VR 180. So, in the media library, you should right-click to check the properties of your video. It should be:

• VR Projection: EquirectangularStretching a spherical image into a flat, rectangular format. (i.e. the way a world map represents the spherical Earth).... More
• VR Layout: StereoscopicVideo shot with two parallel cameras (or in the case of 360° video, multiple pairs of parallel cameras) Commonly referr... More – Side by Side
• VR Captured View: 180° Horizontal by 180° Vertical

If those are not what you are seeing, you should click Modify > Interpret Footage and change the VR settings at the bottom to EquirectangularStretching a spherical image into a flat, rectangular format. (i.e. the way a world map represents the spherical Earth).... More, Stereo-Side by Side (if you do Top/Bottom, it will work to upload to YouTube, but not Facebook; Side by Side works for both), and 180 horizontal and 180 vertical view.

Once you’ve adjusted the settings, you can drag that clip into your sequence.

VR180 titles are possible and just as easy (with the 2019 update) as 360 titles. Grab one from Essential Graphics and drop it in the track above your video. Make sure the scale is as large as it can be, so when the title is adjusted for the 3D format, the resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More is as high as it can be.

Then under Effects > Immersive Video, select the VR Plane to Sphere tool, and drag and drop it on the title. Premiere will automatically adjust the title to fit VR180 format. 

Drop feathering to 0 and then you can adjust the disparity so the text actually appears at the proper depth in your 3D scene. That’s not something you normally have to worry about when shooting mono, but it’s very important for stereo footage for the titles to appear in front of whatever the title is actually on top of.

If not, it will look garbage and give viewers a headache. To check this, ensure the VR viewing button is available, then click the wrench icon to adjust settings, select VR Video, then Settings. Instead of left or right, you want to select anaglyph from the dropdown menu. When you turn VR mode on now, you will see both the right and left eye videos. And, if you pop on a pair of anaglyph glasses, you’ll quickly be able to tell if the disparity is correct.

If you are mixing and matching 360 video with VR180, you can use the VR Projection tool to format 360 video. More on that at 14:00 in this video:

Exporting VR180 is simple. Since the VuzeXR shoots VR180 at 5.7K, you should takeIndividual instance of a shot; a take = each time the camera is started and stopped. advantage of that added resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More. When you export, select H.264 and adaptive high bitrate. Below, make sure the output settings are 5760 x 2880, and then under Basic Video Settings, select VR Video settings. Be sure to check the Video is VR box, ensure the Frame Layout is Stereoscopic-Side by Side and that the horizontal and vertical fields of view are 180 (this should be automatic, but sometimes Premiere does get it wrong. It’s worth checking before wasting time exporting). Then, you’re ready to export.

These videos can be side-loaded to your Oculus Go just like 360 videos. The only difference is you should attach _180_3D to the end of the file name (so, if the file is test.mp4, you should change it to test_180_3D.mp4). Then, simply turn on your Go, plug it into your computer via the USB cable it came with, use the controller select “Allow” when a message pops up in the headset asking if the computer can access your headset. Then, open the headset’s file folder on your computer, and drag the file (test_180_3D.mp4) into the headset’s Movie folder. When you pop on your headset, the video should be available in the Go’s Gallery.

With the settings listed above, you can upload directly to YouTube and Facebook from within Premiere (under Publish when exporting) or after the fact. Regardless, as long as the “Video is VR” section is all correct, the platforms will automatically recognize that these videos are VR180.

Note that on the Go, VR180 videos do not work on YouTube in your browser. Use the YouTube app instead!

CreatorUp has an in-depth tutorial to edit VR180 videos with Premiere here:

Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond.: the takeaway

I’m going to be frank here: I do not see this camera as a 360-degree camera. Don’t get me wrong, it can shoot 360 and it looks OK. But it isn’t as good as other 360 cameras available at a similar price point. (Here are my recommendations).

The 360 quality definitely looks lower than 5.2K footage shot on the GoPro Fusion and 5.7K footage shot on the Insta360 One X. There’s also more motion blur with 360 from the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond..

However, if you are mostly going to be shooting 360 video, there are other cameras available at a similar price point that offer higher quality, better stitching and more bells and whistles.

Here’s a comparison of the VR180 video quality and 360 video quality from the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera:

On a positive note, if you plan to shoot mostly VR180 or you truly need a camera that can do both (rather than one camera for VR180 and another for 360), then the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. is a solid option at an affordable price.

Even in night shots, there isn’t much noiseUndesirable variations of brightness and/or color in an image that typically occur when recording at high ISOs in digita... More and the quality is pretty good with VR180 (not so much with 360).

So, who is the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera right for? I think the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. camera is a solid option if you intend to shoot more VR180 than 360 video and don’t have $3000 to shell out for the Z Cam K1 Pro.

It won’t do nifty depth tricks like the Qoocam, but the image quality is better. Check out this  video by Al Caudullo to see the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. compared to Z Cam’s K1 Pro (can you tell which camera was used for which shots?): 

Also, at $439, the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. is affordable enough for people who want to play around with the VR180 medium at a higher resolutionThe number of pixels in an image, typically presented as a ratio of the total pixels on x axis to the total pixels on th... More than other affordable VR180 cameras can offer.

Let us know about your experiences with the Vuze XRAll of immersive media encompassing VR, AR, MR and beyond. or VR180 in the comments below!

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