After a series of neurological tests carried out by the Mindlab International team at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Brighton on behalf of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), it was found that Blu-ray 3D delivers “an enhanced, emotional entertainment experience that engages viewers more than standard Blu-ray or DVD.”
They tested the attention, engagement and emotion levels of a group of subjects whilst watching the various formats.
Attention
After comparing the total attention levels for each format, the results showed that on average, subjects were 12% more attentive when watching Blu-ray 3D compared to a Blu-ray Disc, and 17% more attentive when watching a Blu-ray Disc over a standard DVD. When comparing attention levels between Blu-ray 3D and a DVD, attention levels jumped by an incredible 29%.
Emotion
When recording emotional response, subjects experienced a significant increase when watching Blu-ray over DVD. This peaked with an 8% increase when watching Blu-ray 3D compared to DVD.
Engagement
When measuring engagement, the results found subjects to be 7% more engaged when watching Blu-ray 3D over a Blu-ray Disc, and 12% more engaged when watching a Blu-ray Disc over a standard DVD. When comparing engagement levels between Blu-ray 3D and a DVD, subjects were found to be 18% more engaged in the Blu-ray 3D clip.
Dr David Lewis-Hodgson, chairman and director of research for Mindlab International, adds:
“Psychological research into perception suggests that the brain inherently prefers 3D images and interprets 2D images as 3D where possible. This makes evolutionary sense since the real world is 3D; 2D images such as images in print or on screen have existed only since our vision perception evolved to the stage at which it is now. As evidence suggests that humans decode visual information as 3D, we can therefore infer that actual 3D images are more pleasing to the visual system than traditional 2D images.”
