Dynamic annotations on an interactive web-based 360° video player

Abstract

The use of 360° videos has been increasing steadily in the 2010s, as content creators and users search for more immersive experiences. The freedom to choose where to look at during the video may hinder the overall experience instead of enhancing it, as there is no guarantee that the user will focus on relevant sections of the scene. Visual annotations superimposed on the video, such as text boxes or arrow icons, can help guide the user through the narrative of the video while maintaining freedom of movement. This paper presents a web-based immersive visualizer for 360° videos that contain dynamic media annotations, rendered in real-time. A set of annotations was created with the purpose of providing information or guiding the user to points of interest. The visualizer can be used with a computer, using a keyboard and mouse or HTC Vive, and in mobile devices with Cardboard VR headsets, to experience the video in virtual reality, which is made possible with the WebVR API. The visualizer was evaluated through usability tests, to analyze the impact of different annotation techniques on the users' experience. The obtained results demonstrate that annotations can assist in guiding the user during the video, and a careful design is imperative so that they are not intrusive and distracting for the viewers.