Enhancing 360-Degree Video Collection Exploration: A Novel Interface for Immersive Browsing in Virtual Reality
Browsing 360-degree video libraries in virtual reality is commonly approached with a traditional two-dimensional grid presenting equirectangular or custom thumbnails, similar to how traditional videos are presented. However, this approach fails to take advantage of unique opportunities offered by virtual reality environments, such as immersive displays capable of showing content in three-dimensional space. This study aims to improve the browsing experience by proposing two interfaces that utilize the additional screen space offered by VR to present a detailed video visualization. The filmstrip interface represents the conventional approach to visualizing videos, and the hierarchical interface proposes a new approach where videos can be hierarchically explored. A comparative study was conducted with 32 participants, aged between 18 and 30 years. Participants interacted with both the filmstrip and hierarchical interfaces, performing a timed search task to find a specific video containing a previously viewed frame. They used the interfaces in a counterbalanced order. Performance was assessed based on the time measure and the correctness of the video identification. The user experience was evaluated using the UEQ-S and qualitative feedback from a post-task questionnaire.
The results indicated that participants completed the search task statistically significantly faster using the hierarchical interface compared to the filmstrip interface. Accuracy between the two interfaces showed no significant difference, with almost all participants successfully identifying the correct video in both interfaces. The results considering user experience also indicated a preference for the hierarchical interface. While no significant difference was found in pragmatic quality between the interfaces, the hierarchical interface demonstrated significantly better hedonic and overall quality. These findings indicate that the hierarchical interface results in a better performance and user experience, suggesting that a hierarchical approach provides a more enjoyable and efficient browsing experience for 360\degree{} video libraries in VR environments.
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