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Second screen as a facilitator of audiovisual knowledge:
a mobile application proposal
Carla V. Leite
Universidade de Aveiro / Instituto de Telecomunicações, Portugal
Abstract
Over the last few years, the audiovisual viewer has
been assuming an ever increasingly active behaviour,
creating new habits using the technology available. In
this perspective, the mobile device has been playing a
key role as second screen, into which the plot can leak
or where comp leme ntar y infor mati o n can be
presented. The perfect conditions for the creation of
this medium, where knowledge related to audiovisual
contents can be created and shared, are then in place.
This research takes advantage of this opportunity,
starting with a preliminary study to access the needs
and expectations of potential users. From the gathered
results, a mobile application that makes available
complementary information for audiovisual contents
thr o u g h aut o m a t i c c o n t e n t r e c o gnit i o n was
conceptualised. A proof of concept was implemented
and, following the ensuing laboratory evaluation, it was
possible to infer about the audiovisual experience and
the sharing of information about the contents between
viewers. The results show that this mobile application
has a positive impact in the viewers experience, it can
be a facilitator to improve knowledge and additionally
can be explored to purchase goods or services related
to audiovisual contents.
Ke y w o rds: Audiovisual, Second screen, Mobile
application, Infotainment, Knowledge
Introduction
Nowadays, a screen can be seen as a source of
audiovisual information that easily enables curiosity
and doubts. “Who is this actress?” or “When was that
movie recorded?” are questions the viewer may have,
but the screen by itself will not answer. At the same
time, smartphones have become commonplace, and
present the necessary features to answer these
questions. This work analyses the role of the mobile
phone as a second screen and simultaneously as a
companion device for a bigger screen. It also analyses
in which ways the device may be leveraged to provide
infotainment and improve the public knowledge related
to audiovisual contents.
That's where the motivation for this work starts, the
creation of tools to allow a common individual to be
more aware and critical of what he watches.
In this work the term audiovisual contents will be used
to refer to audiovisual creations such as films and
television programmes, not stating any specific genre.
When explaining the dual screen approach, the big
screen in this context is a screen that exists at home
and can be connected, for example, to a television box,
computer or DVD player. In this approach the screen is
not seen as a mass media device but as catalyst of
communication and education used in a home
environment. It is also not related to a movie theatre,
and it is not intended to be used in a public and shared
space that abides to certain rules. When we talk about
the small screen we are referring to a mobile screen of
a phone of the smart or touch era.
This explanation makes it clear that this application
proposal was conceptualised for a relaxed environment
where the user has the total control of what to watch
and to fulfil the need of searching for more information
about audiovisual content.
Social impact of audiovisual consumption
One of the primary consequences of watching
audiovisual contents is the ability of promoting dialogue
and communication between people, both in real and
virtual worlds. To talk about what was recently seen is
becoming so intuitive and phatic as talking about the
weather to initiate a conversation with someone
(Abreu, 2007). The exchange of opinions is one of the
gratification effects of watching audiovisual content
(Gray, 2002) and this reveals their potential to improve
interpersonal relationships. The comments may occur
before, during or after watching it (Dahlgren, 1995),
and have the strength to influence our decisions (Hess,
2008).
Automatic tools, such as recommendation systems
through invitation or suggestion, can lead to affinity
between two people; however studies show that the
viewers prefer to recommend and communicate with a
higher level of talkative freedom (Harboe & Basapur,
2009).
Watching audiovisual contents can be as social or
solitary as one wants (Geerts, 2005) (Lull, 1980) (Lee
& Lee, 1995), therefore it is important to create a
solution that allows people to access information
related to audiovisual content in both situations (Abreu,
2007).
The smartphone has the opportunity to be the
facilitator element in the communication process
around audiovisual contents through enhancing the
social experience.
New a udiovisual consum ption tend encies are
emerging and it seems that people are assuming
control of what they watch; they want to take part and
be closer to media; they are consuming several media
at the same time; finally, they want to share content
with others (apud Quico, 2005).
Multitasking and Complementary usage of
Smartphone
The use of multiple devices simultaneously is attention-
getting mainly because it allows time compression
through multitasking and complementary usage.
Studies show that the usage of mobile phones while
watching audiovisual content is not seen as a bad
behaviour for the majority of the population, due to
improvement on the individual autonomy and critical
sense: it is possible to reach different sources and
media channels and it is comfortable to remain seated
while obtaining the information (Cardoso, do Carmo
Gomes, & Cardoso, 2007).
As reported by a Nielsen study of Q1 2012, using a
tablet or smartphone while watching television is
becoming common practice in several countries. In the
United States of America, 86% of the smartphone
owners said they used their device while tuned in at
least once during a 30-day period. For 41% this dual
usage was a daily event. Resembling values were
reported from the United Kingdom, where 78% of the
smartphone owners already dual tasked, whether to
check email or to look up programmes or product
information. However, in Italy and Germany the values
are not so high, with almost 35% of users saying they
never used their smartphone while watching television.
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2012/double-
vision-global-trends-in-tablet-and-smartphone-use-
while-watching-tv.html
According to a Google study of Q2 2012, television no
longer commands our undivided attention. 77% of the
viewers use another device in hand, which is a
smartphone in 49% of those cases. The search is for
the most part inspired by what they see on screen
(http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/multiscreenwor
ld_final.pdf).
This represents the emerging dual screen interaction
paradigm, in which the viewer momentarily shares his
attention between two devices complementing each
other in an additive process (Cesar & Chorianopoulos,
2009). In line with this approach, there is need for a
handy tool that allows the viewer to easily search for
related information, filling the knowledge gap in a way
that is as dynamic and automatic as possible (Schatz,
Baillie, Frohlich & Egger, 2008).
Related work
To create a mobile application, it's not only important to
account for the small screen size, but also for other
aspects that can be relevant in the user experience
(Gualtieri, 2011). This section will analyse the most
relevant second screen applications and summarize
the important aspects of each one.
Backstage Press
The second screen application Backstage Press fol-
lowed the success of the official Oscars mobile applic-
ation. Using this application, the user can, while simul-
taneously viewing the Oscars television programme,
access exclusive contents and real-time updates, from
the red carpet moment until the announcement of the
winners. The user can easily watch the trailers of the
nominees, interviews with the actors and see the event
from twelve different camera angels. It is also possible
to check photos and videos from the previous year and
engage in social media through the comments with the
proper hashtag. Before the winners are announced,
the user can play My Picks, which consists of an inter-
active game where the players can vote in who they
think is going to win in each category. This turns into a
competition between Facebook friends trying to be ac-
curate in order to reach the higher score. After the
event, the fans can still access all the information and
remember the highlights of the night. According to
Karin Gilford, senior vice-president of Digital Media, by
observing the usage of Oscars application, the creative
team was able to improve the Backstage Press func-
tionalities. It was important for them to understand
what related information the users wanted to search for
in order to facilitate it in the best possible way, while, at
the same time, create an immersive experience for the
fans before, during and after the event (apud Markowe,
2012).
Grey’s Anatomy & My Generation sync
ABC created two similar mobile applications for the
fans of Grey's Anatomy and My Generation television
series. The application allows them to vote in the
scene watched, answer quizzes in real-time and un-
block premium contents, all of it while watching the
programme. Both applications provide distinct content,
with My generation displaying the actors biography,
while Grey's Anatomy allows the viewer to check-in in
certain moments of the episodes in order to win
badges and read other fans' comments. The synchron-
isation between the mobile device and the television
happens through audio triggers.
GetGlue
GetGlue is presented as more than a check-in applica-
tion. It is a social network related to television contents,
where users can read their friends' comments and fol-
low what they are watching at the moment. It also in-
corporates a recommendation system based on the
user ratings of programmes.
TvTak
TvTak is a mobile application that allows the user to
share what he is watching on television as well as his
mood via comments and smiles. By gathering all this
information together in a feed, the social engaging part
is underdeveloped. One of the main features of this ap-
plication is the recognition of the television channel and
programme by taking a photo of the screen, despite
the fact that the identification itself relies on servers
continually monitoring multiple television channels from
some countries.
Methodology
The creation of a solution that is based in real needs
was executed in three stages. First, the preliminary
results were obtained by collecting primary data
through conducted surveys (Kumar, 2005). Then, an
application proposal was conceptualised, and the cor-
responding prototype was developed. Finally, the pro-
posal was evaluated in laboratory.
Preliminary Information
There is little data available on the subject at hand and
it was not yet explored in the Portuguese context
(Babbie, 1986). In order to gather the necessary data,
a self-administered online survey collecting the opin-
ions, attitudes, behaviour, knowledge, conscience and
expectations about the study problem was conducted
(Quivy & Campenhoudt, 2008). The study posed the
following questions:
• Is it relevant to access complementary information
about audiovisual contents?
• What are the usual behaviours to obtain that inform-
ation?
• What format or type of information is more interesting
to obtain?
• Through a general textual description, does the pro-
posal seem interesting and useful?
The survey was written in Portuguese and dissemin-
ated through academic and research institutions. In
was also published in the local journals, which made
this study a headline in online news, and it was an-
nounced in all the linked feeds and social networks
around the world. The survey was available for 3
months, between September and December 2012, and
several respondents declared to be interested in fol-
lowing up this research (Nielsen, 1993), therefore their
contact details were kept under their permission so
they could receive the study results and be invited to
the following steps of this research.
The survey had feedback from 548 individuals with an
average age of 27 years old, ranging from 17 to 62
years old, and 60% being women. The majority of the
individuals were Portuguese students or workers, with
at least a Bachelor degree completed. Almost every-
one had a big screen at home and at least one mobile
phone. A high percentage declared to consume audi-
ovisual programmes on a daily basis, with 60% con-
suming up to two hours a day and 32% between two
and six hours a day. When asked about the importance
of searching for more information about audiovisual
programmes of any genre, near 73% said to feel this
need and indeed search for information so they could
improve their knowledge about the subject or just cla-
rify some doubt, and only 2% said having felt the need
but done nothing about it. The preferred moment to do
the search is when the programme is over, still it is an
ordinary behaviour for almost half of them to search
before or while tuned in.
For the high majority, the elected device to do the
search is the Portable Computer. Electronic Program
Guide and Interactive Television services were chosen
by 45% of the sample, and Desktop Computer by 24%.
Mobile devices, such as tablets and phones, were con-
sidered an option for nearly 20% of the sample. To
analyse this result it is necessary to have in considera-
tion that despite 96% of the sample declaring to have
at least one mobile phone, only 51% knew its operative
system and only 38% had a phone with the capability
for searching, as a result of being from either smart or
touch era. Furthermore, when asked about other
phone functionalities they used frequently, 96% said to
use it for calls and SMS/MMS and 55% also declared
to often photograph with the phone's camera.
Next the sample was asked about the habits of search-
ing for any kind of information, related or not with audi-
ovisual contents, using their own phone. As a result,
43% declared to do it, with the majority of them using a
web browser, but still almost half also claimed to do it
through mobile applications. According to the answers,
text, maps, GPS coordinates, photos/images and
videos are the most common formats of data they
search for. On the other hand, music or sounds are
only searched by 40% of them.
When asked about their experience with mobile ap-
plications, 68% admitted to have tried at least once,
and only 6% didn't know if they had tried or what an
application was. 45% of the ones that tried, declared to
use them on a daily basis.
The most popular mobile application types are Enter-
tainment and Social networks, followed by Information
and Games. Utilities, Music, Travel/Location and
Photo/Video applications were also used by nearly half
of the sample.
A general textual description about the proposal was
read to all the respondents, who were then asked if the
proposal seemed interesting and useful. Half of the
sample affirmed to be interested in trying the applica-
tion, and 30% were neutral about this subject. Never-
theless, 60% had a positive opinion and 27% were
neutral about the usefulness of the proposal. The
gathered results are similar to both questions and can
be interpreted as that at least half of the sample are
open to try new applications if they recognise them as
useful.
The last question in the preliminary study attempted to
access which kind of information was relevant to be
displayed while the participant was watching an audi-
ovisual programme. A high majority elected Music and
soundtracks, followed by Similar programmes, Pro-
gramme related videos, trailers and clips, Building and
Local information as the most relevant and interesting
information to obtain. Between 40% and 50% selected
Programme ratings from other users, Objects identi-
fication, Date of premiere or new episodes as import-
ant too. Biographies and Advertisement intended good-
ies were selected by 35% of the sample. The most un -
common choices were User comments to show, Pho-
tos from people on the programme and finally Photos
from the place were it was shot. 4% of the sample
made some additions to this list, namely: Title, syn-
opses and list of episodes; Recipes confectioned dur-
ing cooking programmes; Information about tours,
dates and prices of concerts from musicians playing on
the programme or the ones that were listed on the
soundtracks; and games or digital gifts somehow re-
lated to the programme.
Application proposal
In order to evaluate the validity of a second screen ap-
proach specialised on audiovisual contents, it was ne-
cessary to create a prototype of the application pro-
posal.
Prototype development approach
The first stage in the development of an application
proposal, was the definition of the interaction mechan-
ism between the two devices – mobile and screen – in
order to be able to demonstrate content recognition.
According to the preliminary results, the action of tak-
ing a picture is well accepted. On top of that, in Octo-
ber of 2013, Instagram, a ground breaking application,
was the most used social network related to mobile
photography with over 150 million monthly active users
of all over the world sharing their daily life. According to
the official website, by that time, they had already
shared 16 milliard of photos and 2,2 milliard of positive
interactions.
The proposal was then based on this gesture, but with
a simulated implementation, given that content recog-
nition through images is still an emergent technology
which requires complex computational resources and
h a s l o w r a t e s o f s u c c e s s
[http://www.technewsdaily.com/18296-google-glasses-facial-re-
cognition.html], and furthermore, the interaction tests
were to be conducted in a controlled environment, ob-
viating the need for complete functionality. Simulated
content had to be prepared before the evaluation so
the participant did not notice the absence of this func -
tionality.
Prototype interface and interaction
The prototype interface adopted a visual metaphor in-
spired in the hipster subculture associated to Jazz in
the 40's and as a revivalism in the 90's easily associ-
ated to indie culture and characterised by timeless aes-
thetics and elegance (Arsel & Thompson, 2010): the
moustache, presented in figure 1 and known as a sym-
bol of knowledge and irreverence, popularly used as a
substitute of the verb in the saying “I must ask you a
question”.
Figure 1: Application proposal brand
As a result of the gathered data in the preliminary sur-
vey, seven categories of information were defined: tele-
vision programme, movie, person, place, vehicle,
goodies and music, as presented in the following fig-
ure:
Figure 2: Categories of information
Some usability studies show that new applications be-
come natural to the user if they resemble old ones that
are familiar to him/her (Belden et al., 2009), therefore
the proposal attempts to be similar to Instagram, and
follows the guidelines from Android™.
The application starts with the screen for the user to lo-
gin or register a new account, as it is possible to ob -
serve in figure 3. It was considered necessary for the
user to have an account since the application is in itself
a social network and the information displayed can be
customised by the user.
Figure 3: Login and Register options page
After logged in, by clicking on the right menu the user
can see and edit his/her profile, and check others' pro-
files. An example of a profile page can be seen on fig-
ure 4. It was necessary for the user profile page to be
as simple and engaging as possible, thus statistical
data about the user activity is displayed on the top of
this page, and it is possible to navigate between
menus to see his/her shares, favourites, followers and
friends.
Figure 4: User profile page
The left menu leads to a page where knowledge about
audiovisual related contents is shared. As it is possible
to see in figure 5, it displays a feed from the user's so-
cial network: his/her friends' shares and their com-
ments. Each shared content has a title, some details, a
picture and a background showing its category. In or-
der to see older shares, the user can drag data vertic-
ally as it is sorted by date in a timeline paradigm.
Figure 5: Shares from the user social network
To clarify the allowed gestures in the application pro-
posal, a layer with a hand symbol, proposed by Wrob-
lewski, was added to some figures, demonstrating a
group of nuclear gestures that have been regularly
used and are becoming expected in mobile interaction
(Wroblewski, 2011).
The moustache menu that can be selected with a tap,
which triggers the phone's camera so that the user can
search for more information about the current pro-
gramme.
As already established, and demonstrated in figure 6,
taking a photograph with the phone's camera is the
proposed interaction for recognising what the user is
watching. Bellow the camera there is a sentence dis-
played explaining how to perform the search. This sen-
tence is one of the multiple help details in the proposal.
Figure 6: Tap to trigger the camera and to search
After the photo is taken, the search results are dis-
played. Multiple results can arise from a single search -
the movie watched, the actors, vehicles and gadgets of
that scene, the place were the movie was shot, the
soundtrack – and the user can drag vertically to find
the one intended.
Figure 7: Example of different results obtained after searching
As is shown in the following figure, by tapping one of
the items the user can see details about it and by drag-
ging vertically he/she can see different information. In
this case, the figure 9 shows details from the movie it-
self: title, year, genre, duration, rating on IMDB, shoot-
ing locations, book writer and screen writers, main act-
ors and sound designer, making of photos and videos,
related content such as goodies for sale related to the
movie. Naturally, the details change with the categor-
ies.
Figure 8: Example of choosing one item found with the search
Figure 9: Example of choosing one item found with the search, and
detail information about it.
The content found can be shared with the user's social
network. Comments are allowed within the share pro-
moting a social impact in audiovisual consumption
(Abreu, 2007), that can include for example, positive or
negative reviews, comparison and contrasts between
contents, a personal recommendation, or even draw
the network attention and start a discussion about that
content in the media sphere (J. Gil, 2005).
Figure 10: Sharing and comment options and the page updated with
the new share
Laboratory testing of application proposal
According to some analysis, laboratory studies can re-
veal critical problems even when conducted in a con-
trolled environment and without external interferences,
as long as some care is taken with the test set-up
(Kjeldskov, Skov, Als, & Høegh, 2004) (Duh, Tan, &
Chen, 2006). In this particular case, it was important to
simulate a room that felt like an actual living room, with
sofas and a screen, as it is possible to observe by
looking at the figure 11, so the participants could ac-
complish several guided tasks in a relaxed environ-
ment just as they would do in a real use case
(Kaikkonen, Kekalainen, Cankar, Kallio, & Kankainen,
2005).
Figure 11: Evaluation scenario
The thinking-aloud protocol was used and a researcher
was present during the test, observing the participants'
reactions, expectations and comments (Boren &
Ramey, 2000). As complement to this qualitative re-
search, quantitative data was also collected before and
after the laboratory test by means of several questions
(Kaikkonen et al., 2008).
The sample was selected among the respondents of
the preliminary study, based on assumptions regarding
the population of interest and the goal of the study:
people that watch audiovisual programmes at home,
and have extensive experience using applications of
Android devices. This process was needed to exclude
study subjects that had no interest in trying an immers-
ive audiovisual experience or lacked the experience of
using mobile applications and/or the operative systems
that were used in this research. The method used to
perform the selection was a non-probabilistic method,
namely, convenience sampling. This could be con-
sidered a limitation, but was assumed in order to fulfil
the need for the study to capture general ideas and
identify critical aspects pointed out by participants with
a predetermined profile (Tullis & Albert, 2008).
In sum, of the 231 contacts established in the prelimin-
ary phase, up to 15 participants where selected and in-
vited to the laboratory, and 13 of them accepted the in-
vitation and showed to be available and highly motiv-
ated (Carmo & Ferreira, 1998) to actively participate in
the evaluation (Oulasvirta, Tamminen, Roto, & Koure-
lahti, 2005). This number is based on the following
studies: Virzi defends that 4 to 5 individuals are
enough to report 78% of the usability problems (Virzi,
1992), while Spool et al. advises for a bigger number of
participants to detect a large number of issues (Spool
& Schroeder, 2001) and Faulkner points to 20 parti-
cipants to notice nearly 95% of the problems (Faulkner,
2003).
Results from the survey before the laboratory test
Each participant was asked to answer a survey con-
taining questions to trace their personal, social and
professional profile (Quivy & Campenhoudt, 2008),
their late habits in the use of mobile applications, their
motivation in searching for information related to audi-
ovisual contents, their activity in social media networks
and finally, their personal view about the application
proposal in terms of interest and utility through a tex-
tual and somehow detailed description (Freitas & Mo-
scarola, 2002). At this point they didn't know the cam-
era was used as a interaction feature between
screens.
From 13 participants, 11 were men and 2 women, all
portuguese with at least frequency of bachelor level.
The average age was 26 years old, with a range
between 18 and 34. Six of them were students and 7
were employed. The professional field of 8 of them was
computer science, 3 belonged to electronic engineer-
ing, one was from multimedia and another from bio-
logy. They all had in common the fact of being Android
users and the need to know more about the audi-
ovisual contents they watch, such as: biographies,
bands and soundtracks, users reviews and ratings.
None selected goodies as a motive to search.
Almost all of them use mobile applications daily, sev-
eral times a day, and only one participant uses them
once a month. The most popular applications genre is
Social networks, Information and Entertainment.
Each of them searches for information using a browser
on the personal computer, and 85% uses a mobile
browser. 70% said to use websites specialized in the
content they search, and only 23% uses specialized
mobile applications.
In what concerns sharing audiovisual related informa-
tion, the most common behaviour is to share what au-
diovisual programme they are watching and the music
that is playing, followed by posting on sites or blogs re-
lated to the contents and writing their own reviews or
ratings. All of them said they do not share which good-
ies they bought online or offline, and one of them does
not share anything on social networks even after hav-
ing personal accounts.
Finally, three of the participants said to be neutral or in-
different about their interest in the application, and two
of them said to be neutral or indifferent about the utility
of the application. The other ones showed to have at
least some interest and see some utility in the applica-
tion.
Results of laboratory test
The complexity of a mobile application real usage is a
key element in laboratory evaluation (Kaikkonen et al.,
2008), therefore, every task was scripted in an attempt
to mimic natural usage flow. First, the participant was
asked to open the application, and observe and com-
ment the first screen where the register and login op-
tions were presented, in a way that suggests he will ac-
cess a personal account. After logging in, a screen with
a timeline feed concerning the network sharing audi-
ovisual knowledge was displayed. This suggests that
somehow the application is, per se, a social network.
Afterwards, the participant was asked to try all the
menu options, leaving the recognition feature to the
end. As said before, the recognition was simulated,
thus the same pre-prepared information about the
movie that he/she was watching was always obtained.
Nevertheless, the participant was not aware of this lim-
itation. To finish the tasks, he/she had to comment and
share a particular detail of the information obtained, in
order for it to become knowledge to his/her social
network, his/her friends and his/her followers.
This individual process was observed by the re-
searcher in order to get a qualitative evaluation through
the participants' expectations, reactions and sugges-
tions.
All of the participants understood that an interaction
between them and the audiovisual contents was sup-
posed to exist, without knowing exactly how. Almost all
of them, in the beginning of the test, suggested that
they would see complementary information about
some audiovisual content and they were comfortable
with that. Commonly they expected the application to
be a specialised social network, that somehow allowed
to search and could automatically recognise audi-
ovisual content, which they could share with their
friends.
When they started the test and opened the login/re-
gister page, 80% commented positively about having
an account so it could be customisable, in order to be
appealing, and to easily get information relevant to
them. All of them said to like aspects of the interface,
and 40% of them commented positively about the or-
ganisation of the information and the same number
suggested improvements on the iconography of the
bottom menu. All of them said to be curious about the
moustache menu, they all liked this particular icon and
commented about it being the major function of the ap-
plication. 30% of them commented voluntarily about
the easy learning process. 80% said to be pleased with
the available gestures to control the application, and
the last 20% recommended the implementation of
more gestures, such as the horizontal flick to navigate
between menus.
The statistical data on the profile was commented as a
positive thing for 40% of the participants, and only 8%
were unable to see utility in them.
Nearly half of the sample said to have found functional-
ities they would not expect but were pleased by their
existence. The participants showed to be so excited
with the application proposed, so that 85% suggested
even more functionalities they thought could be useful
to them, such as: options to sort the information, other
details that could be shown about movies and the ex-
istence of two timelines, one for positive and another
for negative reviews. The same percentage compared
the proposal to search engines and social networks
they were familiar with. 77% commented to be con-
vinced that the application was a good option for them
to search information about audiovisual contents.
Half of the sample said to be interested in having the
application installed on their personal mobile phone so
they would use it regularly at home, and 30% said they
wanted to use it in public places, such as snack-bars or
restaurants.
Almost all of them reacted positively to the usage of
the phone's camera to do the search process, and also
to the number of options found with the search, making
them laugh by being surprised by some of the options.
Only one participant said to want a more automatic and
accurate way to find a particular information. The same
participant in the end of the evaluation said that his ini-
tial disappointment vanished after having explored all
the functionalities.
When the photographing was required, 60% of the par-
ticipants showed to have concerns about the influence
of their posture to get an accurate result, so they
leaned forward to remove noise, in the position repres-
ented in the following figure.
Figure 12: Representation of the lean forward posture
About the details of the example used in the evalu-
ation, 80% said they were taken to another level and
were pleased that aggregated content from other net-
works like IMDb, and the same number commented
positively about the commercial impact that the applic-
ation could have if it was available on the market.
Nearly 90% said to like the fact that they could share
the found content in order to promote knowledge. On
the other hand, 30% said to have the need to differenti-
ate friend and follower, and the option to only show
shares of people they follow so they wouldn't be
bothered with content and comments from close
friends with different taste than themselves.
They all showed to be highly motivated and anxious to
use the application, and during the evaluation it was
common for the participants to stop everything they
were doing, to smile, to shake their heads up and down
(affirmative), and to look up at the ceiling while having
ideas to improve the application. Whenever they hes-
itated, they spoke up about it and commented until
they found their own way to carry on with the evalu-
ation.
The vertical drag available on different screens
seemed natural to all participants, and the participants
showed to be very pleased with the sharing option.
After sharing, they all wanted to check the aspect of
their share.
Results from the survey after the laboratory test
After the test, each participant had to answer a survey
about his/her experience with the mobile application
proposal. The first question was about which other
functionalities they would like the application to have.
Their answers were: see which friends have the
content they share as favourite; which friends bought
the same goodies; when searching for a film or a
television programme, which television channel will
show it and when; links for forums and online groups of
fans of that content; when searching for a building,
showing his architectural information and its place on a
map; add a detail section for audiovisual contents that
were nominated and awarded; and the possibility to
search for fashion items worn by actors.
The participants considered as the most positive
aspects of the application proposal: the usage of a
camera to search; the possibility to share content;
searching in real time while watching the programme;
simplicity of the concept; visual interface; organisation
and amount of information by screen; variety of details
available; the possibility to buy goodies; the fact that
the application is unconventional and ahead of its time.
On other hand, the following were noted as being the
most noticeable negative aspects: little integration with
other social networks; few help systems; and that
some icons were difficult to understand.
The next question, requested the subjects to
choose one item from a pair of opposite concepts, with
the end result being the majority classifying the
application as: natural, convergent, informative,
complementary, social, commercial and focused.
Then they were asked if the application usage
could improve their personal experience watching
audiovisual contents, and they all agreed, justifying
with the following reasons: extremely informative; it
amplifies the general culture; it can be used
simultaneously while watching a programme; diminish
the frustration of someone in doubt; it can be a
comfortable substitute for the personal computer as it's
mobile and portable; it's focused in the user tastes; it
allows to easily find and buy goodies related to the
watched content.
It was formally asked about the action of
photograph to initiate the search, and as expected 12
of them said that was perfectly natural to them and had
no problem with that. Then was asked about other
ways they considered to be as natural to search, and
the majority answered: textual input, television box
connection, audio and video recording and finally a
horizontal time line that allows to see previews scenes.
The survey had a space where the participants
could comment about the study and the application,
and they wrote: augmented reality impression; hard to
hold the mobile phone while photographing; handy and
efficient.
In the end, they were asked to answer again the
sam e ques t ion ab out th e ir in terest and th e
considerable utility of the application, without
consulting the previews answers. This time, none was
indifferent or neutral. 46% of the sample said the
application was very useful, and 54% said to be useful.
Their interest rose up, with 30% interested and 70%
very interested in using the application. Those values
show that the experience was successful.
Conclusion
Through the gathering of results previously presented it
appears that the participants experience with the
application proposal was positive. It was well accepted,
and it can play a part in the enhancement of
audiovisual consumption by allowing knowledge
spreading, mitigating frustrating and boring moments
while watching a programme, the possibility to direct
new contents to the ones that want to get to know
them, and facilitate the commercial venue related to
audiovisual contents.
It is possible to conclude that sharing contents is a
natural and expectable behaviour, and that the target
audience is highly motivated to do it. It is possible to
notice that people are highly motivated to share
contents with people whose taste they know. This
doesn't relate to friends, but to followers/following
social relationships. A clear division of roles is intended
and well accepted by the participants because the
audiovisual contents can connect people with same
taste, as well as take apart people with different
opinions.
Acknowledgments
The author would li k e t o t h a n k t o I ns t ituto de
Telecomunicações, ATNOG and, in particular, to Rui Aguiar
for logistics support. A special thanks also goes to Pedro
Almeida and Jorge Ferraz de Abreu from CETAC.MEDIA for
supervising the Master thesis that led to this communication,
and to Cristóvão Cruz and Paulo Silva for their reviewing
expertise. A central element of this study was obtaining data
among the respondents and participants, so the author wish
to thank them and also the people that allowed the use of
their photography to illustrate a truly social network.
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