Evaluating Immersion in Digital Video Using EEG and Subjective Measures: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Immersion in digital video refers to the degree to which digital content engages and absorbs viewers. Today, viewers primarily consume digital video online. Despite ample bandwidth availability, network disruptions (e.g., congestion and outages) can degrade quality and interrupt the viewing experience, thereby breaking immersion. In a pilot study, we evaluated viewer immersion while watching digital video content on two streaming services (IPTV and HLS) delivered via conventional IP and our POINT network under regular and exceptional network conditions (congestion and link failures). We used Electroencephalography (EEG) and user interviews to gather data. EEG data indicate that videos streamed through POINT create a more immersive experience in terms of presence, sensory engagement, realism, and detail compared to conventional IP, although the impact varies by service. Interview data corroborate the EEG measures but indicate that POINT’s impact was independent of the specific service used (IPTV or HLS). These findings suggest that POINT enhances viewer immersion over traditional IP networks, particularly under challenging network conditions, but the impact may be service-specific. We plan to conduct a follow-up study with a larger user group and incorporate additional sensors (emotion analysis and eye-tracking) to more comprehensively measure viewers’ emotional and cognitive states under each experimental condition.