VR Mode

Introduction

The VR Mode feature automatically detects VR180/360 stereoscopic video and converts it to a flat 2D output during transcoding. The encoder detects the stereo layout (side-by-side or top-bottom) and projection type (equirectangular or fisheye) of the source, then extracts a front-facing flat perspective.

Using VR Mode feature

VR Mode outputs are created by adding the vr_mode parameter to any transcoding output format. Use the /v1/start_encode2 method to launch a transcoding job with vr_mode set to 1.

Request Example

{
  "query": {
    "encoder_version": 2,
    "source": "VIDEO_URL",
    "format": [
      {
        "output": "mp4",
        "vr_mode": 1,
        "destination": [
          {
            "url": "URL",
            "key": "KEY",
            "secret": "SECRET"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

vr_mode — controls whether VR detection and flattening is applied to this output.

If VR content is detected, the output resolution is automatically adjusted based on the extracted field of view — you don't need to precalculate it yourself.

1. On the Transcode Media page choose an output format.
2. Open the Resolution Settings by clicking the Advanced Settings
3. Turn on the VR Mode toggle.

Available Modes

Requirements for Video Upload

• Source layout: Side-by-side or top-bottom stereoscopic frame, aspect ratio (or inverted aspect ratio) between 1.8 and 2.2.
• Projection: Equirectangular or fisheye.
• Encoder version: VR Mode requires Encoder Version 2.

Please note

Very short videos, or videos with a blank/black intro longer than 120 seconds, may affect detection accuracy since the system samples frames at fixed timestamps to find a representative, non-blank frame.

Applying VR Mode Across Output Types

VR Mode isn't limited to standard video output — the same vr_mode parameter is supported across multiple output types:

Need More Help?

For additional information, tutorials, or support, visit the Qencode Documentation page or contact Qencode Support at support@qencode.com.