The
Superhighway Comes Home
The
information superhighway is on its way into our homes. No longer are you
required to be a computer guru to enter the superhighway. Through a simple
hand held remote control and cable television, every home can now be part
of the network.
One
incredible remote allows you to change channels, start and stop hundreds
of digitized movies, order a pizza and pay your bills.
The Full
Service Network, a division of Time Warner Cable, has brought interactive
television to realty. Located in Longwood, Florida, just outside of Orlando,
the system brings together shopping, movies on demand, television, games,
banking & other financial services, customized news reporting with information
from companies such as The Orlando Sentinel and many more features--all
controlled through a single hand held remote control.
As part of the introduction and implementation of the Full Service Network,
Time Warner had a need for a demonstration suite for focus groups. Part
of that need was not just to observe how people reacted to the Full Service
Network and what they were doing, but to record their reactions.
The demonstration suite is comprised of the demonstration room and the
viewing room. The demonstration room has the Full Service Network connection
in it. This is the room members of the of the focus groups are brought
into. The viewing room is used by the Time Warner Staff to observe and
record the activities in the demonstration room.
Time Warner contracted with VOA Associates, Inc. of Orlando, Florida,
for interior design of the suite. According to Ron Pedonti, Principal
and Director of Interior Design, “The demonstration room was designed
with a residential feeling to it. The colors, lighting and furniture were
specifically selected to make the participants feel like they were watching
television in their homes. The flexibility of the room was also a concern.
By closing the curtains over the mirrored wall, the demonstration room
can be used as an informal conference area.”
General Projections Systems engineers worked closely with the customer,
architect and the General Projection installation team to ensure a clean
installation to meet Time Warner’s and VOA’s expectations. The system
had to be simple to operate. It also had to be unobtrusive to the focus
group members.
The
Demonstration Room
Utilizing a 35” Mitusbishi monitor connected to the Full Service Network
connection box manufactured by Scientific Atlanta, the members of the
focus group run the Full Service Network as they would in their home.
They can play games, view television, shop, order movies on demand, and
more.
One of the most technologically advanced aspects of the Full Service Network is the Movies on Demand feature. Utilizing a network of video servers, movies on demand gives the viewer the ability to pause, rewind and fast-forward the movie during playback, just as if they had gone to their local video store and rented the video.
Designed to "feel" like a living room, participants utilize
the Time Warner system and are observed and recorded.
A remote
controlled Panasonic camera is mounted in the corner of the room allowing
the Time Warner staff in the viewing room to view and record the events
in the demonstration room. The camera is mounted slightly above seated
eye level so it will blend into the wall and a plant that masks it. It
is very visible upon entering the room, but the focus group quickly forgets
its presence.
Audio Technica 845 microphones are imbedded in the ceiling of the demonstration
room to record all the sound in the demonstration room including conversations
between focus group members. Mounted in one wall is a two way mirror allowing
the Time Warner staff to observe and record the activities in the demonstration
room while hidden from view.
The
Viewing Room
The viewing room houses the equipment rack and a pair of Sony VCRs, one
for recording, the other for playback, two 27” Sony monitors, a Panasonic
camera monitor, a Crown amplifier, a TOA microphone mixer, a Videotek
distribution amplifier, a Pelco picture-in-picture device, and Atlas Soundolier
ceiling speakers. The two Sony monitors can be controlled individually
so the staff in the viewing room can watch the Full Service Network on
one monitor and see the reactions of the members of the focus group. This
assists the staff in the viewing room by giving them a clear view of what
the focus group is viewing on the Full Service Network.
Research staffers sit behind a two-way mirror as well as watch monitors
to view the participants and record their reactions.
Recording
capabilities in the viewing room include both video and audio recorders.
Both rooms of the suite have a headset with microphone for intercommunications
between the group leader in the demonstration room and the staff in the
viewing room. The viewing room will seat 8 to 10 staff members comfortably.
Design Opportunities
With all of the new products coming to the marketplace dealing with the
Information Super Highway, companies are becoming increasingly interested
in test markets and focus groups. Acoustics and lighting must bridge the
concerns for good video and audio production capabilities as well as creating
a comfortable “living room” environment. The need for “quiet observation”
is on the rise. Keeping this in mind during systems design will help sell
the room to the end user.
For more information on the design of this project or on Focus Group Rooms, email Solutions@genproj.com or fill out our Information Request form.