Patent ID: 8836771

Claim:
A method of sharing a viewing experience of a streaming free viewpoint format media content event, the method comprising: receiving the streaming free viewpoint format media content event received in a media content stream, wherein the streaming free viewpoint format media content event includes a stream of video information and a stream of audio information of a movie, wherein the video information of the streaming free viewpoint format media content event has a viewing field that is larger than a single viewpoint viewing field of the movie that is presentable on a television display, and wherein the single viewpoint viewing field is defined by a selected camera angle of the streaming free viewpoint format media content event; receiving first geometric orientation information from a first head mounted display (HMD) while the stream of video information is being presented on a display of the first HMD to a first user; determining a first viewpoint location in the streaming free viewpoint format media content event for the first HMD based upon the first geometric orientation information, wherein the first viewpoint location identifies a first point of interest in the presented stream of video information of the movie where the first user of the first HMD is looking; determining a first viewpoint area for the first HMD based upon the determined first viewpoint location; receiving second geometric orientation information from a second HMD while the stream of video information is being presented on a display of the second HMD to a second user; determining a second viewpoint location in the streaming free viewpoint format media content event for the second HMD based upon the second geometric orientation information, wherein the second viewpoint location identifies a second point of interest in the presented stream of video information of the movie where the second user of the second HMD is looking; determining a second viewpoint area for the second HMD based upon the determined second viewpoint location; communicating the first viewpoint area to the first HMD, wherein the first user of the first HMD views the first viewpoint area of the movie on the display of the first HMD; and communicating the second viewpoint area to the second HMD, wherein the second user of the second HMD views the second viewpoint area of the movie on the display of the second HMD.