How to Watch 3D Movies on Gear VR

Last Updated on November 19, 2021 by Editor Futurescope

There are over 500,000 movies released worldwide. Netflix alone has over 15,000 movies you can watch. To elevate your movie experience, you should consider watching 3D movies. You don’t have to visit a cinema to watch 3D movies; you can do it even in your bedroom.

In this piece, I will help you gain the knowledge on how to watch 3D videos and movies on your smartphone device. Whether you are a Netflix, Hulu or YouTube fan, this article will help guide you to take your entertainment to the next level.

Streaming Youtube 3D VR movies on Gear VR

YouTube has thousands of 3D videos that you can watch for entertainment or educational purpose. To enjoy 3D or 360-degree 3D videos on YouTube, you need the Samsung Internet app and headphones, though you may enjoy even without headphones.

Here is the step by step guide on watching YouTube 3D videos on Samsung Gear VR:

1. Go to the Oculus store, download and install the Samsung Internet app
2. Open the Samsung Internet app and search for youtube.com
3. Click and open YouTube
4. Search for 3D videos of your preference
5. Select your preferred video resolution
6. Maximize the video using the square button at the bottom of the video
7. Select how to view the video, either 3D TB or 3D SBS

You might be wondering what the 3D TB or 3D SBS are. Well, the Samsung Internet app classifies videos in 5 ways. These are:

• Standard 3D
• 180-degree SBS 3D
• 180-degree TB 3D
• 360-degree SBS 3D
• 360-degree TB 3D

The classification TB and SBS means how the 3D effect will appear when you open the video. If you choose TB, the result is applied in a Top-Bottom manner. In SBS, the 3D video effect appears side by side.

YouTube lacks the feature to remember your setting when selecting 3D movies on the Oculus store. With that in mind, you have to repeat the steps we’ve discussed each time you use the Oculus Video app to play 3D videos on YouTube.

Is it possible to watch 3D movies on Gear VR?

1.    SM- R320 Gear VR innovator edition

This was the first Samsung Gear VR to be released in 2014.

Features

• Compatibility: It is only compatible with Galaxy Note 4.
• Color: It comes either in black or white.
• Connectivity: It uses a micro USB Connector but cannot connect to Bluetooth, HDMI, or USB.
• Field of view:  96 degrees
• Control Type: controlled using the touch panel or buttons.
• Sensors: It has an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and proximity sensor
• Dimension: Weighs 379.0 grams and measures 90 by 198 by 116 mm (height, width and depth)

2.    SM-R321

This second edition was released in May 2015.

Features

• Compatibility: This edition is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.
• Color: Black& white and white
• Connectivity: It has a Micro-USB 2.0 connector but does not support HDMI, Bluetooth or card reader. The list does not fog because it is fitted with a cooling fan.
• Field of View: 96 degrees with a 360-degree cinema-like viewing experience
• Control Type: Buttons and touch
• Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity sensor and gyroscope
• Dimension: Weighs 420.4 grams and measures 82.9 by 196 by 107.9 mm

3.    SM-R322

In November 2015, Samsung released the SM-R322 edition.

Features

• Compatibility: This edition is compatible with Galaxy S6, Galaxy Galaxy S6 edge Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S7 edge
• Color: Black & white
• Connectivity: Micro-USB 1.1 and one USB 2.0. This version do not support HDMI or Bluetooth
• Field of View: 96 degrees
• Control Type: Buttons
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, and proximity sensor
• Dimension: Weighs 310.0g and measures 92.6 by 209.9 by 114.4 mm

4.    SM-R323

This SM-R322 predecessor was first made available in April 2016.

Features

• Compatibility: It is compatible with the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge
• Color: Black, and Black&  Navy Blue
• Connectivity: It has a Micro USB 3.0 (Type-C) but does not support HDMI and Bluetooth.
• Field of View: 101 degrees
• Control Type: Buttons and motion controller
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, and proximity sensor.
• Dimension: Weighs 365 grams and measures 98.5 by 207 by 122 mm

5.    SM-R324

In March 2017, this edition was released.

Features

• Compatibility: It connects to most Samsung devices, including Galaxy S7 and S8.
• Color: Comes in Black, Grey& Black, and plain Grey
• Connectivity: This edition offers a wireless connection with the ability to connect via Bluetooth. It has a Micro-USB connector but does not support HDMI.
• Field of View: 101 degrees
• Control Type: It is packed with a motion controller for easy usability and comfort while using it.
• Sensors: Just like other editions, it has the proximity sensor, gyroscope and accelerometer sensors
• Dimension: Lighter compared to SM-R323. This edition weighs 435 grams and has a measurement of 98.5 by 207.8 by 125.5 mm.

6.    SM-R325

This is the latest version made available in September 2017.

Features

• Compatibility: Compatible with most Samsung devices, including Galaxy Note 8, S8, S8+, S7, S7 Edge, Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 series
• Color: You can get this edition in Black, Black& Grey, plain Grey, and Blue
• Connectivity: It has a wireless connection supported by Bluetooth. It also connects Micro-USB 2.0 Type-C connector.
• Field of View: 101 degree
• Control Type: It has buttons, rotary and is supplied with a motion controller
• Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity sensor, and gyroscope
• Dimension: Has a weight of 345 grams and measurement of 98.6 by 207.1 by 120.7 mm

To enjoy 3D movies on Samsung Gear VR, select any of the gear editions. The latest SM-R325 and SM-R324 have many excellent features created to take your virtual reality experience to another level.

How to Watch 3D Movies stored on your phone

Though there are minimal video apps with the capability to download 3D videos to play on any device, you still can get 3D movies on your phone and play them using the Gear VR headset. To play 3D videos on your phone, you need the following:

• Oculus Videos app
• Gear VR headset
• Smartphone with large memory

You have all three items; what next? Follow these steps to enjoy stored 3D videos using Gear VR:

1. Go to your phones file manager and search for Oculus
2. Open the Oculus folder and open the movie subfolder
3. Create a new folder there and name it 3D or 360 videos
4. Copy the 3D movies from your device or an external drive and paste them to the created folder.
5. You can go back and open the Oculus Videos app
6. Select the film you need  
7. Enjoy the show!

Before you play 3D videos using the Gear VR, you must convert the videos to a 3D format compatible with the device.  You will need software to perform this task. One of the best software tailored to perform this task is the 3D Video converter.

The app allows you to convert video files like MPG, AVI, WMV and Blu-Ray movies to 3D SBS (Side by Side), which are compatible with the Samsung virtual reality headset.

To convert your videos, follow the steps below:

1. Download the 3D Video Converter from their official Windows website or official macOS website
2. Install the app on your Windows or MacOS computer
3. Open it and select the file you need to convert
4. Choose either the SBS or TB output that Gear VR supports
5. Click to start the conversion of the video
6. Once done, copy and paste the video to the 3D subfolder on your smartphone
7. Use the step discussed earlier to open the 3D movie using Oculus Videos app

Disclaimer

Watching 3D movies on Gear VR will be one of the most enjoyable things to do. However, it might be addictive, lead to unproductivity or health issues. Oculus recommends the following:

• Avoid prolonged use of the Gear VR:  This may lead to sight problems or negatively impact your ability to multi-task
• Take short breaks during movie time:  The 3D experience is excellent, and I understand that you don’t want to stop. However, it is advisable to take off the VR headset for 10-15 minutes after watching for 30 minutes.
• Avoid high volume: To maintain environmental awareness and avoid hearing problems, you should use low to mid-volume while enjoying virtual reality movies.
• Use the headset in a safe environment: The experience of VR is massive. To avoid injuring yourself or others, avoid using the headset near windows, furniture, balconies, etc. Additionally, you should not be in hold of sharp objects.

If you need more information on the guidelines laid down by Oculus, click here.

Wrap Up

Now, you know how to watch 3D movies on Gear VR.  This article has covered all the requirements you need and the methods to watch 3D videos and movies from YouTube or locally stored in your smartphone. What’s next?

Grab your favourite preferred virtual reality headset. Use the information in this article, and enjoy yourself because you deserve some good times.