I'm re-encoding my videos

The short version of this post is that here are my three 3D travel video playlists:

Formatted for VR headsets or red & blue stereoscopic glasses

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIdjZp47QFcfeGQk3dIq69etRtUDSZ_N

You can watch this on an Oculus Rift, using either YouTube VR or DeoVR video players.  I think it looks best on DeoVR, but DeoVR requires a few more button clicks, and doesn't always work.

Alternatively, you can watch these directly on YouTube, in anaglyph format, with red and blue glasses.

Side by side format for 3D TV

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIdjZp47QFdgLVFTOLbRi8Xv1LSZwmS2

3D Travel videos in LR / SBS format.  You can view these on a 3D TV, choosing left on left & right on right.

For Mobile Phone 3D Viewers like Google Cardboard

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIdjZp47QFepv-oFbicIjWjX_oIyZFuA

Videos in 3D side by side format for simple mobile phone 3D viewers such as Google cardboard.

Note: This format is not suitable for 3D televisions or the Oculus rift.

YouTube is driving me nuts!

The reason I'm re-encoding my videos is that YouTube changed the way stereoscopic videos need to be uploaded, encoded, or tagged a few times, until no-one knew how to do it anymore.  YouTube's help for encoding 3D videos has been useless for years.

Luckily, a few weeks ago, I was told about this video, which explains how to do it properly.

I've managed to re-encode and upload one video so far, while another video is not being not recognized by YouTube as 3D.  The one that works used to work in DeoVR, but doesn't right now.  So, at the moment you can watch one video in this format on YouTube VR.

Having two little children doesn't leave me with much time for YouTubing, but whenever I have a spare moment I'll try to re-encode and add videos!

3D Video Formats

YouTube has stopped supporting 3D videos.  What this means is I'll no longer be uploading videos where you choose the 3D mode, such as anaglyph, within YouTube.

I'll be uploading two formats:

Side by side 3D for 3D television / Oculus Rift

Playlist here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIdjZp47QFdgLVFTOLbRi8Xv1LSZwmS2

You can view these on a 3D TV, choosing left on left & right on right, or on an Oculus Rift: 

Using Bigscreen Beta, view the video in full screen on your monitor, and go to My Room - Monitors, and choose 3D SBS.

I think I used to be able to watch using DeoVR video player, but now it says "Video format is not supported."

Side by side 3D for mobile / smart phones with headsets, like the Google Cardboard

Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvIdjZp47QFepv-oFbicIjWjX_oIyZFuA

Travel to Cornwall, England, in 3D

Cornwall is the place we go to for surfing in England, but if you're going to camp there during the school holidays make sure you book your camp site long in advance...

...Unfortunately we didn't, and phoned about ten camp sites before we found something suitable for my wife and me: Newperran Holiday Park, at Newquay.  Like many others, it's a family camp site, so they didn't have rowdy teenagers getting drunk and playing music late into the night.  The shower facilities were good and one can have a cooked breakfast.

At the harbour in Padstow we went on a speed boat ride.  It's £6 per adult to go bouncing around in the swells for about twenty minutes, and certainly worth doing; no booking - a spontaneous bit of fun.  Padstow's also a good place to try out Cornish Ice-cream and buy surf clothing souvenirs.  Also, don't forget to buy a real Cornish pasty while you're in Cornwall.

Our next trip was through St. Ives to the south-western tip of England, Land's End.  A great place for its scenery and probably a nice place for a walk.  You'll see many signs for cream tea.  We stopped at a nursery for a popular clotted cream tea on the way back (Yummy :))

Perranporth has a big, sandy beach and lots of shops.  Parking can be a bit of a mission on a sunny holiday, so you may have to drive around a bit before finding it.  Then you can head to a surf shop, hire a board and walk to the beach.  

Newquay has a very busy surf spot.  We didn't go there on this particular trip, though.  Just be sure that you know what a rip is, where the rips are, and what to do if you get pulled into one.  You don't want to be like me, out in the rough sea heading towards the rocks and having to be towed back to shore by a muscular, tanned life guard, with sun bleached hair... or maybe you do?

Next we headed out to the Eden project, which has some large domes including an indoor tropical forest.  At £23.50 per person it is quite expensive, but if you don't mind, then it's worth seeing.  It is hot inside the tropical dome, as they have to keep it to a certain temperature for the plants.  The Eden project also has a long zip wire, but you should book in advance if you want to do that.

On our way home towards London we took the scenic route and stopped next to a little hill where we went for a stroll.  I was quite surprised to see the sheep roaming around freely, without being fenced in, and even more surprised at the horses that were not phased by our presence.

Stephen Oberauer
YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/soberauer
3D travel video playlist:  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB7C0C73135F83AD9

Travel to Alicante, Spain, in 3D

Hoping to catch our last little piece of summer sun before winter, we booked our early October holiday to Alicante, Spain, only a couple of weeks before departing.  It was a British Airways package, including flights from Gatwick to Alicante and a hotel room in Suites Del Mar.

Arriving on a Sunday meant that most shops were closed and taxis cost a little bit more.  A taxi which we found at the airport cost €23 to deliver us to our hotel.  On the Monday morning we asked for a sea view room and they switched us to a corner room with a 270° view from the beach to the harbour at no extra charge.

The promenade Explanada de España is lined with touristy chain restaurants, but we eventually found a good place to eat Paella, called El Buen Comer.

Santa Barbara castle is definitely worth the visit.  One can get there on the hop-on / hop-off bus, which I think is just a waste of money, but there's also a lift that will take you up to the castle.

San Juan beach is a beautiful, long, clean, quiet beach (at least when we were there, early in the morning on a public holiday).  It's about a twenty minute bus ride east on the 22 or 21 bus.  Hop off anywhere along Avenida Costa Blanca for a short walk to the beach.  Take change with you, because the bus driver won't give you change for anything more than €5.

Talking about 5€, that is the entry fee, including a drink, for a visit to the Santisima Trinidad, an old replica ship at the harbour.

Tabarca island is worth a visit if you like snorkelling and having lots of fishes swimming around you.  The Cruceros Kontiki  boat ride takes about an hour, or you can get there by smaller speed boats, possibly including guided snorkelling tours.  The beach on Tabarca is very close to where they drop you off, so you can spend your time doing some snorkelling there, or take a wander around the island.  The island is divided into two halves, one with almost nothing on it and the other with houses on it.  We walked around the half with nothing on it and it felt like a waste of time, so if you do go wandering, it's probably best to go around the built up area.

When it was time to leave our hotel a taxi arrived in a couple of minutes and took us back to the airport for a little bit less than our Sunday journey.

Stephen Oberauer
YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/soberauer
3D travel video playlist:  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB7C0C73135F83AD9