Live VR end-to-end workflows: real-life deployments and advances in VR and network technology

Abstract

Live VR sports events are gaining traction among viewers since immersive services add a closer experience than watching on a TV providing even better point of views than being at the event. The content acquisition of the Live VR feed is captured using additional cameras dedicated for this purpose (in addition to the traditional cameras). In the venue, there might be several locations where the VR content is captured. The director may choose which Live VR feeds are distributed to home delivery, either by producing one single VR feed, or by giving the choice to the end user to select which one to watch, or a by offering a combination of a produced feed and individual cameras. In this paper, we describe and analyze the live VR workflows from an end-to-end perspective such as production, contribution, distribution and consumption aspects and describe how this can be complementary to the traditional broadcast services with a 4K like experience. We also describe how the recent advances in VR technology can improve VR experience in an optimal bandwidth using view port dependent technologies (for instance using MPEG OMAF format) and how VR production techniques (such as volumetric) provide advance tools for capturing footage from many angles for producing live free-point of view consumption and volumetric replays. This paper also presents Live VR service deployments using those technologies and it will describe the technical challenges from an end-to-end perspective on how to achieve high quality (VR360 8K equivalent) considering aspects such as bit rate, latency, CDN configurations and device capabilities. Finally, we also address how any high speed broadband infrastructure like 5G , Fiber of DOCSIS 3.1 infrastructure and new 5G devices with their built in 8K capabilities can simplify the Live workflow, and how it can accelerate the 8K VR deployments.