GoPro announced its first quarter earnings today, revealed it will delay the release of its highly-anticipated drone until winter, and published a 360-degree video recorded with its Omni virtual reality camera rig.
The 4-minute clip marks the first time we've seen what Omni can do, though GoPro warned that the footage was produced using prototype Omni units, and we should therefore expect "significant improvements to the overall output quality upon the product release". The Omni is expected to ship later this year. GoPro started taking pre-orders for the rig last month, charging $5,000 for six Hero 4 Black cameras, the frame, and software.
If you just want the frame, you can pay $1,500. Also, GoPro built a more expensive version of the Omni with Google. It features 16 GoPro action cameras and costs $15,000. No matter which option you choose, one thing is clear: recording virtual reality footage isn't cheap. However, if you're seriously considering buying the Omni, its frame, or the Google's Odyssey, watch the video below to see exactly what your money will get you.
The 360-degree clip shows skiers and snowboarders having fun in the Austrian Alps: "Shot on the backdrop of gorgeous Serfaus – Fiss – Ladis in the Tyrolean Alps of Austria, the GoPro Media team showcases Omni, GoPro’s newest 6-camera spherical array. Jesper Tjader, Halldor Helgason, and friends take to the Suzuki Nine Queens course to demonstrate what Omni has to offer," GoPro explained in the video's description.
You can navigate around the video using YouTube's built-in arrow tool. We watched it and noticed some hiccups and visible stitches, but again, GoPro said this is sample footage from a prototype. It'll definitely be interesting to see what the final product can do when it releases.