Today, OpenAI marked another day of its product unveilings with a significant announcement: Sora, its video generation model, is now publicly accessible. Let’s explore its features.
Sora offers much more than just generating videos on demand
Sora was first introduced in February, but it was exclusively available for select researchers at that time. Now, it’s open for public use.
So, what is Sora? It’s a video generation model designed to produce videos based on textual prompts.
This description comes with several caveats and limitations in its initial release, but that’s essentially what it does.
With Sora, you can generate entirely new videos by simply entering a command, but there are additional practical applications that it serves.
According to OpenAI’s website, here’s what Sora can accomplish:
- Remix: Alter, delete, or creatively transform elements within your video (e.g., Swap a spaceship for a jungle)
- Re-cut: Identify and isolate the best frames, extending them as needed to finish a scene
- Storyboard: Arrange and edit a unique sequence of your videos along a personal timeline
- Loop: Cut and create smooth looping videos with the loop feature
- Blend: Merge two videos into one cohesive clip
- Style Presets: Develop and share imaginative styles with Presets
As outlined above, Sora could be an entertaining tool for beginners looking to produce original videos.
However, its primary benefit at this stage might be how it supports YouTubers and filmmakers in their editing processes.
Availability of Sora and current limitations
Unlike ChatGPT, Sora is not accessible to free users; a subscription is necessary.
Sora can be accessed with a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription or through the newly launched $200/month ChatGPT Pro option.
Here are the limitations for each subscription:
ChatGPT Plus
- Up to 50 priority videos (1,000 credits)
- Resolution up to 720p and a maximum duration of 5 seconds
ChatGPT Pro
- Up to 500 priority videos (10,000 credits)
- Unlimited relaxed videos
- Up to 1080p resolution, 20 seconds duration, and 5 concurrent generations
- Download videos without a watermark
The last point is particularly significant, as ChatGPT Plus users will have a watermark on all videos produced with Sora—whether they want it or not.
Despite its current restrictions, Sora is an attractive new feature for the ChatGPT Plus subscription, potentially enticing more users to sign up—especially with the upcoming integration of ChatGPT in iOS 18.2.
What are your thoughts on Sora’s features? Will you give it a try? Share your opinions in the comments.
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