Model validation of channel zapping quality

Abstract

In an earlier paper we showed, that perceived quality of channel zapping is related to the perceived quality of download time of web browsing, as suggested by ITU-T Rec.G.1030. We showed this by performing subjective tests resulting in an excellent fit with a 0.99 correlation. This was what we call a lean forward experiment and gave the rule of thumb result that the zapping time must be less than 0.43 sec to be good ( > 3.5 on the MOS scale). To validate the model we have done new subjective experiments. These experiments included lean backwards zapping i.e. sitting in a sofa with a remote control. The subjects are more forgiving in this case and the requirement could be relaxed to 0.67 sec. We also conducted subjective experiments where the zapping times are varying. We found that the MOS rating decreases if zapping delay times are varying. In our experiments we assumed uniformly distributed delays, where the variance cannot be larger than the mean delay. We found that in order to obtain a MOS rating of at least 3.5, that the maximum allowed variance, and thus also the maximum allowed mean zapping delay, is 0.46 sec.