Insta360 has launched its Pro 2 six-lens professional VR camera. The device shoots 8K-per-eye 3D 360° video and offers stabilisation, monitoring and post-production features, and delivers 8K VR to viewers regardless of whether they have a high-end playback device.
The Pro 2 uses its six cameras to capture every angle of a scene at once. The resulting videos or photos are then fused into two 8K 360° images, one per eye, to create 3D VR content. Available shooting modes include 8K 3D at 30 FPS, 8K monoscopic at 60 FPS, 6K 3D at 60 FPS and 4K 3D at 120 FPS, among others. The device also incorporates HDR capabilities.
The in-built FlowState feature is said to achieve gimbal-level, pro-quality stabilisation without the need for additional hardware. Insta360 says the Pro 2 uses an ultra-precise gyroscope that tracks motion on nine axes and then – when paired with Insta360 software – allows creators to automatically stabilise their footage down to a hair.
Farsight is the Pro 2’s 360° live monitoring system designed to offer an HD low-latency video stream at distances of roughly 300 metres ground-to-ground and 1 kilometre ground-to-air. Transmitting at 5.18Ghz, Farsight uses smart channel-switching to avoid interference.
The device also sports four built-in microphones for 360° audio, plus a pair of USB and 3.5 mm audio inputs on its top and bottom, allowing creators to add a custom audio setup or other add-ons. Six Micro SD card slots, one per camera, allow the Pro 2 to record at the maximum possible bitrate, ensuring optimal image quality and post-production flexibility. A seventh Full SD card captures stabilisation data and low-res proxy files for editing in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Insta360 says that, using its proprietary CrystalView technology, Pro 2 content can be quickly converted into a format that’s ready to play back – at full 8K quality – on any mainstream smartphone or headset. The company’s free playback apps will dynamically render these files, displaying the exact segment of a scene that a user is looking at in full quality.
The Pro 2 also supports 360° live-streaming at 4K resolution, in both 3D and monoscopic formats, and creators can save full-quality 8K footage at the same time that they broadcast in 4K, providing the flexibility to turn live broadcasts into a polished edit afterwards.
Included in the purchase of the Pro 2 is three-month licenses for Mistika VR Professional Edition and Blend Media’s 360 Stories Pro software. Pre-orders are now open via the Insta360 Store and select retailers worldwide. The Pro 2 is priced at $4,999 and includes the Farsight transmitter system and one battery. Products are scheduled to ship in September.
Analyst Comment
Separately, we heard that Google and Imax have quietly cancelled a joint VR camera project. We also report that the firms are cutting back their location-based VR project. (BR) (Google and Imax Shut Down Two VR Centres and Put VR Camera on Hold) (BR)
