Examining the role of smart TVs and VR HMDs in synchronous at-a-distance media consumption

This article examines synchronous at-a-distance media consumption from two perspectives: How it can be facilitated using existing consumer displays (through TVs combined with smartphones), and imminently available consumer displays (through virtual reality (VR) HMDs combined with RGBD sensing). First, we discuss results from an initial evaluation of a synchronous shared at-a-distance smart TV system, CastAway. Through week-long in-home deployments with five couples, we gain formative insights into the adoption and usage of at-a-distance media consumption and how couples communicated during said consumption. We then examine how the imminent availability and potential adoption of consumer VR HMDs could affect preferences toward how synchronous at-a-distance media consumption is conducted, in a laboratory study of 12 pairs, by enhancing media immersion and supporting embodied telepresence for communication. Finally, we discuss the implications these studies have for the near-future of consumer synchronous at-a-distance media consumption. When combined, these studies begin to explore a design space regarding the varying ways in which at-a-distance media consumption can be supported and experienced (through music, TV content, augmenting existing TV content for immersion, and immersive VR content), what factors might influence usage and adoption and the implications for supporting communication and telepresence during media consumption

How to Describe and Measure Obstacles of Narrative Immersion in a Film? The Wheel of Immersion as a Framework

Abstract The aim of this study is to describe and measure obstacles of narrative immersion in a film. Inspired by a literature review within both game research and film studies, we propose a circular model to describe the dynamic process of different levels of involvement viewers can be in while watching a film. The evaluation is based on a 3D animation short film we have developed to achieve total immersion among viewers. The methodological design involved an attempt to decrease viewers’ involvement in the animation film by using distractions during the viewing. The study follows a mixed method strategy combining observation, a questionnaire and a structured interview. The results revealed that viewers react very differently to the distractions. For some viewers, the animation film was not the perceptual focus, where others were totally immersed. The number of distractions was not dependent on whether the film was watched individually or in groups, and for all participants, the distractions occurred in certain rhythms.</jats:p

Evaluating Audience Engagement of an Immersive Performance on a Virtual Stage

Presenting theatrical performances in virtual reality (VR) has been an active area of research since the early 2000\u27s. VR provides a unique form of storytelling, which is made possible through the use of physically and digitally distributed 3D worlds. We describe a methodology for determining audience engagement in a virtual theatre performance. We use a combination of galvanic skin response (GSR) data, self-reported positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), post-viewing reflection, and a think aloud method to assess user reaction to the virtual reality experience. In this study, we combine the implicit physiological data from GSR with explicit user feedback to produce a holistic metric for assessing immersion. Although the study evaluated a particular artistic work, the methodology of the study provides a foundation for conducting similar research. The combination of PANAS, self reflection, and the think aloud in conjunction with GSR data constitutes a novel approach in the study of live performance in virtual reality. The approach is also extendable to include other implicit measures such as pulse rate, blood pressure, or eye tracking. Our case study compares the experience of viewing the performance on a computer monitor to viewing with a head mounted display. Results showed statistically significant differences based on viewing platform in the PANAS self-report metric, as well as GSR measurements. Feedback obtained via the think aloud and reflection analysis also emphasized qualitative differences between the two viewing scenarios

Was I There? Impact of Platform and Headphones on 360 Video Immersion

Virtual reality industries claim that 360 videos are a powerful tool for creating empathy because they are an immersive medium, and wearing headphones is encouraged for the full immersive experience. To investigate these claims, we carried out a 2x2 between subjects lab study (n=40) to explore whether 360 viewing platform (magic window / google cardboard) and headphone use (with / without) have an effect on Film-Immersion for the 360 video Fire Rescue. Our results reveal a significant interaction effect: headphones increased immersion for google cardboard, but decreased immersion for magic window. However, not all dimensions of the immersive experience were affected. This suggests that head-mounted displays increase presence, but do not necessarily lead to more empathy and greater interest in the 360 video. Thematic analysis of interview data suggests contributing factors such as fear of missing out (FOMO). These findings have implications for film makers and researchers of 360 videos

Increasing the immersivity of 360° videos facilitates learning and memory: implications for theory and practice

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology in education and training. Studies examining the efficacy of IVR-based interventions have shown improved performance compared to traditional training programmes; however, little is known about whether such improvements can be detected at the level of individual cognitive abilities. The present study sought to examine the effect of IVR on memory using an incidental learning paradigm. Undergraduate volunteers viewed a three-minute 360° video clip under immersive and non-immersive conditions– respectively, using a Head Mounted Display (HMD) or a 2D flat screen monitor – followed by a surprise recall task. Although both devices supported active exploration of the scene in 360°, recall was significantly improved for learners in the immersive condition. These findings suggest that IVR has a facilitative effect on cognition, and that learners may naturally engage with IVR-delivered content without any special instruction or preparation

Inputs and outputs: engagement in digital media from the maker's perspective

In the process of developing a technology assembly that can objectively measure engagement on a moment-by-moment basis, subjective responses to stimuli must be shown to correlate with the component technologies, such as motion capture or psychophysiology. Subjective scales for engagement are not all consistent in segregating the measurement of causes (inputs to the audience) and effects (outputs from the audience); this lack of separation can obscure appropriate inferences in the relationship between cause and effect. Inputs to the audience are scripted, and are controllable by the maker. An output is what the designed experience engenders in the end-user, and outputs can include both mental states (satisfaction) and physical activities (heart rate) during the stimulus and subsequently. Inputs can be maximised by design, whereas to optimise outputs from the end-user, one needs an empirical process because outputs are dependent upon an interpretive process or entry into a biological system. Outputs will be highly dependent on audience and context, and they will often be quite variable, even in individuals from a similar audience profile. It is critical that, in instruments assessing the relationship between inputs and outputs, controllable inputs to the end-user must not be conflated with outputs engendered in the end-user

The Virtual Worlds of Cinema Visual Effects, Simulation, and the Aesthetics of Cinematic Immersion

This thesis develops a phenomenology of immersive cinematic spectatorship. During an immersive experience in the cinema, the images, sounds, events, emotions, and characters that form a fictional diegesis become so compelling that our conscious experience of the real world is displaced by a virtual world. Theorists and audiences have long recognized cinema’s ability to momentarily substitute for the lived experience of reality, but it remains an under-theorized aspect of cinematic spectatorship. The first aim of this thesis is therefore to examine these immersive responses to cinema from three perspectives – the formal, the technological, and the neuroscientific – to describe the exact mechanisms through which a spectator’s immersion in a cinematic world is achieved. A second aim is to examine the historical development of the technologies of visual simulation that are used to create these immersive diegetic worlds. My analysis shows a consistent increase in the vividness and transparency of simulative technologies, two factors that are crucial determinants in a spectator’s immersion. In contrast to the cultural anxiety that often surrounds immersive responses to simulative technologies, I examine immersive spectatorship as an aesthetic phenomenon that is central to our engagement with cinema. The ubiquity of narrative – written, verbal, cinematic – shows that the ability to achieve immersion is a fundamental property of the human mind found in cultures diverse in both time and place. This thesis is thus an attempt to illuminate this unique human ability and examine the technologies that allow it to flourish

It is not real until it feels real : testing a new method for simulation of eyewitness experience with virtual reality technology and equipment

Laboratory research in the psychology of witness testimony is often criticized for its lack of ecological validity, including the use of unrealistic artifcial stimuli to test memory performance. The purpose of our study is to present a method that can provide an intermediary between laboratory research and feld studies or naturalistic experiments that are difcult to control and administer. It uses Video-360° technology and virtual reality (VR) equipment, which cuts subjects of from external stimuli and gives them control over the visual feld. This can potentially increase the realism of the eyewitness's experience. To test the method, we conducted an experiment comparing the immersion efect, emotional response, and memory performance between subjects who watched a video presenting a mock crime on a head-mounted display (VR goggles; n=57) and a screen (n=50). The results suggest that, compared to those who watched the video on a screen, the VR group had a deeper sense of immersion, that is, of being part of the scene presented. At the same time, they were not distracted or cognitively overloaded by the more complex virtual environment, and remembered just as much detail about the crime as those viewing it on the screen. Additionally, we noted signifcant diferences between subjects in ratings of emotions felt during the video. This may suggest that the two formats evoke diferent types of discrete emotions. Overall, the results confrm the usefulness of the proposed method in witness research