Michael Armstrong

Michael Armstrong is an independent media technology researcher and developer with Associate Staff status at the University of Dundee with a broad range of skills and interests. They are an experienced writer and presenter; this year they are presenting their 14th IBC paper as author or coauthor/editor. Their current focus is on the automated measurement of subtitle quality, a topic they recently returned to after joining the UK Subtitling Audiences Network. As a regular user of TV subtitles in recent years they now first-hand experience of the ongoing problems.

Michael previously worked at BBC R&D for 25 years covering topics ranging from TV accessibility, audio-video quality and perception and the role of the audience in media. They have had a considerable impact on the UK's media landscape, providing the capacity planning and video quality assessment for the launch of Freeview, carrying out research into high frame rate and stereoscopic television. Then after tackling speech audibility in television sound went on to initiate an in-depth study of television subtitle quality. This work provided new insights into the audience's perception of subtitle quality and highlighted shortcomings in previous research. It led to significant improvements in live subtitle quality on UK TV channels.

Prior to working in R&D, Michael spent many years in BBC local radio as an engineer culminating in the installation and running of the BBC's first computer-based playout system at Radio Bristol. This experience was the inspiration for the concept of object-based media which eventually led to the development of BBC R&D's work on creating flexible and interactive media. Michael's final years at BBC R&D were focused on interaction and personalisation, leading to white papers on the role of the audience in media and personalised media.