The opportunity to watch BBC’s spectacular Planet Earth 2 in 4K HDR was one of the A/V events of the year. Now the broadcaster is hoping to repeat the feat with virtual reality.
The BBC Taster VR app is now available to download for iOS and Android devices and enables users to jump inside of Planet Earth 2 with their preferred VR viewer.
The interactive 360 degree video from the makers of Planet Earth 2, “enables viewers to choose their path through the story.”
Guided by David Attenborough, viewers will be go on a tour of 6 of Planet Earth’s most amazing places, the firm says.
Related: Planet Earth 2 4K Blu-ray review
While the content at launch is thin on the ground, elsewhere there’s a trailer for a BBC Three feature length doc called One Deadly Weekend in America.
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The BBC’s R&D controller Andy Codroy says says the app will play host to ‘brilliant new commissions’
Damian Kavanagh, Controller, BBC Three says: “This new VR trailer is a fantastic first step. Using virtual reality it literally puts the audience in the shoes of the victims of gun crime featured in our truly brilliant feature-length documentary, One Deadly Weekend in America. It’s the first time the BBC has ever used VR in this way, and offers a whole new way to engage an audience.”
Previously, the BBC Taster website has hosted some of the firm’s experimental efforts, so it’s good to see the firm roll this out into a fully functional app.
Have you stepped inside Planet Earth II with the BBC Taster VR app yet? Share your impressions in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.