Subjective assessment of the impact of transmission errors in 3DTV compared to HDTV

Abstract

Recently, broadcasted 3D video content has reached households with the first generation of 3DTV. However, few studies have been done to analyze the Quality of Experience (QoE) perceived by the end-users in this scenario. This paper studies the impact of transmission errors in 3DTV, considering that the video is delivered in side-by-side format over a conventional packet-based network. For this purpose, a novel evaluation methodology based on standard single stimulus methods and with the aim of keeping as close as possible the home environment viewing conditions has been proposed. The effects of packet losses in monoscopic and stereoscopic videos are compared from the results of subjective assessment tests. Other aspects were also measured concerning 3D content as naturalness, sense of presence and visual fatigue. The results show that although the final perceived QoE is acceptable, some errors cause important binocular rivalry, and therefore, substantial visual discomfort.

Validation of a novel approach to subjective quality evaluation of conventional and 3D broadcasted video services

“…Taking this into account, our proposed methodology is based on the use of long sequences, but evaluating the degradations after they take place [5]. Then, in order to not break the continuity of the video (as it would happen using a similar method to ACR since the evaluation is done during a period in which the screen turns grey), after each inserted degradation, a period without any impairment is left while the observers can rate.…”

“…Considering all this, we proposed in our previous work a subjective testing approach with the aim of contributing to achieve a reliable methodology for the evaluation of the QoE perceived by the users of broadcasting video systems [5]. As described in the next section, it was designed to provide representative results of what they perceive in their homes, and is also valid for 3D video content.…”

“…With this objective we compare the standard Absolute Category Rating (ACR) methodology with an evaluation procedure proposed, and successfully used, in our previous works [5], both with monoscopic and stereoscopic videos. This approach aims at estimating the impact on the quality of typical transmission events that may cause degradations on the audiovisual content.…”

Subjective Comparison of Consumer Television Technologies for 3D Visualization

“…Although commonly the international recommendations are used to establish a standardized test environment, there is a recent trend focused on carrying out subjective tests under realistic conditions, similar to those the users have at their homes [5]. The objective of these approaches is to obtain more representative results from the experiments, because using standardized environments could distance the observers from real viewing conditions.…”

“…In fact, all the steps involved in the processing chain of 3D video could affect the visual experience of the end users. This is the reason why several research works have been proposed in the literature analyzing aspects like capturing effects [3], coding schemes [4], transmission events [5], and visualization issues [6]. However, more studies about the quality perceived by the users of 3D video systems are needed, dealing with new approaches and technologies to achieve a performance improvement and to understand the users' expectations, especially in relation to the capabilities of consumer 3D visualization technologies.…”