Setting up the Testing Environment

The Testing tab, also called Testing Environment, is where you can set and manage your user testing sessions. This involves four steps:

1. Selecting the video file to test.

2. Choosing the type of biometric data to collect, and connect the corresponding hardware.

3. Selecting the respondent to test. This is also where you can create new respondents or delete existing ones.

Start Testing in four Easy Steps

The testing environment is designed to intuitively guide to over the testing process in four steps.

Step 1: Selecting the Video to Test

To select the video, click on the "Select Video" button on the top left corner. Cinemetrics supports common video formats such as:

• .mp4

• .mkv

• .avi

• .mov

• .flv

• .wmv

The video panel is in the top left corner.

To ensure smooth performance, especially on minimum supported hardware, we recommend using video files with a resolution of up to 1080p. This will prevent any potential lag or performance issues during data collection.

What to do if you can’t select your video:

1. Check the file name of the video. If it includes special characters (like accents, symbols, or non-English characters), try renaming it with simple letters and numbers.

2. Avoid special characters such as: @, #, $, %, &, +, é, ü, ç or any non-standard letters or symbols.

3. After renaming the file, try selecting the video again. If it still doesn’t work, consider moving the file to a simpler directory or folder that doesn’t contain special characters in the path.

Step 2: Choosing What Data to Record

In the second step, located in the top right corner of the testing environment, you can select which data to collect, and connect the relevant hardware to Cinemetrics.

1. GSR (Galvanic Skin Response): Measures changes in skin conductance, which are linked to emotional arousal. It helps track how engaged or stressed a person is while watching the content.

2. Heart Rate (HR): This is measured using PPG (Photoplethysmography), which tracks blood flow changes. Heart rate data gives insights into emotional reactions, such as excitement or calmness.

3. Eye Tracking: This shows where participants are looking on the screen, helping you understand which parts of the content grab the most attention.

What You Need:

• GSR and Heart Rate: You'll need a Shimmer device to record these. Make sure it’s connected and ready to use. See the technical requirements for more information.
• Eye Tracking: This requires the Beam Eye Tracking software. View the installation process and requirements here.

A GSR or HR recording is needed at the moment in order to use the software annotation capabilities. This will be changed and improved in the future.

For a detailed guide on how to setup each sensor, jump to the dedicated section.

Step 3: Creating and Selecting Respondents

In the third panel, located in the lower left corner of the testing environment, you can create, select, or delete respondents.

• Creating a Respondent: Each respondent must have a unique name. This ensures that all data is properly organized and associated with the correct participant.

• Selecting a Respondent: During a test, all collected data will automatically be saved under the selected respondent. Be sure to select the correct participant before starting your test.

• Deleting a Respondent: If you delete a respondent, all the data linked to that respondent will also be permanently deleted.

Overwriting Data: If you start a test with an existing respondent who already has data recorded, the new data will overwrite the previous data. To avoid this, create a new respondent if you want to keep previous test results.

Step 4: Review and Start Test

A progress tracker at the bottom shows if all steps (video selection, data setup, respondent selection) are complete. If any step is missing, the tracker will indicate it, and the Start Test button will remain disabled.

Once all steps are complete, the Start Test button will be enabled. Clicking it will start the test, play the video in full-screen mode, and record the selected biometric data in the background.

Connecting a Sensor

💙 Connecting a Shimmer Device

For detailed instructions on how to set up the Shimmer hardware itself, click here to follow the guide.

• In Cinemetrics, in connection settings, select whether you want to record GSR, Heart Rate, or both.

• Ensure the Shimmer device is charged and turned on and that Bluetooth is enabled on your Windows device.

The Shimmer device has to be paired in Windows settings at least once, before connecting it to Cinemetrics. Consult the full guide for details.

• Take note of the device ID located on the back of the Shimmer device and insert the code in the appropriate field; click Connect.

• Once the connection is established, real-time data will start displaying in a graph within Cinemetrics, showing the participant’s biometric responses.

• Attach the sensors to the respondent’s hand. For more details on proper sensor placement, refer to the full guide.

👁️ Connecting to the Beam Eye Tracking Service

For detailed instruction on how to set up the Beam Eye Tracking software, click here to follow the guide.

• In Cinemetrics, in connection settings, select the eye-tracking option. Doing so will reveal the Connect Beam Eye Tracker button.

• Ensure that the Beam software itself is installed, open, and with a valid license, and that the Gaming Extensions option is turned on. This give Cinemetrics the option to communicate with the Beam service.

  It is recommended to run the full calibration in Beam before each test by clicking on the Calibrate button and following the on-screen instructions.

• Back in Cinemetrics, click on Connect Beam Eye Tracker. If the connection is successful, a green marker will appear. If you cannot connect to Beam Eye Tracker in Cinemetrics, try toggling the Gaming Extension option in Beam Off and On. You can then test the calibration by clicking on Toggle Eye Tracking Overlay. If the calibration appears inaccurate, you can attempt the quick calibration option in Cinemetrics or the full calibration option in Beam.

The green full circle marks a successful connection. The yellow circle outline shows the current eye-tracking coordinates.

• The eye-tacking sensor is now correctly connected!