In recent times , 360-degree videos and live-action VR have been used by companies for personnel training and also as entertainment content for tourists. For such scenarios, the ability for simultaneous playback across multiple head-mounted has been requested by clients. The simultaneous playback system developed by our company allows for such method of operation. The system consists of an operator’s Windows PC and multiple HMD devices such as smartphones, Gear VR and Oculus Go all connected via wireless LAN and operating synchronously.
Once the operator starts a video playback on his terminal, the video via also start on the connected HMDs. This allows for everyone to watch the same video at the same time.

Functions

• Connection between the operator’s terminal and the HMD (requires all the devices to be on the same wireless LAN, connection to the Internet isn’t required)
• Select a video for playback (must be stored in a specific folder)
• Simultaneous playback on PC and HMDs
• Fast forward and rewind (10 seconds, 30 seconds)
• Connection status display (PC only)
• Connect to the operator’s terminal (Smarthphone, HMD only)
• Monoscopic & Stereoscopic view toggle (Smartphone, HMD only)
• Viewpoint reset (Smartphone, HMD only)

Target devices

• Smartphone VR using Android
• Smartphone VR using iOS
• Gear VR
• Oculus Go

Setup

1. Copy the video you want to play to the operator’s PC’s video folder and the Movies folder in Oculus Go’s internal storage
2. Start the PC app
3. Write down the “Server IP Address” at the bottom of the PC app
4. Launch the Oculus Go app
5. Tap the gear icon at the bottom of the Oculus Go app screen, and enter the IP address of the operator’s PC that you wrote down earlier.
6. Wait for the Oculus Go app to connect to the PC app.
7. If the connection fails because the PC application is not running, you can reconnect by tapping the connection button (cloud icon) at the top of the screen.
8. If the cloud icon at the top of the Oculus Go app screen is has a check mark and the IP address of the Oculus Go device is displayed on the USER tab of the PC app, the setup is complete.

Method of operation
When you play a video on the PC app, the following actions will be reflected in the Oculus Go app.

• The video you are playing
• Play/Pause
• Fast forward/Rewind

Furthermore the following operation is possible:

• The Oculus Go app can be operated independently even while connected to the PC app.
• When the Oculus Go app is operated independetly a gear icon that toggles the menu will be display in the lower end of the screen
• When an operation is performed on the PC app, it will be forcefully replicated on the Oculus Go. This is done by design.

Use Cases

• Tottori Prefecture: Use for Hoshitori Prefecture Project
• Sakai Railway Company
• Individual Clients