Surround Video

clipped from www.bbc.co.uk Surround Video is a means of visually immersing the viewer into a TV programme. It is like surround sound, an optional extra that enhances viewing on a normal display. The idea is to use a wide angle (or fisheye) camera fixed rigidly alongside the normal camera shooting the programme, and to project the image onto the walls, ceiling and floor of the viewer's room. The image is scaled and positioned to ensure that it aligns up with the existing TV, and warped to compensate for the distortion effects that come from the wide-angle lens and projection system. Although the projected image will be dimmer and of lower resolution than the main image, it nevertheless gives a strong feeling of immersion, particularly with motion cues being visible in the viewer's peripheral vision. Surround video is mentioned in this recent article about the work of BBC R&I from The Independent. There's also more information in this PDF from the BBC Technology Festival.