DVD Usability Research

1. DVD Usability Research Bachelor’s Thesis Markku Leino Instructor: Anssi Vuohelainen, Head of Media Center Supervisor: Erkki Aalto, Principal Lecturer

2. Topics • About DVD usability • The Employer and the Customer • Work and Research Goals • Research Methods • Results / Conclusions

3. About DVD usability • Every DVD has certain features as a default • UDF Bridge, a combination of UDF and ISO 9660 file formats • Files and Folders: VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders, containing VIDEO_TS.IFO and AUDIO_TS.IFO files • 6 different link behaviors between menus and timelines • In this work, DVD usability is analysed considering mostly the user interface issues • Hardware issues get much less attention than user interface design • The subject has not been researched that much so far • Source literature deals more with usability for example in the Internet • The bulk of the information comes from the end users of DVDs

4. The Employer and the Customer • Vantaa City’s Media Center • The employer • A relatively new media-house that among other things have DVD productions • Heureka • Heureka’s next DVD will be made by the Media Center, and it is used to market a music exhibition • Finland’s only Science Centre • DVDs quite new concept to Marketing Department

5. Work and Research Goals • Guidelines for good DVD user interface design • Information on how good is the platform compatibility of a DVD made in the Media Center • Heureka’s music exhibition DVD’s user interface script • Information on the use of DVDs in various science centers’ marketing

6. Research Methods • Hardware compatibility by testing • Nine different platforms • The test DVD was made in the Media Center in 2004 • An HTML questionnaire form about DVD usability • A request to participate into the questionnaire was sent to a group of students and young adults • The questionnaire consists of six sections, of which the first five talk about the user interface and navigation issues • Navigational steps • Buttons & layout • Menu background sounds • Visual design and elements in menus • Features • Hardware usage and compatibility issues • The research on the use of DVDs in science centers’ marketing is done also with an HTML form

7. Results / Conclusions • The hardware compatibility test’s DVD worked well enough in every testing platform • The Questionnaire was answered by approximately 29 people • About navigation: • A DVD’s navigation scope should be between 2 and 4 steps • Buttons rather as text with an icon or text alone • They ought to be either at the center or at the bottom of the screen • The layout between menu windows should be consistent • Most of the navigational problems derive from bad menu design • Menu background sounds are mostly accepted • What elements there should be are text, background image and/or background color, and 3-4 basic layout colors

8. Results / Conclusions • Popular features • subtitles, surround sound, scenes, extras • Hardware usage and compatibility issues • The most popular platforms are basic DVD player and computer • Most of the questionnaire participants had experienced problems with hardware 1-3 times • The fact that some DVDs are not designed for every platform is the worst problem (bad production tools, regional code issues) • Preferably 2-4 navigational steps • Buttons rather as text with an icon or text alone • Menu background sounds are tolerated or approved • Popular features • subtitles, surround sound, scenes, extras • Desired elements • text, background image and/or color, 3-4 basic layout colors • Hardware • The most popular platforms are basic DVD player and computer • Most of the questionnaire participants had experienced problems with hardware 1-3 times • The fact that some DVDs are not designed for every platform is the worst problem (bad production tools, regional code issues)

9. Thank You