Bigscreen, the VR movie-watching platform, was founded in 2014, aiming to provide users with an immersive movie-watching experience from the comfort of their homes.
It can not only simulate movie theatres, but it can also let you “hang out” with friends, colleagues, and co-workers, in virtually any shared VR space.
There are two components to the Bigscreen value proposition – a ready library of movies that you can watch for free (ad-sponsored), including Top Gun, Start Trek, Terminator, Minority Report, and Indiana Jones, among others. And second, the collaboration space itself.
Bigscreen gained renewed momentum last year, with the temporary shutdown of movie theatres around the world. Recently, it announced that it will bring a selection of TV shows as well, including favourite names such as Rick & Morty, and Samurai Jack.
interestingly, Ernest Cline (the writer of Ready Player One and Ready Player Two) chose Bigscreen for two Q&A events.
Lets’ look at the features that make Bigscreen such a standout offering in its space.
What Are the Key Features of Bigscreen?
Whether you are an independent viewer looking to consume content in VR, or a small-to-mid-sized team eager to improve your collaboration capabilities, Bigscreen has something for every use case.
An incredible catalogue of televised content
Bigscreen TV offers a VR-enabled social watching experience, with support for thousands of viewers in groups of eight per viewing room.
The company has partnered with leading channels such as CNN, Bloomberg, ABC News, and PBS, along with organisations such as NASA to bring you a combination of live TV and prescheduled content.
VR movie theatre
Bigscreen has a massive library of 2D and 3D movies available for rentals. You can rent and watch movies in 10 countries around the world (including the UK), complete with playback controls, and custom theatre environments. Social movie watching experiences are scheduled for launch very soon.
Corporate and public events
Bigscreen has a calendar of upcoming events that are available to the public. If you are in a compatible region, you can join in using a VR headset, and experience the event with a community that shares your interest. These include live events such as rocket launches as well.
Immersive desktop applications
Bigscreen lets you convert any desktop app into VR, potentially equipping you with a limitless 3D collaboration space. You can zoom into screen elements, visualise objects in 3D, annotate visuals when brainstorming with your co-workers, and make work more enjoyable.
What Are the Benefits of Using Bigscreen?
Platforms like Bigscreen have a plethora of applications in a post-COVID-19 world, including the recently launched drive-in theatre and the social gaming experience.
Importantly, Bigscreen works with most major VR headsets including Oculus Quest/Rift/Go, Vive, Windows MR, SteamVR, and Valve Index. This means you won’t need a dedicated or branded hardware setup to start using Bigscreen.
How Much Does It Cost?
Bigscreen is priced based on usage, with TV content being ad-supported and movies available on rental. The desktop application is currently available for free.
