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Level 10

Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

20181222_125707.jpg

 

Background: *Posted this to "How-to" rather than SVTP section, as many who may be interested to know about this feature may not be SVTP. With the Street View ready hardware specification, a new video capture mode for Street View was introduced close to a year ago to complement the interval shooting. Since the launch of this new video capture mode, and until today, the one hardware camera that currently supports this new feature within Google Street View app is the Ricoh Theta V.

Read my first experience using the Ricoh Theta V, Street View video mode below
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Ricoh-Theta-V-Street-View-video-mode-How-to...

 

It was only recently that the Insta360 One X announced a firmware that sort of supported the same, this is my first experience using it for the Google Street View video mode. And yes, it works, but in a totally different way.


Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

 

Short Summary: The Insta360 OneX with the latest firmware and app will support 360 video upload to Street View for Street View imagery on both iOS and Android. The One X Street View video mode works totally differently from the Ricoh Theta V Street View video mode.
Insta360 One X: Exclusively uses the Insta360 One X app, with no intervention within the Street View app. Requires in app stitching, takes longer time.
Ricoh Theta V: Exclusively uses the Google Street View app, with no intervention within the Ricoh Theta app. Video prestitched in camera, faster publishing overall.

 

Here are the steps. For background.
Phone: Android 8.0 on Samsung Galaxy S9+

 

1) First ensure that the Insta360 One X has the latest firmware and app that supports the Street View video mode.
https://www.insta360.com/download/insta360-onex
App: iOS v1.1.2 (2018-12-13) or Android v1.2.2 (2018-12-20)
Camera Firmware: v1.17.15 (2018-12-08)

 

2) Connect the camera to a monopole stick, best with a slim connector type or the official Insta360 One X selfie stick, which becomes invisible at the base of the camera.
Remember: The highest quality in the frame is in the middle of the lens, so face the lenses to where you need the highest resolution, could be sideways, or front/back depending on situation.
Remember that the lens where the buttons are faces backwards in the scene (if you want to keep the video for viewing)

*Reminder to obey all local laws regarding capturing public video as well as holding/mounting cameras on vehicles.

 

3) On the mobile phone, turn on GPS, ensure location can be located by checking Google Maps.
Turn on Wifi, and connect the phone to the camera via Wifi.
Open the Insta360 One X app, and ensure the camera is connected.

 

4) [Picture below] If you record a 360-video without any special setting, when we share to Street View, there will be an error message saying that no GPS information available (even if GPS is turned on), and some basic instructions on how to configure the GSV mode in the app.

 

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5) [Picture below] On the Insta360 One X app, go to Video Recording, Settings, turn on the "GSV" Google Street View mode, and confirm.
*Note also that under the main settings, you can set the video quality and resolution. For my first test, I kept the video resolution at 4K-30fps so processing is faster and to compare with my first test with the Ricoh Theta V. In real life, it's best to set at 5.7K 30fps for best quality.

 

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6) [Picture below] Hold the camera out of the window or mount it on the top of your vehicle or helmet. Hit the video record button in the Insta360 One X app, and go! Read (2) about how to align/orient the camera.

 

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7) [Picture below] Once you are done with the segment, go to the Gallery of the camera in the Insta360 One X app, and download the video to the app. Remember that the native video recording is stored unstitched in a *.insv file. Depending on the quality/resolution of the video setting, this file can be quite large, ensure your phone has sufficient storage.
After the file has been downloaded to app, disconnect the camera and connect the phone to a Wifi network (unless you want to use mobile data to upload which can be expensive). Select the video from the phone Gallery in the app, and "Share" to "Google Street View"

 

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😎 [Picture below] First time share, the Insta360 One X app will need to configure access to the Google Street View account. Click Allow.
Then it brings you to the Street View share page, probably want to ensure that the video is not shared to the Insta360 community unless you want to.
Then Confirm

 

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9) [Picture below] Now comes the waiting part, because unlike the Ricoh Theta V, the insta360 One X does not stitch the video in the camera. There are 2 rounds of exporting needed (hopefully that can be made faster in future releases).
Round 1: Fairly long process of stitching the video, and I suspect if recorded in 5.7K 30fps, will take quite some time.
Round 2: Processing the stitched video to a relevant format for Street View upload with GPS data. This takes less time that Round 1 export. But still takes time.
Once Round 2 is complete, just hit Confirm, and done.

 

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10) [Picture below] *This is where I got fairly confused initially.
The video that was shared, does not show up in the "Private" folder or anywhere else in the Google Street View app. I had though the share had failed or there were some problems, but apparently not.
After 8 hours (overnight), and I cannot pinpoint exactly how long, all the new images just shows up in the contributions stats in my account.
Just to repeat my point at the beginning of this post.
The One X Street View video mode works totally differently from the Ricoh Theta V Street View video mode.
Insta360 One X: Exclusively uses the Insta360 One X app, with no intervention within the Street View app. Requires in app stitching, takes longer time.
Ricoh Theta V: Exclusively uses the Google Street View app, with no intervention within the Ricoh Theta app. Video prestitched in camera, faster publishing overall.

 

006.jpg

 

11) [Picture below] After 12 hours after upload, most of the panoramas have been extracted, blue lines not seen as yet, possibly some extra time needed.

 

007.jpg

 

12) Here is a sample output of the Insta360 One X video on with Street View.

Sharing a short video recording since we can't embed a Street View window in Connect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv34KYVzBtE

 

 

As well as the tour itself on Google Street View in Maps
https://goo.gl/maps/kAJjy4aADJA2

 

 13) I will update more details when things becomes clearer with more information.

 

If keen, read my first experience using the Ricoh Theta V, Street View video mode below
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Ricoh-Theta-V-Street-View-video-mode-How-to...

150 comments
Level 10

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

@Anonymous @VyaraR @VicL1 Just tagging for sharing my experience with yourselves. Do feel free to share with whoever that could be interested or if any queries arises by other users. 

 

Level 9

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

Wao @StephenAbraham,

Thank you so much for sharing. 

Google Maps and Chrome Product Expert.

Always use @ before name to tag anyone on the Connect.
Connect Moderator

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

Hi @StephenAbraham

Thank you very much for sharing this awesome post!

I'll read it very well later:-)

Connect Moderator

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

Impressive post @StephenAbraham. But one question after having seen the sample video: is it legal in your country to drive around in your car while holding the selfie stick in your hand? I'm quite sure that if I would do that here, I would quickly be pulled over by police.

Check out LetsGuide Podcast | #LGCTM | Please always @Mention me so I see your reply
Connect Moderator

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

This is really interesting and detailed @StephenAbraham thanks for sharing.

 

I must discourage one thing though, I see in this image you are driving and holding your camera at the same time this is exceedingly dangerous. I recommend mounting the camera rather than having a limb protruding from the car. I don't know about your local laws but the holding a device in my state would get you a $454 fine and 4 demerits and having a limb out the window $600 and 4 demerit points.

 

Can you reduce the frame rate? The latest version of the Theta V and Street View App run the cammera at 5.4K and 5 fps so 30fps is probably excessive for file size and will slow down uploads and processing.

Level 10

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

@JanVanHaver @PaulPavlinovich Didn't drive very far only like 200-300 meters, it was only for testing purposes, and was driving very slowly in a remote non-busy housing area which can be considered to be almost a private  housing road. Ideally yes, needs to be mounted on vehicle or held by a passenger, even that needs to depend on local laws. Thanks for reminding.

Level 10

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

@PaulPavlinovich The way this works is different from the Ricoh Theta V. The Theta V, records, processes and stitches the video in camera before transferring to SV app.

 

The One X camera records without stitching or processing, and transfers full un-stitched video to app, and needs the app to process the video for stitching, and then downsampling frames (2 times processing), before sharing/uploading to SV app. Takes more time for processing, but I guess could be better for battery life of the camera. And requires less "integration" to the SV app I think.

 

The Theta V in my opinion has a  better way for video mode since it's fully integrated to the SV app.

Level 9

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

Nice content post @StephenAbraham most useful tips for us thank you for sharing with us...

Connect Moderator

Re: Insta360 One X - Street View video mode. How-to for new users

Ah I get it @StephenAbraham you need the high frame rate for the One X App to process the video. I guess if the camera gets popular then the Street View App might talk to it natively.