Collaborative 360-degree video streaming: a multi-user synchronization solution with socket. IO

The rapid development of 360-degree video technology has transformed the way users engage with video content. Despite these advancements, synchronizing 360-degree video playback across multiple users remains a significant challenge. While libraries and plugins such as videojs-xr support playback of 360-degree videos on both browsers and headsets, they do not offer a unified, synchronized viewing experience for multiple users viewing simultaneously. This article presents a novel solution for real-time synchronized playback of 360-degree videos across various client devices. The proposed system employs a server architecture built on Node.js and Express.js, along with WebSocket communication managed by Socket.IO, to ensure low-latency state synchronization across all connected clients. By incorporating ngrok for seamless internet access, the solution facilitates real-time interaction without the need for complex network configurations. This approach not only addresses the limitations of existing technologies but also greatly enhances the viewing experience in applications such as education, entertainment, and beyond. Performance evaluation results demonstrate the system’s ability to maintain suitable throughput levels and efficient CPU consumption under different scenarios, including setups with 2, 8, and 16 users.