I am not sure about everyone else, but around here the debate over video tours vs virtual tours are starting to heat up. Maybe it just feels like it is heating up due to me preferring to offer the virtual tour over the video tour.  But I do offer both.

The reason I started this thread is to try to get some help in creating a pros and cons list of the video vs pano. I want to make sure I give my clients accurate information and welcome any input as I try to work up a pamphlet with the info.

Video tours have to be displayed in either movie or flash format as far as I know (please correct me if I am wrong on any of these points). What would be the ratio of computers that would need to download/install a player for either the movie or flash in comparison to those computers needing to get the latest JVM? I think is a big thing to be able to tell my clients that more computers are needing flash players/movie players than those that need java.

Another point would be the amount of control the visitor has in  a virtual tour vs a video tour. Would you agree? Video can only display what the videographer wants to show you. Virtual tour will show those lofted ceilings, tile floors, chandeliers, rafters etc. at the users control.

It's  a wash on placing the tours to cd, dvd, website etc. What about the file size/download time?

On another note. How cool would it be to be able to place these virtual tours on dvd and have the customer be able to control the tour with their remote? Maybe even place the dvd in your playstation game and control the tour with your controller. Does anyone know if this is possible?...maybe a feature coming in the future?

Thanks for your time.

Kris

Quote: How cool would it be to be able to place these virtual tours on dvd and have the customer be able to control the tour with their remote?

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It has been done ... I remember seeing this topic on Panoguide announcing a beta testing program and pointing to this virtual tour on DVD demo.

The video quality is excellent (that's what their service provides, panorama/QTVR to video conversion) and you can do your own DVD authoring (they claim to provide instructions, along with the DVD-Video mpeg2 files) or they can do it for you.

The navigation is very smooth. You use the arrow keys on your remote to pan left or right.

I'm wondering if this could be the next big thing, cause everybody has and knows how to operate a DVD player.

Download the demo, burn it to a DVD , then spend the next half an hour spinning around, like I did :D and you'll see what I mean.

I'm considering bulk ordering some tours on DVD and offering this as a regular service to my clients.