R&D  BBC MMX Broadcast-related challenges: Increasing quality and interactivity of audio-visual media Graham Thomas BBC R&D

R&D  BBC MMIX Requirements for AV content to be believable Image resolution –Spatial –Temporal (both capture rate and display rate; effect of aliasing; noise visibility) –Colour depth (8 bit, 10 bit, 12 bit?) & dynamic range Image field-of-view –Spatial & temporal resolution requirements at different angles –Effect of wide field-of-view on content production Audio –Directional audio system (wavefront synthesis, ambisonics, …) 3D –Important for objects nearer than around 20m, but if done badly can make things worse! There’s more to the ultimate AV experience than Super Hi-Vision….

R&D  BBC MMIX Examples of research that could be taken further – High Frame Rate The dynamic resolution of HD is no better than that of SD, and the transparency around edges from motion blur destroys illusion of reality Higher frame rates can solve this (top: 50Hz, bottom: 300Hz)

R&D  BBC MMIX Examples of research that could be taken further – Surround Video Capture using an additional HD fisheye camera next to main camera Distort and scale the fisheye image appropriately and project onto walls – we used a conventional projector and a hemispherical mirror Viewer concentrates on main image but gets sense of immersion from projected image, which aligns with main display

R&D  BBC MMIX Adding interactivity and games-like functionality to video Future networked media systems should aim to increase the level of interactivity available from conventional video, moving it towards that of a game. Drivers: –Audiences (especially younger ones) migrating from film/TV to games –Networks and processing power will all support radically improved functionality –New opportunities for those who can use existing skills in traditional media production to feed new interactive markets

R&D  BBC MMIX Adding interactivity and games-like functionality to video Some ideas…. ‘Terminator’-style data on everything in a video - from sports statistics to motorbikes - available on demand? Robust real-time 3D analysis/modelling could allow 3D models and behaviours to move from linear video to an interactive game-like environment