It is hard for most people to evaluate photographic panorama quality as the medium is relatively new to the public eye.

However one can look at a panorama and judge it on a number of criteria: technical merits, presentation, aesthetic vision, choice of location, and composition. Many books have been written on aesthetics and composition, but the artistic impact of a work is not definable in a scientific way. However, most people have an intuitive perception of what grabs them about a photographic work and what doesn't. So the following list is an attempt to describe some aspects to consider when looking at the technical aspects of a VR panorama:

1. Are there obvious stitching artifacts? ghosting? duplicate objects in the scene?
2. Are details sharp and crisp? Even if you expand the view to full-screen?
3. Does the horizon wobble as you pan around?
4. Are there abrupt shifts in brightness?
5. Are the color hues of the panorama consistent all the way around?
6. Do the colors appear unrealisticly saturated?
7. Are key features (for instance, Half Dome) cut off by a poor lens choice?
8. Can you see color fringing, scratches, or dust when you zoom way into the scene?
9. Does the sky appear realistic? Does the sun look like a sun? Are there details in the shadows?
10. Are people distorted as if you are in a hall of mirrors?
11. Is any part of the photographic equipment visible?
12. Does the panorama display anything to keep you interested while it is downloading?
13. Is the panorama's filesize inordinately large for the amount of detail it displays?
14. Are distracting graphics permanently stamped on the scenery such as logos or labels?
15. Does the VR respond the way you expect? Or does it suddenly spin around at high speed like a drunken sailor?

There are a lot of panoramas on the web, but few people bother to craft them to the highest standards. Hopefully these quality criteria will assist you in interpreting panoramic images.