SK Telecom will unveil its 360-degree live broadcast platform named '360 Adaptive VR Live Streaming Platform at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from February 27 to March 2.

360 VR Live is an end-to-end broadcast system that enables users to produce and livestream ultra-high-definition (UHD) 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video with low latency using a 360-degree camera.

The platform produces UHD VR content through its differentiated stitching technology. When it comes to creating 360-degree visuals, it is important to stitch multiple videos or images taken by the 360 camera. Based on multi-band blending algorithm, the platform stitches images in multi layers to produce 360 VR content without any distortion. In terms of frame rate, it supports 60 frames per second (FPS).

Moreover, 360 Live VR has reduced the bandwidth required for transmitting 360 video data. Generally, live streaming of 360 VR video requires up to six times greater bandwidth than traditional broadcasting. However with the platform, the size of the 360 VR video file is reduced by 35 percent, while not compromising the image quality thanks to dynamic tiling.

In addition, applied with 'T Live Streaming,' a real-time streaming technology developed by SK Telecom, 360 VR Live creates a better environment for live broadcasting of 360-degree VR video by reducing latency from over 20 seconds to less than five seconds.

SK Telecom plans to commercialize 360 VR Live initially in the enterprise market for broadcasting companies and social networking sites. The company will also open its application programming interface (API) to build a new media ecosystem. With the API, individuals and small content developers will be able to create and offer 360 VR Live services.