NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtime Immersion (RTI) today announced the commercial launch of its patented camera systems and proprietary software that together deliver live, beyond-HD, 360-degree video directly from sports, entertainment, and news events to any connected device.

RTI's technology utilizes a single-sensor camera system that is lightweight, rugged, portable, and able to deliver live 360-degree video from previously unattainable vantage points. Approximately $45 million has been invested in the development of the technology to date.

"RTI's technology will revolutionize the way sports fans and entertainment enthusiasts experience video content by igniting exploration and creating personalized experiences," said Greg Easley, CEO of RTI. "From the thrill of skiing off a mountain, to standing on stage with your favorite band, to being on the field with a professional sports team, to covering ground with a reporter from a war zone, audiences can experience everything. Viewers will be immersed in video in completely unique and individually controllable ways."

RTI's video can be streamed in real time to virtually any connected device, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, smart TVs, and virtual reality headsets. RTI's interactive viewing app for PCs, mobile devices, and tablets gives consumers unprecedented control to pan, tilt, and zoom within live video, as if they are experiencing the action first-hand.

Unlike common multi-camera systems, RTI's proprietary single-sensor systems output high-frame-rate live video. There are no seams from stitching separate video frames and no distortion to the natural viewing perspective.

RTI is currently partnering with Samsung to produce content for their Gear VR and has recently completed productions for Red Bull Media House, NASCAR Racing Experience, SXSW concert events, including Pandora's "Discovery Den" and the "Take Me to the River" Documentary performance, and TRI Studios.

RTI's cameras have captured performances from Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, founding members of the Grateful Dead; on-field action between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks; flights by Red Bull aerobatic helicopter pilot Chuck Aaron and the Patriots Jet Team; and in-car footage from the NASCAR Racing Experience. Sample videos can be viewed at rtistudios.com.  

The company currently utilizes two camera models, the RTI-4, a compact 360-degree system that can output 2X HD video, and the RTI-2, a best-in-class miniature HD 360-degree system that is just three inches high by one inch wide, making it wearable and virtually invisible in many situations. In Q2 2015 RTI will be launching the RTI-9, a new camera that outputs live 360-degree video with resolution that is three-times greater than HD.

RTI's advanced technology has been refined for nearly 20 years, conceived in a lab at Columbia University and further evolved by RemoteReality, a pioneer of panoramic optical technology.  Originally developed for the military to avoid roadside bombs, these sophisticated optics capture 360-degree video of the environment.

RTI today brings into commercial use a new version of camera adapted for sports, entertainment, and news to deliver higher quality live-event streaming while remaining cost competitive. RTI has secured funding from investors including Marker LLC, 555 Capital, and Viceroy Ventures. Most recently, Cliff Plumer, former CTO of Lucasfilm, and Jay Abraham, former COO of NASCAR Media Group, joined the company as strategic advisors.

The company is managed by veterans from the interactive entertainment industry, and led by CEO Greg Easley, who has founded and run multiple technology companies over last 18 years; President Randy Eckhardt, former executive at Electronic Arts, who later helped develop the "Guitar Hero" game franchise; and Hudson Piehl, who formerly ran worldwide production for Atari. RTI's Board of Directors includes Paul L. Wattis, David Schreff, and Dennis Raefield.

About RTI
RTI delivers immersive, beyond-HD panoramic video for sports and entertainment events. Viewers can control the experience in real time by panning and zooming as if actually attending the events. RTI's pipeline features proprietary video hardware and processing/delivery software. The company is managed by veterans from the interactive entertainment industry.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150112/168685

SOURCE Realtime Immersion

Related Links

http://www.rtistudios.com