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

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

3. 3 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 About DVD usability

4. 4 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 The Employer and the Customer

5. 5 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 Work and Research Goals

6. 6 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 Research Methods

7. 7 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 Results / Conclusions

8. 8 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) 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)

9. 9 Thank You