Disney+ has confirmed that 3D movies will be available on the Apple Vision Pro VR headset, with some of these films in High Frame Rate as well (thanks, FlatpanelsHD).
According to Disney, dozens of popular movies are reportedly making their way to the device soon, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avengers: Endgame, with more titles and series to be announced later. Most films are shot at 24fps, so it will interesting to see what the upper ranges of the frame rate will be for these new Vision Pro versions.
There will be a dedicated area for finding 3D content on the Apple Vision Pro (and other devices, should they emerge). Disney has confirmed 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.
Disney has also said that 2D and 3D movies can be viewed in one of four different background ‘environments’, including settings such as the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder and the Marvel Avengers Tower. Each environment was developed in the Universal Scene Description and will contain animations, sounds, and easter eggs for the discerning fans out there.
Currently, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and Netflix all lack any way to watch movies in 3D on VR headsets, so it looks like Disney+ might be beating its rivals to the punch.
Apple Vision Pro is set to be available from February 2024 and will cost $3500 (pricing and availability for other regions pending).
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