How Las Vegas' Sphere Actually Works
Summary
TLDRThe Las Vegas Sphere, opened in September 2023, redefines entertainment with its cutting-edge technology. The venue features a massive Exosphere screen, haptic seats, and a sound system that delivers targeted audio tracks to each seat. The Sphere can also generate wind and scents, enhancing the immersive experience. Developed by MSG, the company behind renowned venues like Radio City Music Hall, the Sphere is a result of five years of innovation. The main screen boasts the highest resolution in the world, and the venue hosts live shows and immersive experiences. With tickets ranging from $79 to over $300, the Sphere offers a unique, albeit costly, entertainment option.
Takeaways
- đ„ The Las Vegas Sphere, opened in September 2023, is a revolutionary entertainment venue that offers an immersive experience with a ceiling-spanning screen, haptic seats, and a dynamic sound system.
- đș The Sphere's seating includes haptic technology and wind machines that can also generate scents, enhancing the sensory experience for viewers.
- đ° The construction of the Sphere was a massive undertaking, costing a staggering $2.3 billion to develop this next-level cinema experience.
- đïž The Madison Square Garden company, MSG, is behind the Sphere, leveraging their experience from other iconic venues to create this new standard in live entertainment.
- đ„ The Exosphere is the world's largest screen, designed by SACO and featuring 1.2 million individual lights, each with a cluster of 48 separate LEDs, creating a high-resolution, immersive visual experience.
- đč The Sphere's main screen is a massive 160,000 square feet, with 256 million pixels, making it the highest resolution screen globally, despite having a lower pixel density due to its size.
- đŹ Sphere Studios was established to produce content specifically for the Sphere, including the development of the Big Sky Camera System, capable of filming in 18k resolution at 120 frames per second.
- đ The Sphere's sound system, designed by Holoplot, includes 167,000 speakers that can deliver targeted audio to every seat, creating a personalized auditory experience.
- đ€ Aura, one of the most advanced humanoid robots, is present at the Sphere to interact with visitors, showcasing the integration of robotics and machine learning in modern entertainment.
- đ CyberGhost VPN is highlighted as a sponsor, offering a solution to geo-restrictions for content access, with a special offer for MegaBuilds viewers.
- đ Future plans for the Sphere include potential locations in Abu Dhabi, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, as well as ambitious projects like filming a spacewalk on the International Space Station.
Q & A
When did the Las Vegas Sphere open?
-The Las Vegas Sphere opened in September 2023.
What makes the Las Vegas Sphere a next-level entertainment experience?
-The Las Vegas Sphere offers a unique experience with a screen that spans the entire ceiling, haptic seats, a sound system that sends different audio tracks to each seat, and the ability to generate wind and scents.
How much was spent on creating the Las Vegas Sphere experience?
-A total of $2.3 billion was spent on creating the Las Vegas Sphere experience.
Who partnered with the video creators to explain the technologies behind the Las Vegas Sphere?
-Jared Owen, who built a detailed model of the Las Vegas Sphere, partnered with the video creators.
What company is behind the creation of the Las Vegas Sphere?
-The Madison Square Garden company, also known as MSG, is behind the creation of the Las Vegas Sphere.
What is the Exosphere in the context of the Las Vegas Sphere?
-The Exosphere is the largest screen in the world, designed by SACO, and is part of the Las Vegas Sphere's exterior.
How does the Exosphere's pixel technology differ from traditional screens?
-The Exosphere uses 1.2 million individual lights, each about the size of a hockey puck, with each light containing a cluster of 48 separate LEDs, creating a larger and more immersive pixel experience.
What is the Hypervsn Wall in the Atrium of the Sphere?
-The Hypervsn Wall is a holographic display that uses hundreds of rotors with LEDs to create 3-dimensional optical illusions.
What is special about the humanoid robot Aura found in the Sphere's Atrium?
-Aura is an advanced humanoid robot designed by Engineered Arts, capable of interacting with visitors, answering questions, and giving presentations on the Sphere's technology.
What is unique about the main screen inside the Sphere's theater?
-The main screen inside the Sphere's theater is the highest resolution screen in the world, with 256,000,000 pixels, and is designed to curve over and around the audience.
How does the Sphere's sound system work to provide custom audio to different parts of the theater?
-The sound system uses advanced audio technology by Holoplot, with 167,000 speakers behind the screen, capable of targeted sound delivery to every seat using principles of constructive and destructive interference.
What is the purpose of the haptic technology in the Sphere's seats?
-The haptic technology in the seats allows them to vibrate at specific frequencies that correspond with what the audience is seeing and hearing, enhancing the overall experience.
What are the two types of shows currently running at the Sphere?
-The two types of shows running at the Sphere are live shows with artists like U2 and Phish, and the Sphere Immersive Experience which includes interacting with Aura robots and watching a film called 'Postcard from Earth'.
What future plans does Sphere Studios have for the Big Sky Camera System?
-Sphere Studios plans to take the Big Sky Camera System to the International Space Station to film a space walk in real dimensions.
What was the proposed location for another Sphere project and why was it abandoned?
-A Sphere project was proposed in London, but it was abandoned due to concerns from local residents about light pollution, leading the Mayor of London to reject the proposal.
Outlines
đ„ Introduction to Las Vegas Sphere's Innovative Entertainment
The Las Vegas Sphere, which opened in September 2023, has revolutionized the entertainment industry with its state-of-the-art technology. The venue features an expansive ceiling screen, haptic seats, and a sound system that delivers distinct audio tracks to each seat. Additionally, it can simulate wind and scents to immerse the audience in the experience. The project cost a staggering $2.3 billion and was developed by MSG, the company behind renowned venues like Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. The Sphere's exterior, known as the Exosphere, is the world's largest screen, designed by SACO and featuring 1.2 million individual lights, each containing 48 separate LEDs, to create a high-resolution, immersive visual experience.
đ€ Advanced Technologies and Features of the Sphere
Inside the Sphere, visitors are greeted by the Atrium, which houses a Hypervsn Wall that uses an optical illusion to create 3D images with spinning rotors and LEDs. Five advanced humanoid robots, including Aura, designed by Engineered Arts, interact with guests using a combination of robotics, machine learning, and various software like ChatGPT, Whisper, and Google's MediaPipe. The main attraction is the Sphere's theater, which boasts the world's highest-resolution screen at 256 million pixels, despite having a lower pixel density due to its massive size. The screen's curvature and the optimal viewing distance ensure a clear image for the audience. Sphere Studios was established to create content specifically for the Sphere, developing the Big Sky Camera System, a 316-megapixel camera capable of filming in 18k at 120 frames per second, resulting in extremely high-quality footage that requires significant data storage and a specialized team to operate.
đ¶ The Sphere's Cutting-Edge Audio and Haptic Experience
The Sphere's sound system, designed by Holoplot, is one of the world's most advanced, featuring 167,000 speakers that can deliver targeted audio to every seat. This is achieved through the use of constructive and destructive interference patterns, allowing for custom audio experiences. The system works in tandem with the thin LED screens, which enable sound to pass through without disruption, a technology known as Audio Transparency. The seats in the theater are equipped with haptic technology, moving in sync with the performance, and are complemented by wind machines and sensory effects like smells and fog to enhance the immersive experience. The Sphere offers two types of shows: live performances with artists and the Sphere Immersive Experience, which includes an interactive Atrium visit and a viewing of 'Postcard from Earth,' a film shot using the Big Sky System.
đ Future Prospects and Accessibility of the Sphere
The Sphere offers a range of ticket prices, sparking debates on its value. It is set to host various events, including sports like UFC 306, and other films are in development. MSG has plans for additional Spheres in different locations, although the London project was canceled due to local concerns. The company is in talks with Abu Dhabi, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia for potential projects. Sphere Studios has ambitious plans to film a spacewalk on the International Space Station using the Big Sky technology to provide an out-of-this-world experience. The video concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the Sphere and promoting CyberGhostVPN as a sponsor, offering a secure and unrestricted browsing experience.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄLas Vegas Sphere
đĄExosphere
đĄPixels and Subpixels
đĄCyberGhost VPN
đĄHypervsn Wall
đĄAura
đĄBig Sky Camera System
đĄAudio Transparency
đĄHoloplot
đĄHaptic Technology
đĄSphere Studios
Highlights
The Las Vegas Sphere, opened in September 2023, sets a new benchmark in the entertainment industry with its next-level experience.
The Sphere features a screen that spans the entire ceiling, haptic seats, and a sound system that sends different audio tracks to each seat.
The venue can generate wind and scents, enhancing the immersive experience for the audience.
The creation of the Sphere cost a staggering $2.3 billion, reflecting the no-expense-spared approach to its development.
Partnering with Jared Owen, who built a detailed model of the Sphere, the video explores the technologies behind this entertainment venue.
MSG, the company behind Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, announced the Sphere in 2018, aiming to reinvent live entertainment.
The exterior of the Sphere, known as the Exosphere, is the world's largest screen, designed by SACO.
The Exosphere consists of 1.2 million individual lights, each the size of a hockey puck, functioning similarly to pixels on a TV.
CyberGhost VPN is introduced as a solution for accessing geo-restricted content, including streaming services.
Inside the Sphere, the Atrium features a Hypervsn Wall, creating 3D optical illusions using rotors and LEDs.
Aura, one of the most advanced humanoid robots, interacts with visitors using a combination of robotics and machine learning.
The main screen of the Sphere is 20 times larger than the biggest IMAX cinemas and curves around the audience.
The screen has 256 million pixels, making it the highest resolution screen in the world, despite its lower pixel density.
Sphere Studios was created to produce content specifically for the Sphere, including a replica called the Big Dome for editing.
The Big Sky Camera System, developed by Sphere Studios, is a 316-megapixel camera capable of shooting 18k film at 120 frames per second.
The sound system in the Sphere contains 167,000 speakers, providing targeted audio to every seat in the audience.
Holoplot's audio technology uses constructive and destructive interference to control sound distribution in the theater.
Some seats in the Sphere are equipped with haptic technology, moving in sync with the performance to enhance the audience's experience.
The Sphere offers a variety of shows, including live performances by artists like U2 and immersive film experiences.
Tickets for the Sphere range from $79 to over $300, sparking debates on the value of the experience.
Future plans for the Sphere include additional venues in cities like Abu Dhabi, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, as well as filming on the International Space Station.
Transcripts
With its opening in September 2023, the Las Vegas Sphere has set a new benchmark Â
in the entertainment industry. The experience inside is next level, Â
with a screen that spans across the entire ceiling, haptic seats, and a sound system Â
that sends different audio tracks to each seat. The Sphere can even generate wind and scents.
Sitting here should make you feel like being part of the movie.
And to achieve that no expense or effort was spared. They literally spent Â
$2.3billion on creating this next level cinema experience.
But how does all of this actually work? Let's take Â
a look behind the curtain of the Sphere and explore the different technologies.
For this video we partnered up with Jared Owen, who built a very detailed model of Â
the Las Vegas Sphere. It's truly impressive, so please show some support on his channel as well.
The Madison Square Garden company, otherwise known as MSG, announced the Â
Sphere in 2018. These are the same people behind Radio City Music Hall, the Chicago Theatre and, Â
you guessed it, Madison Square Garden - so they already had experience with Â
building entertainment venues. But with the Sphere they took things to another level.
They selected the best people from every industry and brought them together to Â
fulfill their vision - to reinvent live entertainment. 5 years later, the Sphere Â
opened for business. And with an exterior like this, it of course immediately drew attention.
This is the Exosphere - the biggest screen in the world.
It was designed by SACO, the company behind some Â
of the worldâs most amazing light shows and screens. When they came to Vegas, Â
theyâd just finished their work on the world's tallest building. SACO designed and installed Â
the media facade on the Burj Khalifa - and then immediately set out to break their own record.
The Exosphere is 3 and a half times bigger than the screen inside. And Â
as we get closer to the screen, it doesnât look like the screen Â
on your television or phone. But it actually works the same way.
Thatâs because screens are made up of pixels. On normal displays, these pixels are simply three, Â
tiny, lights, known as subpixels. Each is a different color - red, Â
green and blue. By combining these lights in different intensities, Â
we can produce millions of different colors. And when you put thousands of pixels together, Â
and stand back a little, the distinction between the individual pixels becomes blurred.
The Exosphere works in the same way, except that everything is way bigger. Itâs covered in Â
1.2 million individual lights; each one about the size of a hockey puck. These lights work kind of Â
like the individual pixels on your TV, except that here each contains a cluster of 48 separate LEDs.
As you can see here, each cluster is actually quite far away from each other, Â
so if youâre standing closer to the sphere it looks like this. But if youâre viewing from a Â
distance, as is intended, the lights blend and the image comes together.
It's crazy that you get such a sharp image when you look at it from a distance.
If you rather watch content & movies on your laptop than in the Sphere, like I do, Â
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And now let's go inside the Sphere. We first enter the Atrium:
And now let's go inside the Sphere. We first enter the Atrium:
Here they have a collection of cutting-edge audio and Â
visual technology but what immediately sticks out is this, the Hypervsn Wall.
Whilst the images look 3-dimensional, itâs actually a clever optical illusion. Â
Remember those little handheld fans with lights on the blades? Well, Â
the holographic wall basically works the same way.
Hundreds of little rotors, each with four blades, or rays, are attached to the wall. Â
Each one is fitted with LEDs and they spin at 670 rpm. So it is comparable to a helicopter, Â
probably even faster than many. This makes it too fast for the human eye to see.
And thatâs why it's possible to display all kinds of sequences.
Looks pretty amazing, right? But thatâs not all. Dotted around the Atrium you can talk to 5 robots.
This is Aura. One of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world. Designed by an English Â
company called Engineered Arts over the last 15 years, Aura is a combination of advanced robotics Â
and machine learning. They donât walk around, but their upper bodies move as they speak to visitors, Â
answer questions and give presentations on the technology used at the Sphere.
The engineers describe Aura as âartificially intelligentâ rather than âan artificial Â
intelligenceâ. They built it to run a wide variety of software, Â
including large-language models like ChatGPT, voice recognition software Â
like Whisper and facial-recognition technology like Googleâs MediaPipe.
The combination of all this software makes it possible to interact Â
with Aura. Over time, Aura will learn from visitors and improve their ability to hold Â
conversations. Theyâre already pretty good though and they even make jokes!
After spending some time with Aura, visitors move into the theater for the main attraction.
This is the Sphereâs main screen. Itâs roughly 20Â Â
times larger than the biggest IMAX cinemas and curves over and around the audience.
Itâs made of tiles, covered in LEDs that are thin enough to bend to the curve of the Sphere. Â
Theyâre actually so thin that sound can pass through them, but weâll come back to that later.
The screen has 256,000,000 pixels, making it the highest resolution screen in the Â
world. At first glance you could assume that this screen must be Â
super sharp. But that isnât the case. Actually quite the opposite is true.
Since the surface is so huge, 160,000Â Â
square feet or over 14800 square meters to be exact, it only has around 3.33 pixels per inch.
For comparison. The latest Iphone has 460Â pixels per inch. A larger TV has around 40-80.
Despite that, the Sphereâs Screen still looks Â
great. And this is because it's a matter of distance.
The Optimum Viewing Distance is the ideal distance between a screen and Â
the audience. The screen in the theater looks crystal clear from Â
the seats but would start to break up into individual pixels if you get closer to it.
You can actually test this at home. Hold your phone close to a screen, Â
then zoom in as far as you can. If your camera is good enough, Â
you should be able to see each pixel broken down into the red, green and blue subpixels Â
we talked about before. Thatâs because you are now way below the optimum user distance.
The designers, SACO, had to keep all of this in mind when building Â
the screen. And there was another much more difficult issue. Normal cameras, Â
that capture film for flat rectangular screens, didnât work for such a big wrap-around display.
So, the film-makers had to get creative. MSG set up a new company, Sphere Studios, Â
to produce content specifically for the Sphere. They even build a quarter-sized Â
replica in California to edit the films for the Sphere, which they call the Big Dome. Â
On a normal screen you just couldnât see how it would look in the Sphere.
In the beginning, they welded 11 separate cameras together and tried stitching the Â
footage together in post-production. But shooting and editing turned out to be way too complicated. Â
With no suitable alternative on the market, Sphere Studios decided to build their own.
And they ended up making what many consider to be the best video camera ever produced.
This is the Big Sky Camera System.
Itâs a 316 mega-pixel camera, shooting 18k film at 120 frames per second.
In other words, it films in a super high resolution and everything looks Â
super smooth. The quality is actually so high, that one second of film takes up 60GB of data.
And thatâs not the only inconvenient thing about Â
Big Sky. It actually takes 12 people to operate it!
Those 11 cameras from the first model have been replaced by one Â
enormous lens. It measures 1ft across and bulges out like a fish-eye. This gives it a Â
165 degree field of view - big enough to cover the whole screen in the sphere. And to have Â
some additional room for âovershoot and stabilizationâ of the footage.
But the lens is only one part of the camera. A sensor is also required to Â
capture the images. And Big Skyâs sensor is a record breaker as well!
Sphere Studios partnered with STMicroelectronics to produce Â
the biggest sensor in commercial cinema used anywhere in the world.
Hereâs how it works:
The lens bends incoming light rays to converge them onto a focal point.
These light rays are then captured by the sensor, which sits behind the lens. Â
The sensor breaks them down into individual pixels and sends electrical signals for each Â
pixel. These signals can then be further processed to produce a digital image.
In normal cases, the sensor is a rectangle, Â
which corresponds to normal TVs. But the Sphere is no normal TV!
To produce an image that fits onto the Sphereâs enormous screen, Â
Sphere Studios and STMicroelectronics used an almost squared sensor.
This way it's much better to convert the image.
Overall their new system is so ground-breaking that Â
Sphere Studios have actually filed 10Â patents for Big Skyâs technology alone.
And because looking at these images on a normal screen doesnât really work, Â
the crew uses a VR headset when filming to check that theyâve got the right angle.
Big Sky is one of the most technically advanced items involved with the Â
Sphere. But there is something thatâs equally impressive - the sound system!
SOUND SYSTEM
To match the visuals, the Sphere needed something truly amazing in terms of sound.
Thatâs why it contains some of the worldâs most advanced audio technology, Â
designed by German engineers Holoplot.
Hidden behind the Sphereâs wrap-around screen Â
are 167,000 speakers. That works out at 8.4 speakers per person!
And remember we talked about the super thin LED screens earlier? Well, they had to make them so Â
thin to allow the sound to pass through without being disrupted. Itâs called Audio Transparency Â
and Holoplot had to work hand-in-hand with screen designers SACO in order to pull it off.
Whatâs special about this system is that it can send targeted sound to every seat in Â
the audience, providing custom audio to different parts of the theater.
But how is that possible?
Take a sound wave, which looks something like this. If you layer another wave on top of it, Â
aligning the peaks, it will amplify the sound and make it louder.
Thatâs constructive interference.
If, however, you layer two waves like this,
aligning the peaks with the troughs, Â
the two waves will cancel each other out - Thatâs destructive interference.
Noise-canceling headphones actually work by using a combination of these interference patterns.
Coming out of a speaker, a wave looks like this, with the sound coming out in all directions.
When thereâs more than one speaker, the different soundwaves all mix together and Â
create interference, causing differences in the sounds levels across space.
Holoplotâs speakers run extremely complicated calculations to work out where Â
every individual soundwave will interfere with another one. And then they change the Â
moment that the speakers emit certain waves and alter the volume, to coordinate every Â
single interference and therefore control which noise reaches which area of the room.
The result is kind of like the difference between a lightbulb and a laser beam.
A lightbulb sends out light in all directions, like a traditional speaker, Â
whereas a laser beam sends a focussed beam of light. This beam is what the Â
Holoplot speakers produce in terms of sound. Using this technology, Â
the Sphere can choose the audio track that they send to different parts of the audience, Â
providing different languages, soundtracks and experiences to different sections of the theater.
It sounds complicated, right? Well, it is. Itâs one of the most advanced sound systems Â
anywhere in the world. Theyâre describing it as âheadset sound, without the headsetâ.
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people & put out better and better quality for you :) So thanks a lot!
And in true Sphere style, even the seats add to the experience. 10,000 of the 18,600 Â
seats in the theater are fitted with âhaptic technologyâ meaning that the seats can move. Â
During performances, they vibrate at specific frequencies that correspond with what the Â
audience are seeing and hearing. It sounds like a gimmick but itâs said to really add to the Â
experience. On top of that, wind machines generate anything from gentle breezes to strong gusts, Â
and even smells and fog! Though the team do say that they are careful not to overload the senses.
By this point you might be wondering how the Sphere is bringing all of this together.
Well, for now, theyâre running two types of shows.
The first is a live show, with artists like U2 and Phish putting on a multi-media performance Â
that looks pretty mind-blowing. The sound system delivers perfect Â
audio to everyone in the audience and the visuals go from making the sphere look like a massive Â
concrete silo with a skylight, to a wide open desert. Not to mention whatever this thing is.
The second is part of the Sphere Immersive Experience. Guests go through the Atrium, Â
speaking to all 5 Aura robots before watching a film called âPostcard from Â
Earthâ in the theater. This film by Darren Aronofsky is the first to be Â
shot on the Big Sky System and tells the story of human development and achievement.
Tickets prices range from $79 to over 300 dollars, so there Â
are definitely debates whether it is actually worth the price.
Other films are in the works but take a lot of time to produce, and sports events, like UFC 306, Â
are also scheduled for the Sphere later in the year. Itâs not yet clear how that will look, Â
but seeing live combat sports in full Sphere immersion sounds pretty crazy!
Looking to the future, other Spheres are in the pipeline as well. Until recently, Â
the most likely seemed to be in London, and MSG has even bought the land to build it on. However, Â
concern from local residents about light pollution caused the Mayor of London to Â
reject the proposal and MSG ultimately decided to abandon the project. Abu Dhabi, Â
South Korea and Saudi Arabia have all expressed interest in their own Â
sphere and though MSG has held talks with all of them, for now, nothing is sure.
In the near future, Sphere Studios plan to take Big Sky to the International Space Station. They Â
want to film a space walk in real dimensions and transport viewers beyond the atmosphere.
Would you like to visit the Sphere one day? And if some of you have already Â
been there, would you say it's worth it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
And If you want to try CyberGhostVPN, make sure to use our link in the description. This application Â
will protect your data while you browse and give you full access to all blocked content Â
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Thatâs it for today, so thanks a lot for watching and as always, weâll see you in the next one.
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