Investigating the Impact of Room Divergence Effect on the Film Watching Experience in Multi-Channel Binauralized Content

This study investigated the Room Divergence Effect in the context of film watching experience with binaural audio. Understanding the impact of divergent room-acoustic information in a practical environment for audiovisual entertainment can inform the development of audio engineering practices and binaural technologies. Drawing from studies in both immersive experience and spatial audio psychoacoustics, the study aimed to understand whether or not room congruency between the physical environment and the virtual acoustics of binaural audio would affect the film watching experience. 20 subjects, divided into Convergent and Divergent groups, were exposed to binauralised 7.1.4 multichannel film excerpt that contained either matched or unmatched room acoustic cues. A 38-item questionnaire adapted from previous research into immersive experiences and supplemented with additional items related to auditory experiences was used as a data collection method. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the two subject groups, in both immersive and auditory experiences. A weak correlation has been observed between presence and externalisation, albeit no statistical significance. This study provides useful practical implications for an emerging industry and further research questions on the impact of binaural synthesis on the film-watching experience.