Metaverse – Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR) and Immersive Video News

Immersive Digital Experiences Alliance releases 1st set of specifications
Oct 9, 2019 – The Immersive Digital Experiences Alliance (IDEA) has released the first draft of royalty-free specifications for the Immersive Technology Media Format (ITMF). ITMF is a display-agnostic interchange format for conveying high-quality and complex image scenes to a wide variety of immersive displays.
News categories: Immersive Digital Experiences Alliance, Pete Ludé, Digital TV, Metaverse, Worldwide

Sony captured 30% of VR hardware revenues in 2018
Aug 5, 2019 – Strategy Analytics' data on the VR headset market shows a decline in annual hardware revenues for the first time. The decline is confined to the low value segment however. The forecast shows continued growth in the Console and PC-tethered VR segments.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David MacQueen, David Kerr, Market Research, Metaverse, Worldwide

ZTE and China Telecom show 5G 8K+VR at MWC Shanghai 2019
Jun 28, 2019 – ZTE (0763.HK/000063.SZ) and China Telecom have demonstrated 5G 8K+VR at MWC Shanghai. Images and data were captured by an 8K VR 360° camera and transmitted via a 5G network, allowing visitors, wearing VR glasses, to enjoy an immersive viewing experience.
News categories: ZTE, China Telecom, 5G, Automotive, China, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Metaverse, MWC24

AR/VR headsets return to growth in Q1
Jun 26, 2019 – The worldwide AR and VR headset market returned to growth after a year of decline as global shipments during the first quarter of 2019 (1Q19) reached 1.3 million, up 27.2% from the same quarter last year, according to IDC.
News categories: IDC, Jitesh Ubrani, Tom Mainelli, Market Research, Metaverse, Worldwide

ZTE and Orange show 5G in automotive, robotics and entertainment applications
Jun 18, 2019 – Orange and ZTE are demoing a number of applications at the Global 5G Event and the European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) in Valencia. Orange will also conduct demonstrations in Seville, Málaga, Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona and Madrid.
News categories: Orange, ZTE, 5G, Metaverse, Spain

Commercial and Public Sector investments to drive AR/VR spending
Jun 4, 2019 – Worldwide spending on augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) is forecast to reach $160 billion in 2023, up significantly from the $16.8 billion forecast for 2019. According to IDC, the five-year CAGR for AR/VR spending will be 78.3%.
News categories: IDC, Tom Mainelli, Marcus Torchia, Market Research, Metaverse, Worldwide

SK Telecom partners with Korean broadcasters to develop business on 5G
Apr 30, 2019 – SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) has signed an MOU with SBS. SK Telecom now has MOUs with the top three terrestrial TV broadcasting stations in Korea, namely KBS, MBC and SBS. SK Telecom will work with each partner to develop solutions and business models based on 5G.
News categories: SK Telecom, SBS, MBC, KBS, Kim Hyuk, 5G, Advertising, Digital TV, Korea, Metaverse

U.S. installed base of AR head-mounted devices to reach 6.5m units by 2025
Apr 24, 2019 – Parks Associates research has found that more than 60% of U.S. broadband households are interested in receiving some sort of information enhanced by augmented reality (AR) on a handheld device or headset, with the most popular being navigation information.
News categories: Parks Associates, Kristen Hanich, Market Research, Metaverse, USA

8% of US broadband households own a VR headset
Apr 15, 2019 – According to Parks Associates, gaming remains the primary use case for VR headsets in the U.S. Familiarity with VR remains at around one-fourth of US broadband households, with gamers most likely to be familiar with the technology.
News categories: Parks Associates, Billy Nayden, Digital TV, Market Research, Metaverse, USA