New YouTube features: 360-degree video for TV and Super Chat API

Google is drowning us in new features for all their products and services, so you know YouTube just couldn’t be left behind. There are two major improvements coming to the most popular video streaming service in the world.

The first is 360-degree video for TV apps. This means you can now bring your interactive content straight to the largest screens you own. Simply use YouTube apps to launch 360-degree clips and play them. one can then go ahead and use a remote’s navigation buttons to pan around. Not the most intuitive solution, but if you really want a large screen this is your best bet.

The second feature is the Super Chat API, and Barbara Macdonald told us all about it in a very enthusiastic manner. In a nutshell, Super Chat is another way to monetize your videos. The audience can pay to prioritize their comments on YouTube streams. What’s next? The Super Chat API will make it possible to trigger actions in the real world using these paid comments, making live content much more interactive. Turning off/on lights and flying drones are but a couple examples of what could be done.

What do you think? I am not sure 360-degree video is a great idea for a TV. We are not sure how well the experience will translate from a mobile device to an actual television. Not to mention, TVs tend to be under-powered – will it even work smoothly most of the time? We will have to wait and see.

For more Google I/O 2017 content follow our dedicated page. There is plenty to look at!