Last night, I watched the entirety of The Talk Show Live from my Vision Pro, and it was an incredible experience. As always, the show was top-notch; I loved hearing the Apple team speak with such passion about their work.
The common narrative that Apple is lagging in AI seems misguided. The sophisticated privacy initiative involving private cloud computing appears to be the result of years of development. Considering the complexity and potential costs, a subscription component for AI services wouldn’t surprise me in the future.
Streaming the show in spatial vision was fantastic. Using Sandwich’s Theater app, the virtual screen displayed a smaller rectangle, making the on-stage presenters appear life-sized rather than disproportionately large. This setup created the illusion of sitting in the front row and added to the intimacy of the event. It was a significant improvement over the YouTube replays I’ve watched previously. The combination of stereo video and the knowledge that it was live heightened the experience, making me wish for live sports broadcasts on Vision Pro.
Although there were some framerate hiccups, the minimal movement on stage meant they didn’t detract from the overall experience much. It’s a minor issue that can be improved.
The audio seemed to be in stereo rather than surround. While there was plenty of audience interaction, the sound came solely from in front of me. It would have been amazing to hear cheers and applause from behind, enhancing the feeling of being seated in the front row. The video was limited to a rectangle in front of me. Being able to look around and see the audience would have made the experience even more immersive, truly replicating the feeling of attending the event in person.
Overall, participating in the show was an amazing experience. Kudos to the teams at SpacialGen, Sandwich, and, of course, John Gruber. It sounds like everyone was holding their breath, hoping it would all work out, and it truly did!