In case of Mi Sphere can I capture it using the default app and rescale the video manually and upload it from street view app? @LucioV which API were you using? Did you write any wrapper code?
SV API, but it's not me, it's gothru developers that are doing these tests.
Re: Video mode: a new way to contribute to Street View
@StephenAbraham Have you been able to upload 360 photos taken with the misphere to street view ? Does it support Street view in terms of 360 pictures and not videos ?
Re: Video mode: a new way to contribute to Street View
@HelloSamsonR .. Well, there are 2 different things though.
1. All 360 panorama photos from any camera, even from mobile or DSLR etc, can be imported into StreetView app and uploaded from StreetView app into Maps. So, yes, the 360-photos from my MiSphere cam, or my previous Samsung Gear360(2017) cam, and from DSLR-stitched with PTGui can be imported and uploaded manually in StreetView app.
2. The StreetView certified 360-camera, allow the StreetView app to connect and control the 360-camera from within the StreetView app. So, the few consumer-cameras today that are SV certified includes the Ricoh Theta V/S/SC, LG 360Cam, Samsung Gear360 (2016), and some others. The MiSphere camera isn't SV certified, so cannot be controlled by the SV app. Neither does the Samsung Gear360 (2017) and many other 360 cameras.
However, the photos from these non-certified cams can be manually imported into SV app.
Previously why is this 360-photo certification/SV control useful? One can just open the SV app, link to the camera and walk and shoot. All GPS information is automatically link and location determined via the SV app and it makes it quite seamless to upload to StreetView. No need many more extra steps.
With this new video integration, it's a step above the old integration, the SV app needs to know when the video is recording and corresponding GPS location and compass-direction at that exact time to slice the 360-video at intervals. This really cannot be done easily via a standalone Camera, even if the camera can record high quality 4K video and above. So, some custom integration or built-in integration is needed. Hence the newer certification standards. The 4K video requirement is basically only for Quality, because SV is taking interval sample shots from the video itself. Anything less than 4K is probably not good enough.
That's how I understand it, if any mistakes, please anyone correct what I have typed.
Re: Video mode: a new way to contribute to Street View
Thank you @StephenAbraham for the tips. Well I don't importing my pictures manually as long as it is quality and it supports I can do that and not mind it been street view Ready. Not all 360 cameras work with the Google Street View, some 360 cameras which do not meet the street view photo requirements gets not approved after been uploaded to street view. My friend here @DavidTito got one recently and the photos are automatically always rejected, we got to see that the camera didn't meet up to the street view standards of photo quality. Since the mi sphere can be imported manually I guess I would go for it. In between that as well, comparing the Ricoh theta V and the Mi sphere which as the best quality regarding pictures. How many mega pixels is the Ricoh theta V and Mi sphere ?
Re: Video mode: a new way to contribute to Street View
@HelloSamsonR I have seen some of David's budget 360cam photo.
I can't say for sure what the reason is for those photos to be rejected, but here are the minimum requirements for SV photography. https://www.google.com/streetview/earn/
There was a sale for the MiSphere yesterday with some coupon codes from GearBest at USD 189 !! At least a few of my friends bought it. I will append the codes below but probably the codes are sold out. You can get the MiSphere for about USD 220 usually from GearBest. The Theta V is priced about USD 450 vicinity.
My recommendation is that, unless you are urgently needing a 360-camera, prices usually come down with so many new ones in the pipeline, you could hold off purchase until the newest certification list is out from Google and pick from there. (Mi Sphere will probably not be on the list in the very near future, the MiSphere user group is close with the technical team of MiSphere, and the focus is on improving the camera software at the moment). And when the new certified list comes out, you can pick you choice.
For still photos, the Ricoh Theta V/S/SC shoots at 15MP panoramas. (4K video for V). (1080p video for S/SC)
The MiSphere shoots at 23.8 MP panoramas. 3.5K video (near future to 4K via a firmware update).
*For benefit of reducing the confusion of names, the MiSphere is also known by other names.
- Xiaomi Mijia360, Mijia 360, MiSphere 360 etc
And there is a "newer" packaging under the Madventure 360 Cam.
2022
