360-degree video

[6][7][8] This separate footage is stitched into one spherical video piece, and the color and contrast of each shot is calibrated to be consistent with the others.

[9] Due to this projection and stitching, equirectangular video exhibits a lower quality in the middle of the image than at the top and bottom.

[13] 360-degree videos are typically viewed via personal computers, mobile devices such as smartphones, or dedicated head-mounted displays.

Taking advantage of this behavior, stereoscope-style enclosures for smartphones (such as Google Cardboard viewers and the Samsung Gear VR) can be used to view 360-degree videos in an immersive format similar to virtual reality.

[14][15][16] In March 2015, YouTube launched support for publishing and viewing 360-degree videos, with playback on its website and its Android mobile apps.

Parent company Google also announced that it would collaborate with camera manufacturers to make it easier for creators to upload 360-degree content recorded with their products to YouTube.

Sample 360-degree video in 360x180 equirectangular format.
Some omnidirectional cameras contain wide-angle lenses on the front and rear to facilitate the recording of 360-degree video.
A Google Cardboard viewer.