Orah 4i camera enables 4K livestreaming for 360-degree videos in VR

VR platforms still don’t have a lot of videos that take full advantage of modern headsets, but one company has introduced a new device to make it easier to produce that kind of content.

Orah is now shipping its 4i camera. This device is available for $3,595, and it enables creators to instantly broadcast a 4K 360-degree video. That separates it from a number of other solutions in this price range that require processing time to create a smooth 360-degree image from several different source cameras. Orah claims this makes its camera ideal for livestreaming professional events for VR headsets. That’s a growing aspect of a VR industry that could generate as much as $40 billion in revenue by 2020.

“Today is a big day for us,” Orah chief executie and cofounder Nicolas Burtey said in a statement. “About one year ago we started to work on this ambitious project — a camera that can capture, stitch, and stream full spherical 360 content live in high quality, just with the push of a button. Right now, this camera is on its way to professionals all over the United States. Orah 4i will change the way 360 content is produced and enable completely new VR experiences. I cannot wait to see what our customers will be able to do with it.”

While it does not use Orah cameras, we’ve already seen some example of livestreamed 180-degree video. Fox Sports has begun broadcasting some college football games in VR. The results of that were not great due to bandwidth factors and camera placement. But with Orah’s relatively inexpensive price point and its ease-of-use, it’s likely that we’ll see a lot more 360-degree VR livestreams going forward. That’s especially true as more people get headsets for their mobile devices, PCs, or consoles and create more demand for that kind of content.