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YouTube was once again in attendance at VidCon, the annual online video conference hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
In years gone by, the Google-owned video-streaming titan has used the event to make a number of notable announcements, such as new tools for creators and mobile livestreaming.
In case you missed the livestream of YouTube at VidCon 2017, here’s a quick recap of everything YouTube announced.
Life in VR
Above: VR180
With a view toward making virtual reality (VR) more accessible and affordable, YouTube revealed a new video format called VR180. Designed in conjunction with Google’s VR team, Daydream, VR180 promises to deliver immersive 3D video while only requiring creators to capture 180 degrees — meaning they only have to film what they see in front of them, rather than trying to capture a full 360-degree landscape.
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To help support this new format, YouTube is also teaming up with manufacturers such as Lenovo, LG, and Yi, to build new VR180 cameras that will reportedly only cost around $200.
Flexible format
YouTube also used VidCon 2017 to announce that within the next few weeks an update will be rolled out for its mobile app that ensures videos can “dynamically adapt” to whatever size the user wants. In real terms, this means that irrespective of whether a video was shot vertically or horizontally, YouTube will adapt it to fill the screen.
Above: Dynamically adapting
Sharing and chatting
This was actually quietly unveiled last year as part of a small-scale pilot, but YouTube will soon begin rolling out new messaging and sharing features within the mobile app.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feBF_IY-HI8
It’s basically designed to remove the friction from sharing YouTube videos with friends — rather than copying/pasting links from YouTube into WhatsApp or email, you can instead share and discuss a video with friends directly within the YouTube app.
The new chat and sharing feature will be landing across Latin America in the next few weeks, followed by a U.S. release “soon after.”
YouTube TV
First announced back in February, YouTube TV is a $35 online cable bundle with 40 networks on board. It launched in April in just five U.S. markets, but at VidCon 2017 YouTube revealed that within the next few weeks it’s coming to 10 more markets: Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; Detroit; Atlanta; Houston; Dallas-Fort Worth; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Miami-Fort Lauderdale; Charlotte; and Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne.
YouTube Red
YouTube debuted its first YouTube Red originals in February 2016, and in the following months nearly 40 original shows and movies have landed on YouTube Red. At VidCon 2017, YouTube offered a glimpse into 12 more originals coming up this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNT5dYY-ih0
Users
And finally, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki revealed that 1.5 billion logged-in users visit YouTube each month, with viewers watching an average of one hour of video each day on their mobile phones alone.
