Automatic audiovisual asynchrony measurement for quality assessment of videoconferencing. - In: 2023 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX), (2023), S. 248-251
Audiovisual asynchrony is a significant factor im-pacting the Quality of Experience (QoE), especially for interactive communication like video conferencing. In this paper, we propose a client-side approach to predict the delay between an audio and a video signal, using only the media signals from both streams. Features are extracted from the video and audio stream, respectively, and analyzed using a cross-correlation approach to determine the actual delay. Our approach predicts the delay with an accuracy of over 80% in a time frame of ±1s. We further highlight the potential drawbacks of using a cross-correlation-based analysis and propose different solutions for practical implementations of a delay-based QoE metric.
https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178438
Influence of viewing distances on 8K HDR video quality perception. - In: 2023 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX), (2023), S. 209-212
The benefits of high resolutions in displays, such as 8K (UHD-2), have been the subject of ongoing research in the field of display technology and human perception in recent years. Out of several factors influencing users' perception of video quality, viewing distance is one of the key aspects. Hence, this study uses a subjective test to investigate the perceptual advantages of 8K over 4K (UHD-1) resolution for HDR videos at 7 different viewing distances, ranging from 0.5 H to 2 H. The results indicate that, on average, for HDR content the 8K resolution can improve the video quality at all tested distances. Our study shows that although the 8K resolution is slightly better than 4K at close distances, the extent of these benefits is highly dependent on factors such as the pixel-related complexity of the content and the visual acuity of the viewers.
https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178602
Power reduction opportunities on end-user devices in quality-steady video streaming. - In: 2023 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX), (2023), S. 79-82
This paper uses a crowdsourced dataset of online video streaming sessions to investigate opportunities to reduce the power consumption while considering QoE. For this, we base our work on prior studies which model both the end-user's QoE and the end-user device's power consumption with the help of high-level video features such as the bitrate, the frame rate, and the resolution. On top of existing research, which focused on reducing the power consumption at the same QoE optimizing video parameters, we investigate potential power savings by other means such as using a different playback device, a different codec, or a predefined maximum quality level. We find that based on the power consumption of the streaming sessions from the crowdsourcing dataset, devices could save more than 55% of power if all participants adhere to low-power settings.
https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178450
Appeal and quality assessment for AI-generated images. - In: 2023 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX), (2023), S. 115-118
Recently AI-generated images gained in popularity. A critical aspect of AI-generated images using, e.g., DALL-E-2 or Midjourney, is that they may look artificial, be of low quality, or have a low appeal in contrast to real images, depending on the text prompt and AI generator. For this reason, we evaluate the quality and appeal of AI-generated images using a crowdsourcing test as an extension of our recently published AVT-AI-Image-Dataset. This dataset consists of a total of 135 images generated with five different AI-text-to-image generators. Based on the collected subjective ratings in the crowdsourcing test, we evaluate the different used AI generators in terms of image quality and appeal of the AI-generated images. We also link image quality and image appeal also with SoA objective models. The extension will be made publicly available for reproducibility.
https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178486
DNN-based photography rule prediction using photo tags. - In: 2023 15th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience (QoMEX), (2023), S. 83-86
Instagram and Flickr are just two examples of photo-sharing platforms which are currently used to upload thousands of images on a daily basis. One important aspect in such social media contexts is to know whether an image is of high appeal or not. In particular, to understand the composition of a photo and to improve reading flow, several photo rules have been established. In this paper, we focus on eight selected photo rules. To automatically predict whether an image follows one of these rules or not, we train 13 deep neural networks in a transfer-learning setup and compare their prediction performance. As a dataset, we use photos downloaded from Flickr with specifically selected image tags, which reflect the eight photo rules. There-fore, our dataset does not need additional human annotations. ResNet50 has the best prediction performance, however, there are images that follow several rules, which must be addressed in follow-up work. The code and the data (image URLs) are made publicly available for reproducibility.
https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX58391.2023.10178505
Using the diagrammatic image schema language for joint human-machine cognition. - In: Engineering for a changing world, (2023), 5.1.133, S. 1-5
https://doi.org/10.22032/dbt.58917
Influence of multi-modal interactive formats on subjective audio quality and exploration behavior. - In: IMX 2023, (2023), S. 115-128
This study uses a mixed between- and within-subjects test design to evaluate the influence of interactive formats on the quality of binaurally rendered 360˚ spatial audio content. Focusing on ecological validity using real-world recordings of 60 s duration, three independent groups of subjects () were exposed to three formats: audio only (A), audio with 2D visuals (A2DV), and audio with head-mounted display (AHMD) visuals. Within each interactive format, two sessions were conducted to evaluate degraded audio conditions: bit-rate and Ambisonics order. Our results show a statistically significant effect (p < .05) of format only on spatial audio quality ratings for Ambisonics order. Exploration data analysis shows that format A yields little variability in exploration, while formats A2DV and AHMD yield broader viewing distribution of 360˚ content. The results imply audio quality factors can be optimized depending on the interactive format.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3573381.3596155
Cross-timescale experience evaluation framework for productive teaming. - In: Engineering for a changing world, (2023), 5.4.129, S. 1-6
This paper presents the initial concept for an evaluation framework to systematically evaluate productive teaming (PT). We consider PT as adaptive human-machine interactions between human users and augmented technical production systems. Also, human-to-human communication as part of a hybrid team with multiple human actors is considered, as well as human-human and human-machine communication for remote and mixed remote- and co-located teams. The evaluation comprises objective, performance-related success indicators, behavioral metadata, and measures of human experience. In particular, it considers affective, attentional and intentional states of human team members, their influence on interaction dynamics in the team, and researches appropriate strategies to satisfyingly adjust dysfunctional dynamics, using concepts of companion technology. The timescales under consideration span from seconds to several minutes, with selected studies targeting hour-long interactions and longer-term effects such as effort and fatigue. Two example PT scenarios will be discussed in more detail. To enable generalization and a systematic evaluation, the scenarios’ use cases will be decomposed into more general modules of interaction.
https://doi.org/10.22032/dbt.58930
6G NeXt - joint communication and compute mobile network: use cases and architecture. - In: Kommunikation in der Automation, (2023), 6, insges. 10 S.
The research on the new generation mobile networks is currently in the phase of defining the key technologies to make 6G successful. Hereby, the research project 6G NeXt is aiming to provide a tight integration between the communication network, consisting of the radio access as well as backbone network, and processing facilities. By the concept of split computing, the processing facilities are distributed over the entire backbone network, from centralised cloud to the edge cloud at a base station. Based on two demanding use cases, Smart Drones and Hologradic Communication, we investigate a joint communication and compute architecture that will make the application of tomorrow become reality.
https://opendata.uni-halle.de//handle/1981185920/113595
Quality of experience in interactive virtual environments: contributions towards a methodological framework. - In: Proceedings of the 1st AUDICTIVE Conference, (2023), S. 126-129
https://doi.org/10.18154/RWTH-2023-08865