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Virtual-reality Netflix created at hackathon

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Previewing how we may one day watch television, Netflix developers recently created a version of the streaming service for the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset.

Oculix, as it’s called, allows users to browse through Netflix’s collection in a virtual environment. Users wear the Oculus Rift to immerse themselves into the digital world then navigate using hand gestures captured by a motion sensor. Once they pick a show or movie, the virtual world turns into a virtual theater.

The futuristic version of Netflix was created at the company’s latest hackathon where developers scramble for 24 hours putting together experimental features. Like other hackathon-born services, Oculix is only an experiment and may never make it to consumer devices. But it’s also a preview of what’s to come from Hollywood.

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The entertainment industry is testing 360-degree content for the Oculus Rift and other virtual-reality headsets. And just this week, startup Jaunt, which makes a camera that records in 360-degrees, raised $27.8 million in funding to continue building its technology.

Follow me on Twitter for more tech news: @sal19

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