Multimedia quality of experience (QoE): Current status and future direction

Quality of Experience (QoE) is becoming an important factor of User-Centred Design (UCD). The deployment of pure technical measures such as Quality of Service (QoS) parameters to assess the quality of multimedia applications is phasing out due to the failure of those methods to quantify true user satisfaction. Though significant research results and several deployments have occurred and been realized over the last few years, focusing on QoE-based multimedia technologies, several issues both of theoretical and practical importance remain open. Accordingly, the papers of this Special Issue are significant contribution samples within the general ecosystem highlighted above, ranging from QoE in the capture, processing and consumption of next-generation multimedia applications. In particular, a total of five excellent articles have been accepted, following a rigorous review process, which address many of the aforementioned challenges and beyond.