Qualitative analysis of individual and composite content factors of stereoscopic 3D video causing visual discomfort

Recently, much research has been performed to guarantee viewer’s safety in watching stereoscopic 3D videos. Most of them focused on individual content factors causing viewer discomfort. This paper extends the kinds of content factors, and focuses more on the composite, rather than individual, factors. To analyze them, a subjective test for discomfort is performed for four stereoscopic 3D videos. Also, all the quantitative values of the factors to be considered are extracted from the contents. The quantitative factors we consider are the amount of disparity, the frequency and amount of the disparity changes, object movement, and the color and luminance information. In addition, we also include some situational factors, such as story of the contents, situation or circumstances of a scene, and movement, position, and direction of camera. We analyze qualitatively, by comparing the subject test results and the extracted quantitative factors, as well as the situational factors, to find when and how much those factors, in combination or individually, cause viewer discomfort. We summarize, and substantially show which factors, or their combinations, strongly or weakly affect viewer discomfort. 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.