Timeline Exploration in 360° Video

PubDate:Oct 2023

Teams: Tianjin University

Writers:Mengmeng Yu,Chongke Bi

PDF:Timeline Exploration in 360° Video

Abstract

Timeline control is an important interaction during video watching, which can help users quickly locate or jump the video playback time, especially when watching lengthy videos. 360° video has gradually entered the public view due to its ability to select the target view in all directions, and becomes a better alternative to the single view video. At present, 360° video is mostly displayed on a two-dimensional screen, and the timeline only follows a similar design as normal video. However, virtual reality (VR) headsets provide a more immersive viewing experience for 360° videos, while also providing more spatial dimensions for the design of timelines. In this paper, we explore the introduction of 360° video timeline design in VR viewing environments where video time control is rarely involved. In total, we propose 6 design alternatives involving two variables: the shape of timeline (two-dimensional, three-dimensional) and the interaction distance of timeline (close to screen, close to body, attached to wrist). We evaluated their performance and user experience in a user study with 24 participants. Our results show that the usability of the 3D timeline is better than the 2D timeline in 360° space. And the two within reach timelines, close to body and attached to wrist, have advantages in performance and experience over timelines close to screen. Based on these findings, we propose a set of design recommendations for timeline design in different application scenarios.