A Hybrid Method for Quality Evaluation in the Context of Use for Mobile (3D) Television

Controlled psychoperceptual quality evaluation experiments are used to assess the excellence of produced audiovisual quality from fundamental signal processing algorithms to consumer services. When compromising produced quality for consumer services, used in dynamic and heterogeneous mobile contexts, the ecological validity of conventional quality evaluation methods can be questioned. The goal of this paper is to develop a method for evaluating the experienced multimedia quality in the context of use. We conducted three studies where the quality of mobile 2D and 3D television was assessed in three different field contexts, one simulated context and one controlled laboratory situation when audio-video compression and transmission parameters were varied. We propose a hybrid method for the design, data-collection and analysis of the experiments in the contexts of use. Its novelty is to complement conventional quantitative quality evaluation with concrete tools to identify factors that surround the assessment in the context. The methodological framework is part of our long-term aim to measure and understand the user-centered quality of experience.