Next month Disney+ said it will be adding 3D movies to the Apple Vision Pro VR headset’s lineup and a select number of films will be in High Frame Rate too.
Dozens of movies will be added to the new device including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame, but additional movies and series will be introduced soon.
Industry insiders are wondering what the upper ranges of the frame rate could be for these new Vision Pro versions because many are shot at 24fps, but they won’t have long to try the headset or content out.
Additionally, Disney is going to carve out some space allowing for users to look for 3D content on the Apple Vision Pro and additional devices, when or if the time comes.
Apple Vision Pro headset
As of now, Disney has said that 3D movies are encoded in MV-HEVC (Multiview High Efficiency Video Coding) at 4K resolution and Dolby Vision HDR.
“Using Dolby Vision and Multiview High Efficiency Video Coding, 3D movies on Disney+ will deliver exceptional UHD resolution in HDR, unfiltered and independent for each eye, and at a high frame rate for several titles – ensuring that the filmmakers’ creative intent is fully preserved and reflected,” said Disney.
Viewers can soon watch 2D and 3D movies in one of four different background ‘environments’, including the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder and the Marvel Avengers Tower. Each individual environment was created with the Universal Scene Description, which grants users the ability to uncover animations, sounds, and easter eggs.
Disney+ is leading the charge because none of the other big streamers, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and Netflix, have a way to watch movies in 3D on VR headsets.
Apple Vision Pro will be launching in February 2024 and will cost USD $3500, which is roughly a little over AUD $5,000 but actual pricing and availability in Australia has not yet been released.
