LG research: “OLED TV holds 25% more attention”
August 14, 2019
LG Electronics has revealed the results of an experiment in collaboration with Realeyes – the emotion AI company – to analyse the physical and emotional responses to its 2019 OLED TV versus its 2013 LED TV, the latter representing the most common type of TV in homes across the UK.
To inform the experiment, LG commissioned research into the nation’s TV viewing habits to gather insights into Brits’ relationships with their TVs. After discovering the UK average TV upgrade cycle is six years, LG set out to scientifically demonstrate the impact which innovations in TV technology since 2013 have on engagement and emotion.
The experiment was performed on identical twin social media influencers, Henry and William Wade, at the LG UK test facility in Weybridge. The twins were separated into blacked-out TV immersion rooms where they simultaneously watched The Battle of the Bastards – IMDb’s highest-rated Game of Thrones episode – on the different TVs. William watched on a 2019 LG OLED E9 TV – the latest in TV technology – whilst Henry viewed a 2013 LG LED TV.
To measure their emotional response and attention levels second-by-second, Realeyes’ AI platform analysed the facial expressions, head movements and body language from more than 144,000 frames of video footage captured of each twin. Their physical responses were also measured using heart rate monitors.
Experiment Results
The results revealed the 2019 LG OLED TV held 25 per cent more attention than the 2013 LED, and throughout the episode, 27 emotional peaks were observed on the newer TV compared to just four peaks on the older model. Happiness, which in the context of the experiment is linked to level of entertainment, was three times higher. Overall, the LG OLED TV provided a 15 per cent more intense experience from a positive emotional standpoint.
These significant increases in attention, emotional intensity, and overall entertainment could be attributed to the level of immersion that LG OLED TVs provide. James Thomas, Product Manager, Home Entertainment, LG UK, explained, “OLED screens are in a different league to regular LED TVs because of their self-emitting pixels which deliver an infinite contrast ratio thanks to their ability to achieve perfect black and astonishingly accurate colour, revealing details during dark scenes that you wouldn’t usually see. We’ve also integrated artificial intelligence into LG OLED which means the TV can ‘read’ its environment and the content on the screen to tailor the picture and sound settings accordingly.”
Thomas added: “The Golden Age of Content is certainly here, but similar to the golden age of film and cinema, it won’t be fully appreciated until it’s over. Everyone has a favourite series to sink into at the end of a day, but many are missing out on the full experience due to the limitations of an old TV.”
Mihkel Jäätma, CEO and co-founder of Realeyes, said: “This experiment by LG was a really interesting and fun way to utilise our ground-breaking AI technology. We’ve taught computers to read and understand human emotions and attention, which allows us to offer scientifically sound measurements of a viewer’s immersion.”
As well as revealing the average UK upgrade cycle, the study uncovered a number of other insights:
* The average TV-lover will sit through an eye-popping 78,705 hours of TV during their lifetime, based on the UK average of 3.5 hours per day
* Viewers will immerse themselves in 3,639 films from the comfort of their own home, as well as watch 31,507 TV show episodes
* 24 per cent said their viewing experience is ruined by the quality of their TV, with poor sound quality and screen glare among the nation’s biggest bugbears
* For many households, the TV is at the center of their entertainment with 60 per cent admitting they’d be lost without it