Projection inputs, outputs, and layouts
The beta accepts rectilinear, 2:1 equirectangular, 3×2 EAC, and single-fisheye or domemaster sources. It exports rectilinear, equirectangular, domemaster, 3×2 cubemap, and mirror-dome output. Cubemap and mirror dome are not inputs; EAC is not an output. Face order and orientation must be checked against the destination pipeline before final delivery.
- Inputs: rectilinear, 2:1 equirectangular, 3×2 EAC, and single-fisheye/domemaster.
- Outputs: rectilinear, equirectangular, domemaster, 3×2 cubemap, and mirror dome.
- Unsupported: 6×1, 1×6, or separate-face cubemaps; dual-fisheye sources.
- Verify: EAC and cubemap face order and orientation in the destination software.
FOV, orientation, and interpolation
Yaw and roll cover ±180°, while pitch covers ±90°. Rectilinear output permits a 1–178° field of view; spherical and fisheye projections reach 360°, while each cubemap face remains fixed at 90°. GPU sampling uses fixed linear interpolation. Nearest, bicubic, and Lanczos cannot be selected in the current public beta.
- Yaw and roll: −180° to +180°; pitch: −90° to +90°.
- Rectilinear FOV: 1–178°; spherical and fisheye projections: 1–360°.
- Cubemap faces: fixed 90° field of view.
- Interpolation: linear GPU sampling; inspect fine grids and compressed sources for aliasing.
Codecs, audio, alpha, and colour
Compatibility depends on the decoder available on the Mac and the media actually stored in each container. Export includes H.264 and HEVC in MP4, plus HEVC Alpha and ProRes in MOV. The first audio track becomes stereo AAC. Declared Rec.601, Rec.709, and Rec.2020 matrices are read, but HDR preservation is not guaranteed.
- Common sources and containers: MOV, MP4, M4V, MKV, WebM, AVI, and HEVC; CRM needs prior conversion.
- Exports: H.264, HEVC 8/10-bit, HEVC Alpha, and ProRes; alpha can also be exported as a PNG mask.
- Audio: first track, stereo AAC at 48 kHz and 192 kb/s; no passthrough or ambisonic preservation.
- Not guaranteed: HDR, HLG, PQ, Dolby Vision, ACES, OCIO, or non-standard colour metadata.
What the current version does not do
VR Converter Studio does not replace camera software, an NLE, or a stitching system. The beta works only with prepared, already-stitched monoscopic source video files. It does not separate dual-fisheye lenses, create Apple Spatial Video or MV-HEVC, or automatically turn ordinary 2D video into 3D, VR180, or stereoscopic panoramic content.
- No stitching or seam correction between camera lenses.
- No dual-fisheye, stereo, VR180, or Apple Spatial Video/MV-HEVC.
- No automatic 2D-to-3D conversion.
- No universal guarantee for every codec, maximum resolution, HDR workflow, or playback target.
Presets and delivery verification
Presets fill projection, resolution, and codec settings; they do not certify YouTube, Quest, a media server, or a dome. Device model, operating system, player, codec profile, resolution, and metadata can change the result. Keep a short sample, verify orientation and audio on the actual destination, and record the configuration that passes the test.
- YouTube: upload 180° or 360° video — Official preparation and metadata requirements.
- FFmpeg v360 — Reference for projection names and transformations.
- Adobe VR Converter — Comparison with the After Effects conversion effect.
- Syphon — Local protocol used to share frames between Mac applications.