22 CREATION
September 2017
Catering VR to audiences key to long-term success
Audiences have indicated an initial interest in virtual reality ( VR ); the challenge , however , is to sustain this interest and encourage mass adoption in the long term , recent research from the BBC has concluded .
As part of the research , the BBC recruited teens and adults across the UK who were interested in VR but had little experience with it . Each was given a mid-range mobile VR headset for three months , where in the first few weeks , they were asked to play with the hardware every day to discover VR experiences . For the following 12
Calrec Audio has entered into a strategic partnership with Net Insight to simplify the challenges broadcasters are facing in deploying remote live productions . Under the agreement , Net Insight ’ s Nimbra platform will be integrated with Calrec ’ s RP1 Remote Production unit to provide connectivity , transport and control of audio mixes from any location .
Dave Letson , vice-president of sales at Calrec , said : “ Remote broadcasting using Calrec ’ s RP1 and Net Insight ’ s Nimbra means weeks , the participants were left with the hardware , as the BBC observed how VR would fit into their daily lives in the long term .
Broadly , the participants were left “ enthralled and delighted ”, reported the BBC , who observed that their initial and fairly low expectations of VR were “ far outstripped ” in terms of the quality of experience and the very nature of being immersed in VR .
However , this in itself presents a nuanced marketing challenge , pointed out Tim Fiennes , senior market analyst , audiences , BBC . “ The industry has difficulty communicating what VR experiences are actually like ,” he explained . “ Given the wide variety of technology which can determine the nature and quality of experience , setting the right level of expectation for audiences such that they don ’ t come away underwhelmed is tricky .”
Content , perhaps not surprisingly , will play a key role in building the VR experience . As Fiennes pointed out , if content can just as easily be consumed on a TV screen , how do you make the viewer take the effort of watching it immersively ?
Adrenaline-fuelled VR experiences may be a good starting point , although the novelty can dissipate fast , the BBC cautioned . Thus , content with a clear narrative that thinks about the audiences ’ experience is crucial , as Fiennes described : “ Lead the audience on a journey is crucial — experiences without a narrative or goal tended to fall flat . Experiences with good story-telling or clear objectives worked well .”
The risk of cognitive overload also needs to be recognised , he added . “ Audiences need time to process and understand what is happening around them before being able to follow a narrative . When and where to draw their attention is also fundamentally important .”
For trusted brands that take into account the different usage occasions , the different types of content audiences need and the goal of expanding VR beyond novelty experiences , the technology provides opportunities for intelligent content curation , the BBC suggested .
In the interim , sub-par VR experiences flooding the market threatens to turn audiences off
Calrec teams up with Net Insight to enhance remote production
fewer resources are needed onsite , and controlling audio from a remote console saves money on set-up time , crew , logistics and equipment . Production can be up and running quickly , thanks to the plug-and-play unison of just two boxes , and operation does not require high-level technical expertise , providing audio processing from any venue to any production base .”
The RP1 is a broadcast mixing system packed in a 2RU rack-mount box to provide a variety of interface formats , including SDI and AES67 , which can be transported alongside control data across the Nimbra platform . This integration , according to the companies , leads to workflow efficiency advantages for Net Insight customers in the field , and will be offered as a turnkey solution for new customers .
The two companies have previously collaborated in optimising Calrec ’ s Hydra2 audio and control protocols using the Nimbra platform to enable connectivity on-site .
Fredrik Tumegård , CEO of Net Insight , concluded : “ Most of the
While audiences have indicated an initial interest for VR , more needs to be done to sustain interest and encourage mass adoption in the long term , a recent BBC study has found .
the idea of VR altogether . Much of the VR content currently available , the BBC found , is not adding any value over and above consuming the same content on a normal TV screen .
Fiennes continued : “ For VR to be successful , it needs simple , intuitive and consistent interfaces , better curation and content discovery , and a higher supply of quality content which is ‘ worth the effort ’.”
Simplify and create consistency between the currently fragmented hardware and software experiences . This will enable a more frictionless user experience for all audiences , he said , adding :
“ Consistency and open standards will also provide greater certainty for content creators to produce a breadth of content which is not limited to a small set of costly closed devices .”
Equally important , perhaps , is placing the audience , and not the technology , at the heart of content creators ’ thinking . This , the BBC believes , will provide a better understanding of audience perceptions , needs , usage occasions and how best to curate . “ In turn , this will enable us to produce more relevant , impactful and memorable content that fits into real people ’ s lives ,” Fiennes concluded .
Calrec Audio has partnered Net Insight to integrate the latter ’ s Nimbra platform into its RP1 broadcast mixing system .
focus on remote production in the industry to date has been on the video side , but it is audio that is much more complicated to manage . Setting up different interfaces on-site is time-consuming , takes greater resource and means there are more points in the chain where faults can occur .
“ The integration of Net Insight ’ s Nimbra portfolio with Calrec ’ s RP1 takes away all this pain . This is another key step to unlocking the full potential of remote production .”
PHOTO CREDIT : ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES
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