R&D at the BBC: Recent updates from Research & Development
Scott Cawley
Technology Engagement Advisor
From noise-cancelling microphones in the 1930s to the latest innovations brought about by the internet and interactive media, the Research and Development division have been at the forefront of broadcasting development and continue to pioneer in research, design and engineering. Here's a selection of their recent work and projects and you can also follow their latest posts here.
User Research in an R&D Environment
How does user research work within the R&D department and what did a new recruit learn during their time within the team? In this blog, you can discover more on how R&D works and how 'traditional' research methodology may need to be adapted to encourage experimentation and exploration, alongside product or service delivery.
Doctor Who gets all mixed up
For audiophiles with a perchant for Doctor Who, this blog post is a must. A recent episode of the show was remixed to produce a special binaural version. When listened to on headphones, this provides an immersive experience where sounds seem to come from a point in space outside of the head and the world of the programme becomes more real. Find out more about binaural sound and how the episode was mixed, plus you can watch the enhanced version on iPlayer here.
Designing Subtitles for 360° Content
Immersive forms of content such as virtual reality and 360° video have moved from movie screens and sci-fi books into our homes, with new development happening apace. R&D have been working with production teams to better understand what types of content work well in this medium and how best to present additional information - but what impact does this have in terms of accessibility? This blog explains the testing undertaken to see how subtitles can be most effective in a 360° experience, with the viewer able to look in any direction rather than directly at a static screen.
The Science of Synchronising Content
For most households, a room in which different people are looking at different media on different screens, all at the same time, is a familiar sight. But how is the area of companion devices developing, where connected tvs and devices such as tablets and mobiles can work in unison on an item of content? This blog gives insights into the testing of new companion screen concepts.
