Audio sparks more emotions than video

[Smokey]

Digital Theater Systems (DTS) recently did a test to find out whether human emotions were more affected by audio or video, and by how much. DTS commissioned Neuro Insight to study the brain waves of 107 mobile users.

The scientists strapped on 28 sensors over each subject’s noggin and showed them a mixture of video snippets over 10-inch tablets, each of which was divided into 3 different video resolutions: 240p, 480p, and 1080p. However, the audio was kept constant, feeding half of the participants basic stereo sound, while the other half were treated to the Headphone:X enhanced virtual surround sound experience.

The scientists measure neurological responses that show changing activity in the brain due to stimulus. For this particular study, Neuro Insight focused specifically on the increase of pleasure. What they found was interesting.

Overall, switching to Headphone:X from standard-quality audio generated an average increase of 42 percent in the Hedonic Index across all video qualities, demonstrating greater enjoyment of the content by the test subject. The biggest increase in enjoyment came when Headphone:X audio was added to medium quality video—a 66 percent spike.

Surprisingly and in contrast, maintaining the audio quality and varying the video quality had very little impact—movements of less than one percent across the board. Neuro-Insight concluded that only enhanced audio-not video-made a significant statistical difference across any of the measures.

DTS reads minds to prove audio trumps video in mobile devices | Digital Trends (http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/dts-reads-peoples-minds-prove-enhanced-audio-video-emotions-really-spark/)

[StevenSurprenant]

Many years back they (whomever "they" are) did something similar. In that case, they asked the people which TV had the best picture. The end result was that a lower quality picture with good sound was rated the better picture compared to a better picture with mediocre sound.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Many years back they (whomever "they" are) did something similar. In that case, they asked the people which TV had the best picture. The end result was that a lower quality picture with good sound was rated the better picture compared to a better picture with mediocre sound.

Can somebody, ANYBODY tell me why a study on picture quality would even include sound. If the test criteria was about the picture, then there would be no conclusions about the audio whatsoever. Any VIDEO test that included audio would never pass scrutiny at SMPTE. All of the panel testing I have witnessed(there have been many) had the audio muted for good reason.

I call BS on this one.

Both sound and images use the same processing in the brain. Based on that, whichever has the most detail is where the brain focuses on. Non 3D images do not require the same focus processing as 3D images. The same goes for stereo, and virtual 11.1 Neo:X. Neo:X is a virtual 3D processing software. If you turn off the sound, then picture quality becomes much more important because that is all you have to focus on. Visa versa if you turn off the video.

What makes me suspicious of the conclusions of DTS is that they used tablets instead of a projector and screen. It is very difficult to see more(or less) resolution when you have a panel that is only 10". This is why most cannot tell 1080p from 4K on a 50" flat panel at typical viewing distances.

I think DTS stacked things in their favor on this.

[StevenSurprenant]

Although not the article I was speaking about, it seems that the Audio Engineering Society (AES) considers this a valid question and worth looking into, and no, I have not read this specific report.

"The Influence of Video Quality on Perceived Audio Quality and Vice Versa" by: Frank E. Beerends J. Audio Eng. Soc, Vol. 47, No. 5. (1999)


Can somebody, ANYBODY tell me why a study on picture quality would even include sound.

Perhaps you can speak with the authors of this article and ask them that question.

This also seems to be a question that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) wanted answers too. Maybe you can find the answer you seek from them too?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Although not the article I was speaking about, it seems that the Audio Engineering Society (AES) considers this a valid question and worth looking into, and no, I have not read this specific report.

"The Influence of Video Quality on Perceived Audio Quality and Vice Versa" by: Frank E. Beerends J. Audio Eng. Soc, Vol. 47, No. 5. (1999)



If you had read this report(like I have), you would find it does not come to the same conclusions as DTS paper does, nor did it have the same goals.

First, the paper is WAY outdated.

Second, the paper is not about hometheater, it is about video and audio transmitted via a smartphone.

The bitrates for both audio and video are nowhere close to what we use on discs.

AAC nor H.263(audio and video codecs respectively) are not used on ANY streaming or disc media we use today.

This was about coding transmitted two channel data, and low bitrate video to a very small screen.


Perhaps you can speak with the authors of this article and ask them that question.

No need. This article is not about home theater in any way. Had you read this article first before posting it, you would have seen that it is irrelevant to the topic we are discussing now.


This also seems to be a question that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) wanted answers too. Maybe you can find the answer you seek from them too?

The IEEE papers mostly deal with audio and video coding and transmission - once again nothing to do with home theater. The IEEE has no dog in ultimate audio video quality, but how to code and transmit it efficiently through typically used audio and video pipelines. It does not include HDMI - the transmission standard for audio and video today. That makes their articles irrelevant for today.

[Smokey]

Many years back they (whomever "they" are) did something similar. In that case, they asked the people which TV had the best picture. The end result was that a lower quality picture with good sound was rated the better picture compared to a better picture with mediocre sound.

That is not surprising as it shows clearly that audio does influence what we are watching and how we feel. Movie sound track does take advantage of that to stir up emtion whether we watching a sad or happy scene, or edge of your seat scene.

[Smokey]

Both sound and images use the same processing in the brain. Based on that, whichever has the most detail is where the brain focuses on. Non 3D images do not require the same focus processing as 3D images. The same goes for stereo, and virtual 11.1 Neo:X. Neo:X is a virtual 3D processing software.

You are on the right track Sir TT. The testing that DTS did, for audio portion they use regular haedphone and suround headphone called Headphone:X which uses softeware replica 3D home theater experience over any headphones. And it was listening to Headphone:X sound that most participants graviate to.


I think DTS stacked things in their favor on this.

Probably to promote their Headphone:X protocal. But their test did show that we are very influenced by what we hear :)