Japanese telco NTT Docomo has announced plans to launch an 8K VR event streaming service available via 5G in March.
The new service will offer pay-per-view access to sports events, theatre and music productions, enabling users of 5G smartphones and VR headsets to watch by choosing their own camera angle in real time.
Viewers can watch the streams in 8K 360-degree video.
“Toward the 5G era we aim to provide a place where everyone can enjoy the new live experience anytime and anywhere by eliminating the distance between artists and fans by using the latest video technology,” said NTT Docomo.
The app will launch in mid-February with live broadcasts available from 18th March.
Docomo has previously trialled 8K VR streaming technology using 5G. In 2018 it claimed to have developed the world’s first 36-degree 8K VR live video streaming and viewing system. In 2019, it revealed technology for pairing 360-degree spherical cameras and microphones with 5G base stations to record ultra high-resolution stereoscopic videos for broadcast.
