Explore POV hits 22K downloads, celebrates Vision Pro global launch with new content

[Explore POV]

Hey MacRumors community!

I'm James, the creator of Explore POV, and I wanted to share some exciting updates with you all as Vision Pro launches in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany today!

First off, I'm blown away by the response we've had:

• 25,000 app downloads
• 120,000+ video views
• Over 125 Reviews, 5 stars.
• Featured right now on the Vision Pro app store!

To celebrate the global launch, we're releasing a brand new experience today - an awesome hike through the Swiss Alps in stunning 16K!

For those who haven't tried Explore POV yet, we offer ultra-high resolution (up to 16K!) VR180 immersive videos of breathtaking locations around the world. I personally shoot all the footage and developed the app to really push what Vision Pro can do.

Since our last update, we've added content from 8 new countries: Australia, South Pacific islands, France, Norway, Iceland, Greece, Morocco & Switzerland. We've also improved the app's reliability and UI to make the experience even better.

If you're unboxing your Vision Pro today or you're a seasoned pro, I'd love for you to check out Explore POV and let me know what you think! You can find us on the App Store here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/explore-pov/id6479555991


Happy exploring!

James

P.S. If you've got any questions about the app or suggestions for future destinations, I'm all ears!

 

[shenfrey]

I can confirm everything you see from reviews is correct. The quality of these videos is mind blowing and the spectacle of some of these areas is really insane.

My only suggestions would be to somehow let us stream the videos, as they are very beefy to download and understandably so. And lastly, I’d love some longer videos too, because these are so addicting you lose track of time I could easily watch for 15+ minutes.

 

[Explore POV]

I can confirm everything you see from reviews is correct. The quality of these videos is mind blowing and the spectacle of some of these areas is really insane.

My only suggestions would be to somehow let us stream the videos, as they are very beefy to download and understandably so. And lastly, I’d love some longer videos too, because these are so addicting you lose track of time I could easily watch for 15+ minutes.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post some feedback, it means a lot to me! We are currently exploring streaming as an option for those people that prefer it. It will be likely that there may be some compromises on quality if one was to stream. - would you be open to this to save downloading the files?

We also exploring longer videos, but of course it does mean bigger files and longer download times. Keen to make the option available for those that have fast Internet and are willing to wait though.

Thanks again for taking the time to make a post and happy exploring!

 

[shenfrey]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post some feedback, it means a lot to me! We are currently exploring streaming as an option for those people that prefer it. It will be likely that there may be some compromises on quality if one was to stream. - would you be open to this to save downloading the files?

We also exploring longer videos, but of course it does mean bigger files and longer download times. Keen to make the option available for those that have fast Internet and are willing to wait though.

Thanks again for taking the time to make a post and happy exploring!

Absolutely! It's understandable that there would be a quality dip, but it's certainly better for those who haven't got the highest storage option

 

[HDFan]

The best immersive travel app I've tried. It is awesome! The image of the stream in the meadow flowing to the lake down below is one of the best travel visuals I have seen and I've visited all 7 continents.

What camera are you using?
How do you manage to travel to all of those great locations?

I would hate to see lower resolutions. As it is I can almost smell the flowers and feel the mist of the waterfalls.

 

[Explore POV]

Absolutely! It's understandable that there would be a quality dip, but it's certainly better for those who haven't got the highest storage option

That's a great point, storage is limited and are files are big! Stay tuned, we are looking into streaming as an option seriously.

Happy Exploring, James

 

[Explore POV]

The best immersive travel app I've tried. It is awesome! The image of the stream in the meadow flowing to the lake down below is one of the best travel visuals I have seen and I've visited all 7 continents.

What camera are you using?
How do you manage to travel to all of those great locations?

I would hate to see lower resolutions. As it is I can almost smell the flowers and feel the mist of the waterfalls.

View attachment 2397330

Thrilled that you're enjoying the app. That scene was indeed stunning, so I'm pleased it comes through well on the headset also.

My background is travel videographer, so I have been to quite a few places and personally I just love travel and the outdoors - I currently live in New Zealand. It's really been the inspiration for this app - I get to visit so many beautiful locations and I always I'm just sat there wishing I could distil those moments in the most effective way - then share them with those that either will not or can not ever travel to visit these locations.

 

[HDFan]

Envy you your job!

The reason I asked about which camera you use is that there was a quote from Canon stating that that there was no existing camera, even with their dual fisheye lens, which could match the VP's resolution. This was before the new cropped R7 lens and Blackmagic cameras. Whatever you are using works perfectly.

 

[fatTribble]

The best compliment I can give you is that I watched one where you’re walking on the side of a mountain in the snow and I had to stop watching because of the height. It was too realistic for me. I literally had to breathe into a paper bag and rush to the safety of my flat shopping mall. Okay, not literally. 🤭

Seriously, well done! I’m looking forward to watching more.

 

[Koloa]

The best compliment I can give you is that I watched one where you’re walking on the side of a mountain in the snow and I had to stop watching because of the height. It was too realistic for me. I literally had to breathe into a paper bag and rush to the safety of my flat shopping mall. Okay, not literally. 🤭

Seriously, well done! I’m looking forward to watching more.

Can confirm. I actually said NOPE out loud and looked to the right to avoid any potential sense of vertigo.

Excellent app. Looking forward to seeing it progress. Would have loved longer beachside walks as a way to completely relax....

 

[Sheza]

I can’t find this info anywhere - what are the approximate file sizes for videos in this app?

 

[Koloa]

I can’t find this info anywhere - what are the approximate file sizes for videos in this app?

The app tells you within the UI itself, seems to be anywhere from 1-6GB from what I see.

 

[HDFan]

After watching all of the videos the app is using ~54 GB of storage.

 

[masotime]

And this is why I got the 1TB option - no regrets there. I never have to worry about storage or needing streaming. The downside of streaming also is inconsistent quality depending on the bandwidth of your connection, and it doesn't work great if you're traveling and not near high speed internet.

 

[HDFan]

With the Mulagljufur Canyon release total download size for all scenes is 70.81 GB.

 

[Explore POV]

Absolutely! It's understandable that there would be a quality dip, but it's certainly better for those who haven't got the highest storage option

Thanks for understanding! We're definitely keeping storage limitations in mind as we explore streaming options. We'll do our best to find a good balance between quality and accessibility. Your feedback is really helpful as we consider how to implement this feature.

 

[Explore POV]

The best immersive travel app I've tried. It is awesome! The image of the stream in the meadow flowing to the lake down below is one of the best travel visuals I have seen and I've visited all 7 continents.

What camera are you using?
How do you manage to travel to all of those great locations?

I would hate to see lower resolutions. As it is I can almost smell the flowers and feel the mist of the waterfalls.

View attachment 2397330

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the app, especially given your extensive travel experience. It's fantastic to hear that the visuals are so immersive - that's exactly what we're aiming for.

Regarding the camera, I primarily use the Canon R5C with some custom modifications and post-processing techniques to achieve the high resolution. As for the travel, it's a combination of my background in travel videography and my passion for exploring beautiful locations. Living in New Zealand gives me access to some incredible scenery right on my doorstep too!

I appreciate your concern about lower resolutions. Rest assured, maintaining the highest possible quality is a top priority for us. We're always looking for ways to optimize without compromising on the immersive experience.

 

[Explore POV]

The best compliment I can give you is that I watched one where you’re walking on the side of a mountain in the snow and I had to stop watching because of the height. It was too realistic for me. I literally had to breathe into a paper bag and rush to the safety of my flat shopping mall. Okay, not literally. 🤭

Seriously, well done! I’m looking forward to watching more.

Wow, what a compliment indeed! I'm both sorry and oddly proud that the experience was so realistic it triggered a fear of heights. It's feedback like this that really shows we're achieving the level of immersion we're aiming for. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's incredibly valuable to hear how our content affects viewers. And don't worry, we have plenty of less vertigo-inducing scenes for you to enjoy too!

 

[Explore POV]

Can confirm. I actually said NOPE out loud and looked to the right to avoid any potential sense of vertigo.

Excellent app. Looking forward to seeing it progress. Would have loved longer beachside walks as a way to completely relax....

Thank you for the feedback! It's fascinating to hear how the app can evoke such strong physical reactions. We're always striving to create that sense of "being there," so it's great to know we're succeeding - even if it means a few "NOPE" moments!

I appreciate your suggestion about longer beachside walks. We're definitely looking into creating longer, more relaxing experiences. Stay tuned for future updates - we might just have some serene beach strolls in the pipeline!

 

[Explore POV]

I can’t find this info anywhere - what are the approximate file sizes for videos in this app?

Great question! The file sizes for our videos typically range from about 1GB to 10GB, depending on the length and complexity of the scene. We try to balance the highest possible quality with reasonable file sizes. You can see the specific file size for each video within the app's UI before you download. Hope this helps!

 

[Explore POV]

And this is why I got the 1TB option - no regrets there. I never have to worry about storage or needing streaming. The downside of streaming also is inconsistent quality depending on the bandwidth of your connection, and it doesn't work great if you're traveling and not near high speed internet.

You've made a great point about the advantages of having ample storage! It's true that downloading allows for consistent, high-quality playback regardless of your internet connection. While we're exploring streaming options to cater to different user needs, we'll always ensure that downloading remains an option for those who prefer it. Thanks for sharing your perspective - it's valuable input as we consider future developments for the app.

 

[Explore POV]

With the Mulagljufur Canyon release total download size for all scenes is 70.81 GB.

We're continuously working on optimizing our file sizes while maintaining the highest possible quality. As we add more content, we'll keep looking for ways to balance amazing visuals with reasonable storage demands. It certainly all adds up!

 

[- rob -]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post some feedback, it means a lot to me! We are currently exploring streaming as an option for those people that prefer it. It will be likely that there may be some compromises on quality if one was to stream. - would you be open to this to save downloading the files?

We also exploring longer videos, but of course it does mean bigger files and longer download times. Keen to make the option available for those that have fast Internet and are willing to wait though.

Thanks again for taking the time to make a post and happy exploring!

It’s enough to manage the downloaded media. The way Netflix etc do.

Where you locally buffer desired stuff in high quality, but limit space for the app and auto remove other experiences if that space is hit.

 

[HDFan]

VP storage now lists Explore POV as taking 68.19 GB of space with everything downloaded. Last week 70.81. Didn't delete anything, added Bealey Spur so it should have gone up, not down.

 

[VirtualPool]

Just downloaded the App and very excited to experience it but it can't load videos. It says "Oops, something went wrong. Could not load available videos. Try again". I've tried force-quit, restarting, etc. I'm on VisionOS 2.0 beta 4