It’s iOS-only for now but GoPro have announced that it’s now possible to livestream footage from their HERO4 Black and Silver cameras to Twitter’s live video service Periscope. The app will recognise the camera when it’s connected to your iPhone and will appear as an option to take a feed from when you’re broadcasting.
The new functionality is enabled on the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6+ provided you’ve got at least iOS 8.2 installed.
The smartphone’s camera will keep working as well so you’ll have the option to cut between different angles; or alternatively it will be possible to disable the phone camera completely if you want to put it in a pocket while you catch some wicked air. You’ll also be able to review footage later as the camera will still record to its internal microSD card.
Following on from Periscope’s direct integration into Twitter, this means live video streaming via GoPro is now available without the friction of an extra app install to Twitter’s audience of 332m active users.
We’d also expect it to result in a lot of streaming footage from GoPro-equipped drones appearing in your Twiiter stream. Up Periscope!
Newsshooter contributor Rick Macomber has used Periscope extensively and had this to say about the announcement:
“It will be useful for mounting [GoPros] on objects like cars, helmets and bikes or for underwater use. The other thing that may be useful is when the GoPro is mounted somewhere away from the operator’s face, the operator can still read the comments and interact with viewers since they can still hold the cellphone close and read the comments – where you could not do that if you mount the cellphone itself somewhere which would make it impossible to read comments and interact.”
He also pointed out that add-on lenses for the iPhone can get a similar wide-angle effect to the GoPro’s famous/notorious field of view, and had some advice if you’re streaming sound from the GoPro rather than your phone:
“The GoPro audio sucks when using the waterproof case.” You have been warned…
