What Is The Difference Between 360 Video And Virtual Tour?
We’re here to highlight some key differences between 360 video and virtual tours. To begin, 360-degree videos show the entirety of what is around a particular position as if you were stationary and glancing about. Virtual tours create an opportunity for one to travel through different areas by clicking on objects in a virtual environment. Special cameras and editing software are required for making 360-degree videos, while virtual tours require 3D design software, which tends to be costly. Virtual tours are suited for storytelling or displaying locations, whereas 360-degree videos are perfect for displaying rooms such as houses. You should know everything about 360 virtual tours.
A reliable 360-video and virtual tour company like 360 Nash has a team of professionals who are dedicated to bringing you a unique experience by using state-of-the-art equipment and accessories.
Key Differences Between 360 Video And Virtual Tour
Let's explore the key differences between these two immersive technologies and their unique characteristics.
Depth and Realism
Staying in one place, 360-degree videos represent real situations as they are. The whole viewing area is visible from a fixed point. They can make you feel like you’re there but do not have any interactive elements.
In contrast, virtual tours enable people to move around the virtual world in real-time, so they get an experience of depth and realism much closer to what we have when exploring physical spaces.
Interactivity
Virtual tours allow users to interact with objects and navigate through environments by clicking or tapping on them. 360-degree videos are passive experiences in which viewers can observe the surroundings but have limited control over the content.
Cost & Complexity
It may be hard to produce 360-degree video content because this technique requires using special cameras that take shots from different angles and put them together into one video clip during the post-production process.
Virtual tours, however, are more complex in terms of software development and 3D modeling needed for their realization and offer wider possibilities for customization along with interactivity, thus demanding higher investment at the initial stage.
Purpose and Use Cases
Usually, storytelling goes along with virtual tours, where viewers become active participants who are moved from one place to another. This method also works well for creating immersive marketing experiences. The travel industry finds such videos useful for showing destinations all over the world. The real estate business uses them when displaying properties without requiring personal visits or entertainment.
File Size & Speed
360 videos have much larger file sizes than virtual tours because they record continuous footage from different angles. As real-time interactive experiences, virtual tours are usually smaller and load faster, improving the user experience.
Important Factors To Consider When Making A Choice
Here’s what you need to consider before choosing the one for you.
Purpose
What is your purpose for having a tour? Are you looking to present a property in great detail or give an overall view of a location? Generally, 3D virtual tours are better at creating personalized experiences and targeting specific segments of the audience.
Budget
How much are you willing to spend? Because they are more skill-based, time-consuming, and complex, 3D virtual tours usually cost more than 360 tours. Deciding your budget beforehand will help you get the desired results within your budget and without any hassle.
Technical Expertise
Creating 3D virtual tours without any prior experience or relevant skills is almost impossible. Therefore, you may need to hire a professional team.
Timeline
How fast do you want the virtual tour done? A lot of video shooting and editing goes into making 3D virtual tours, which takes longer than creating 360 tours. So, before you choose, know the timeline difference between 360 videos and virtual tours.
Audience
If your customers or viewers are tech-savvy and relatively young, they might expect you to provide them with an immersive experience like a well-crafted virtual tour.
Compatibility
You should know that some tours may require special hardware or software. So, keep in mind about each solution, as well as the platforms and devices that your audience will use.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the difference between 360 video and virtual tour, such as its depth and realism, interactivity, cost and complexity, purpose, file size and speed, and user experience, can help you make an informed decision. Also, it is beneficial to know important factors before you make the choice, like purpose, budget, technical expertise, timeline, and user experience.
Lastly, if you're looking for 360 video or virtual tour services, you should choose none other than the leading real estate photography company, 360 Nash.
