Google is Killing off Jump VR Video

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Video designed for consumption on VR headsets certainly stretch the definition of what counts as “VR”, but it’s still pretty neat use of the technology. It’s also one of the easiest types of content to create for VR headsets, if you have the right equipment and talent.

These days, you can buy a consumer-grade 360 degree camera for just a few hundred bucks, but that wasn’t the case not too long ago. If you wanted a professional solution, the choices were even more limited. Which is why we have projects like Google Jump VR, which involved a very cool, but very expensive custom camera array.

It now seems that Google is shutting down the service in June, which might be surprising considering how deep the company’s pockets are and how long they can sustain projects that might not seem to be going anywhere. So what’s happening?

Alternative Facts

We actually don’t have to look very far to know what the official reason is. In a special post related to the shutdown we’re told that as of June 28 2019, the service will end. That means if you’ve been using one of their monstrous rigs and have footage on the service, the clock is ticking.

The reason the Jump service is going down is simply that people have far cheaper options now. It doesn’t look like Google is interested in downscaling or further pursuing this market at the moment, so there’s no reason to keep it alive.

The good news is that people who have bought either the GoPro Odyssey or Yi HALO don’t have to dump them in the trash. The footage can still be stitched together with other software. All of the community and cloud-based features you may have relied on are however going bye-bye. The same goes for the Jump Manager software, which will no longer get updates.

Google is offering several methods to get you data off the service before deletion, so get over to that FAQ and follow the instructions while you still have time!

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