The Samsung Gear VR is rapidly shaping up to be the preferred VR headset for folks who don’t have $600-$800 to spend on an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Outfitted with the headset and a compatible smartphone, you can enjoy some Oculus-style experiences for a fraction of the cost.
The latest: Hulu. The streaming service just released an app for Gear VR, meaning your virtual big-screen viewing options are no longer limited to Netflix.
Like that app, Hulu for Gear VR plunks you down in a simulated living room (or, if you prefer, a movie theater or private beach) to watch anything and everything Hulu has to offer — plus some exclusive VR content. What’s the experience like? Hey, it’s tough when your job requires you to watch streaming media for hours on end, but somebody’s gotta do it.
The Hulu app has arrived in the Oculus Store for Gear VR.
Hulu
For starters, Hulu for Gear VR requires a Hulu subscription. Assuming you already have the regular Hulu app on your phone and you’re signed into your account, the VR version will take you straight to content.
That content is divided into four categories: TV, movies, trailers and VR. This last leads you to a smattering of clips and short films — and if you’re a fan of “Survivorman,” you’ll definitely want to see what it’s like to join Les Stroud in the wild instead of just watching it in 2D.
Speaking of which, if you’ve ever tried the Netflix app, Hulu works very similarly. The “movie screen” fills almost your entire field of vision, giving you a view that even a giant-screen TV can’t match. It’s a hoot to watch, say, “The Last Man on Earth” or “Inside Amy Schumer” with your virtual nose pressed against the screen.
Two problems. First, as with most VR, the images look a little grainy. Second, it’s just uncomfortable to wear the headset for long stretches, even the average 22-minute sitcom. These aren’t problems with the app; they’re the limitations of current-gen headsets. Someday they’ll be lighter and more comfortable, with higher-resolution displays.
There is one issue with the Hulu app itself, however: It doesn’t pause video when you take off the headset. One of the great things about the Gear VR is that it senses when it’s on or off your head. The Netflix app auto-pauses as it should; Hulu needs to get that glitch ironed out.
Even so, if you have a Gear VR and Hulu subscription, this is definitely something you’ll want to try.
JVC has previewed its product line-up for the coming year, and top of the list is a selection of LCD TVs that are — you guessed it — very thin. The top-end V series measure just 39mm at the narrowest point, and 74mm at the widest. The 42DV9 and 46DV9 won’t be around until later this year, but when they do they’ll bring 42- and 46-inch 1080p televisual delight to your living room. Each boasts an 8-bit panel with colour bumped up to 12 bit for smoother gradations across colours.
Other goodies on the V series include three HDMI connections, two Scart and trusty old USB. They also feature JVC’s MaxxAudio technology, which boosts frequencies so you’ll hear every nuance. This also allows you to set a consistent volume so if there’s a sudden loud bit — like when the adverts come on — you won’t be deafened.
The V series utilises 100Hz Clear Motion Drive II, which interpolates fast onscreen motion up to 100fps to smooth out the appearance of the movement. This now works on the vertical axis as well as the horizontal, so up and down and diagonal movement is now compensated for as well as side-to-side. The system also retains the brightness usually lost when frame rate is sped up.
Our SmartPlanet colleagues probably don’t watch television — they’re too busy riding their bikes, tending their vegetable patch and separating their recyclables — but they’d be pleased to hear all of JVC’s new TVs have a radio mode. This switches the TV screen off when listening to Freeview radio, thus saving bags of energy. An eco mode also allows you to watch using less power, while standby draws a paltry 0.2W.
JVC also treated us to a glimpse of some prospective technology in the Future Room, where everyone wore silver jumpsuits and flew around with jetpacks in their shoes. Actually that’s not true, but they did demo an LED backlight system that packed a TV with 1,052 LED segments. This gave some impressively rich colours and deep blacks, but we’re unlikely to see it in stores until 2009.
Other fun future concepts include a Cover Flow-style interface for browsing through channels and a snap recognition system. This switches the TV on and off and calls up menus when it hears you snap your fingers or clap three times. A webcam-style camera in the TV bezel then recorded our gestures as we selected menu items by waving our hands around. All of this was so much fun we had to give it a round of applause, but we turned everything off by accident. -Rich Trenholm
