THETA USB Live Streaming Now in Full 1080 HD - Free Upgrade

THETA Media
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Quick, upgrade your THETA firmware, mobile app, and UVC Blender today! The experience of 1080 full HD is a game changer for live streaming. Previously, live streaming with USB was limited to 1280x720 at 15fps. It’s a lot clearer now. My tests show 1920x1080 at 30fps.

obs-uvc-hd.png726×470 247 KB

Mobile app updates include:

  • interval composite shots
  • color temperature specification shots
  • register shooting conditions as My Setting

You can upgrade your THETA firmware with the desktop application.

You need to be running firmware version 1.82 or above. This discussion thread covers upgrading your firmware.

Official RICOH Announcements:

Official RICOH UVC Blender (Live Streaming App) and Mobile App Download Site

Ready for more?

Give live streaming to YouTube a try. Instructions are in the live streaming guide

Have more questions?

Here’s a quick QA.

Q: What do I need to stream to YouTube or other video site
A: You need to install UVC Blender (also called live streaming app) which will convert the USB video stream into equirectangular format. The THETA will appear to your system as a webcam. With UVC Blender installed there will be multiple THETA webcams. Select THETA UVC FullHD Blender.

Q: Will UVC Blender work with HDMI?
A: No. You need to use third-party software or hardware solutions. See the live streaming guide for more information.

Q: Can I Stream with WiFi?
A: No. UVC Blender only works with a USB cable. The THETA S only supports streaming over WiFi with live preview which is intended to preview a scene before you take a still image. The live preview mode is 640x320 at 10fps. The output is equirectangular.

Q: Can I save the output of UVC Blender to a file to get around the storage limitations of the THETA?
A: Yes. Free software like OBS can save the output of UVC Blender to a file.

The file will be in equirectangular format.

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You can load the file directly up to YouTube. Sample video. When I first loaded the video up, it did not have the navigation icon. After I let it sit on YouTube for a while, the 360 navigation icon was automatically added.

The next section explains how to edit the file with Premiere Pro VR mode and share it on YouTube 360.

Q: How do I edit the file I saved to disk from UVC Blender with Adobe Premiere Pro VR mode?
A: You can import the clip into Premiere Pro, adjust the VR projection data and then edit it in VR mode.

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Right click on the clip. Select Modify → Interpret Footage.

Set the Projection to Equirectangular

Select your sequence. On the top menu, select Sequence → Sequence Setting.

In the VR Properties section, select Projection: Equirectangular.

Your clip properties will now look like this.

Right-click on the video, select VR Video → Enable.

You will now be able to use the VR controls in Premiere Pro and view the video as if you were watching it on YouTube 360 or a headset.

Export the video, inject metadata, then upload to YouTube. You will have 360 navigation in a headset or browser.

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Q: How can I view the saved 360 files on my desktop?
A: many desktop software can view 360 videos. For example, I used the open source vlc 3.0 to view the files I saved from THETA UVC FullHD Blender. I needed to inject the metadata

Here’s a screenshot of the THETA UVC FullHD Blender file playing in VLC media player 3.0.0. Navigation works in 360.

Make sure you’re using the VLC version 3.0.0 or above.

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VLC THETA UVC FullHD Blender ( Windows 10 64 Bit Still Crashing )

UVC FullHD Blender Media Player Classic ( Enjoy full slow-motion ) :grinning:

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Google Hangouts (a matter of time when it becomes 360 ) full slow-motion

Google Hangouts THETA UVC FullHD Blender.jpg2560×1600 338 KB

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Master, I would like to perform livestream through the HDMI output. However, the output of the image is circular. Do you know of any encoder program to transmit that converts the image to panoramic? Thank you

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Refer to the live streaming guide.

Scroll to the section about mimoLive

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Do you have any information on how to stream with VLC? I tried it and couldn’t figure out how to use it even with a standard webcam on my computer. I’m using v 3.0.0.

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Ctrl+C
(Changed to English from Swedish Menu) :slight_smile:

Click on Default

Chose webcam

And microphone

Click Play RICOH THETA S are playing but

THETA UVC FullHD Blender
THETA UVC HD Blender

VLC are crashing here

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Thanks. I can replicate this problem on Windows 10 64 bit.

The THETA S driver works, but he THETA UVC FullHD Blender and THETA UVC HD Blender do not.

I also can’t access the THETA UVC drivers from inside of Unity.

If anyone else has issues, please list them. I’ll send a report to the RICOH THETA product manager.

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Here’s the compatibility test matrix I’m going to send to the RICOH THETA product manager on Wednesday.

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Here we only get Slow Motion on THETA UVC FullHD Blender

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I didn’t test it myself. I attempted to capture your test results.

Updated the matrix:

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Is the Media Player Classic the Windows 10 Media Player?

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Yes Skype and Classic media player and Google Hangout 1080p HD streaming runs in Slow Motion
Calm and quiet here on NVIDIA Geforce 970 Graphics with 4G memory. USB 3

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I cannot replicate the problem with Skype or Google Hangout. I am using UVC FullHD Blender and the video is smooth and running at a normal speed.

Google Hangout

Skype

My Windows Version

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Might be my W10 Anniversary update that destroyed my NVIDIA driver
i have to reinstall the graphics after every reboot to get Explorer responding.

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Wow, sorry to hear that you’re having problems with the W10 Anniversary update and the NVIDIA driver. I am using Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393 and NVIDIA GTX 950 with driver 375.95.

When I upgraded to W10 Anniversary, I had to disconnect my secondary 2TB HDD and upgrade with only the primary SDD connected. Once the upgrade was completed, I reconnected the HDD. All my drivers and system files are on the SDD.

I let the RICOH THETA product manager know about the problems with VLC 3.0.0 for THETA live streaming. In my tests the THETA video file (equirectangular) and the image file work.

I also let him know about my problem getting the THETA UVC FullHD Blender driver to be recognized by Unity.

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People have reported problems using UVC Blender with Windows 7. I have not tested it myself.

The official UVC Blender history information does not list Windows 7 as a compatible OS.

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There’s only one problem. Using the HDMI output, the camera does not allow connecting the USB cable for power. In HDMI mode it works only with the internal battery. Very amateurish! I’m disappointed in Ricoh.

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Did you try plugging the USB cable into a wall outlet or external battery
and NOT the computer?

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I have not really tried to connect the camera via USB to a wall outlet. If it works via a USB charger, this would eliminate the UVC Blender. I can do a test. Have you tried charging the camera via a USB mobile phone charger? Thank you

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I have not tried it with HDMI streaming. However, I know that plugging the USB cable into a computer will shut off API access to the WiFi, so I’m assuming that if the THETA is connected to a computer with USB, the THETA knows that it is connected with a USB cable to the computer and changes characteristics.

If you plug it into a wall outlet, make sure that the wall outlet adapter is capable of a 1.5amp charge. Certain rechargeable battery packs (the ones about the size of two decks of cards) will output sufficient current to charge the THETA.

I don’t know if the THETA can be charged from USB with HDMI plugged in, but I think it can be since I seem to recall people streaming the THETA with HDMI for months in non-stop operation.

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I’ll test if it works with the 1.5a wall charger and return it to you. Let’s find out if we can keep the camera powered during transmission via hdmi output. I’m also developing a cooler heatsink grid to cool the camera during transmission. Thank you

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