
Cloud graphics company, OTOY Inc., today marked a major milestone in the future of media and entertainment, unveiling a holographic video pipeline for content creators, including the world's first portable 360 holographic capture system and a cloud-based pipeline for creating and deploying holographic media to virtual reality and, in 2015, holographic light field displays. The pipeline enables holographic captures of real world people, objects, and environments, and one-click publishing of interactive holographic videos which are viewable on mobile devices and virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift. Forthcoming next-generation light field displays being developed by OTOY will bring commercial freestanding volumetric holographic displays to market in 2015.
Holographic video, or holographic light field rendering as it's technically known, produces stunningly realistic images that can be looked at from any vantage point, as seen in a demonstration OTOY released today. Each frame of video accurately simulates every ray of light in a given scene or environment and every interaction that each light ray has with the surfaces and materials therein. Every reflection, refraction, and absorption of that field of light is modelled as it would be in the real world. The same caliber of incredibly accurate rendering is used in the special effects work of major motion pictures, typically taking hours if not days to render out one extremely polished and realistic frame for use in a movie. OTOY demonstrated the same massive computational complexity delivered in hundredths of a second on the screen of one of the least powerful devices we use daily: a smartphone. The result is a video with true-to-life image quality that can be navigated and explored from any angle, otherwise known as holographic video.
OTOY has developed an end-to-end pipeline for both offline holographic video files and for live streaming holographic videos and is currently seeding tools to ecosystem partners including media and entertainment companies, artists and animators, and hardware and software partners. OTOY plans further demonstrations of holographic video at the annual international conference on computer graphics, SIGGRAPH 2014 in Vancouver, Canada, and will share more details regarding holographic video development tools and its content pipeline at the show this week.
OTOY's holographic video technology is part of the future of media and entertainment, said Ari Emanuel, Co-CEO, William Morris Endeavor. Studios have been using OTOY's capture technology for years to produce exceptional special effects. Now studios can harness the same spectacular content for all new experiences and lines of revenue, letting audiences be a part of the action, explore sets, or go behind the scenes with the same assets they've already invested in.
Holographic entertainment has been a fantasy for many ever since they caught their first glimpse of the Holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation's debut almost thirty years ago, said Rod Roddenberry, CEO, Roddenberry Entertainment. One of the reasons I invested in OTOY was to see that dream become a reality. While holographic displays of the kind we imagined aren't here quite yet, virtual reality headsets give us an incredible opportunity to bring the Holodeck to life in a slightly different way. What Jules and the team at OTOY have built is essentially the software of the Holodeck: the media format that will let everyone experience an immersive, photorealistic world the way we've always hoped to.
For as long as I can remember I've dreamt of experiencing the Holodeck, of having a way to walk through life-like virtual worlds that seemingly transport us to anywhere we'd like to be. OTOY was created in part to realize that dream, and today we've taken a major step toward it with holographic video, said Jules Urbach, Founder and CEO, OTOY. OTOY's breakthroughs in compression and rendering have dramatically reduced the barriers to holographic video, making it a viable media format that gives content creators everywhere a simple, cost-effective way to bring high quality, interactive 3D content to multiple platforms for the world to enjoy.
How holographic video works
OTOY's holographic video was demonstrated using just one frame contained in an .ORBX file, the powerful 3D interchange file format OTOY announced in March. For each frame, a volume is projected that contains the rendered scene. OTOY used a cube in the video released today. The cube can be viewed from any angle, as if looking into a window, and it's by stringing frames together that a fully immersive and navigable environment is delivered.
Holographic videos can be viewed the same way that traditional videos are: as offline files or streamed online. Offline holographic video files are contained in the .ORBX format and viewed through an ORBX player, while live streamed holographic videos are viewed through any HTML5-capable browser. For larger, more detailed scenes, processing is done in the cloud using breakthroughs in local rendering and compression to deliver an interactive experience to a user's device.
Virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift are expected to be the first way that people can experience holographic video, though content can easily be adapted to other devices. Applications where greater immersion, presence or interactivity are desired, such as gaming, film, education, attractions, simulations, and retail are most suitable.
Bringing holographic video to life: OTOY's holographic video pipeline
OTOY's end-to-end pipeline brings together several technologies for the production and publishing of holographic videos:
Capture: Using OTOY's LightStage , a set of Academy Award -winning technologies that allow for the capture of
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...