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There was a time when GoPros, waterproof mountable cameras with high quality recording capabilities, were all the rage on YouTube, with users attaching them to everything from dogs running into the sea to puppets going into space.

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YouTube is now taking point-of-view filming to the next level – with 360-degree videos. The video uploading site run by Google recently announced that it would also start supporting playback of 360-degree video ads on Google Chrome and on the Android app for YouTube. The company warns that the quality of this video footage will be below average as average 360-degree video uses five times more bandwidth than a two-dimensional one.

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The potential for 360-degree videos is immense. Users are already recording music videos, Formula 1 race cars tearing around tracks and even touristy footage of Dubai airport with 360-degree cameras. Google has been pushing towards still 360-degree imaging with its Street View photography for Google Maps. With a rise in at least high end 360-degree camera manufacturers, this could be a step towards democratising that space.

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The Washington Post calls these videos a step toward virtual reality, offering an immersive experience in which a user can pan around a video with their mouse. Right now, users are locked into a central fixed position and can only pan and tilt the screen. The virtual experience of video games might provide an indication for the future. If these fixed cameras also begin to move, that could be the next meaningful frontier for films at large.

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