The GoPro HERO9 now has an official release date of September 16, 2020, at 9am Eastern Time. The new camera’s upgraded features remain to be seen, but they’re teasing higher resolution than ever before.
Which would be impressive, considering the current GoPro HERO8 captures some very crisp video (check our recent Where To Ride and Review videos for examples). That one delivers 4K 60fps for action, and 1080p240 for 8x slo-mo. Plus 12MP still photos with HDR.
And, it does all that with 100 mb/s transfer speed, allowing more color and data to be captured. Arguably, that and the faster processor is what gave the HERO8 its improved image quality over the HERO7.
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It’ll be interesting to see if GoPro’s able to eke out higher frame rates at full 4K, which would add better resolution to slow motion. Or they could be jumping to 8K, which would allow for a lot more editing freedom by giving the user the ability to crop down quite a bit without dropping below 4K quality.
Other than promising higher resolution, though, details are non-existent. But we pulled this screen grab and adjusted levels to see what we could find:
The form factor appears to be very similar, which makes sense considering their expanded ecosystem of Media Mod accessories made for vloggers and filmers. We suspect this camera will be compatible with all of those bits, and maybe more.
The HERO8’s camera has a smooth side where the Mode/Power button sits, but this image suggests there’s a new port or latch just under that button on the HERO9. Based on the HERO8 updates mentioned below, there’s a chance it’s a quick-access port for USB-C video streaming, or simply a relocation of one of the ports to make room for a larger battery. After all, more resolution means more data, which requires more power.
If we’re being honest, what we’d really like to see is a larger sensor for better low-light capture. Darkness is still the GoPro’s achilles’ heel, and packing more (smaller) pixels into a tighter space doesn’t help that.
You can set a reminder to tune into their YouTube premiere and watch the unveil, and of course we’ll have the full tech breakdown that morning, too.
Now you can use your GoPro to Livestream
The GoPro Plus subscription program has been around for a while, and it’s not a bad deal if you’re stocking up on accessories or routinely break action cameras. It gives you 30-50% off GoPro batteries and mounts, and offers a really forgiving replacement/repair program.
And now it lets you livestream… through GoPro.com.
“GoPro Plus subscribers can now live stream from their GoPro camera to their account at GoPro.com, text the live stream link to their family and friends, and boom … they’re LIVE,” said GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman.
Live streaming works with HERO8 Black, HERO7 Black and MAX cameras. And, technically, you could set up the GoPro smartphone app to stream directly to Facebook, Twitch and YouTube. This new feature lets you share a link for anyone to watch, even if they’re not using any of those other platforms…or you don’t want to figure out how to set it up to work with them.
New HyperSmooth 2.0 frame rates
One of the biggest improvements from HERO7 to HERO8 was the upgraded HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization. And now it’s even better in that you have more frame rate options to use it with.
HyperSmooth 2.0 originally worked with all frame rates in its “standard” mode. But it also had “High” and “Boost”, each of which offered more stabilization, but with limitations on frame rates and/or additional cropping when using the enhanced modes. Now, you’ve got a few more options for High and Boost modes:
- 2.7K at 30, 25 and 24 fps
- 1080 at 30, 25 and 24
- Added Boost support for SuperView
GoPro Web Cam support for MacOS
Wondering how to use your GoPro as a webcam for a PC or Mac? They’ve just released a new firmware for HERO8 Black that includes official webcam support for macOS.
All you need to use the HERO8 Black as a Web Cam is the USB-C cable. There are no adapters or accessories required, though you may want that little light they make to add some brightness to indoor scenes. Just make sure your camera is updated with the latest firmware, which can be done through the GoPro mobile app.
They have a full tutorial here, and that handy video up above. This means you can now use the GoPro for video conferencing and other video services, including popular gaming streams like Twitch:
- Zoom (v 5.0.5 and newer)
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- Skype
- Twitch via OBS
- BlueJeans
- GoTo Meeting
- Snap Camera
- Facebook Rooms
The following also work, but only through the Google Chrome browser:
- Zoom
- YouTube Live
- Webex
As of this post, Windows support for GoPro Webcam is in beta and available for download at GoPro.com/webcam.
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