OmniVision has launched the OV2710, a native 1080p CMOS image sensor designed to deliver high-definition video conferencing and recording for camcorders, notebooks, netbooks, and other mobile applications.
"Consumer and business applications incorporating video capability are growing at a rapid pace, and these applications are used predominantly in places where lighting conditions are often far from ideal. This makes image quality and low-light performance key drivers to the success of these products in the market," said Nick Nam, senior product marketing manager at OmniVision. "With the OV2710, OmniVision is offering a full 1080p true HD video solution for design into mainstream consumer products."
The 1/3-inch OV2710 offers a 1920×1080 array operating at 30 frames per second using a 3-micron OmniPixel3-HS pixel, delivering low-light performance of 3300 mV/(lux-sec), dark current of 6 mV/sec and a peak dynamic range of 69dB. This allows the OV2710 to operate in low-light situations well below 15 lux, suitable for applications including notebooks, netbooks, PC cameras, digital video camcorders, DSCs, handsets and other ultra portable devices, said OmniVision.
Competing 1080p HD video solutions are based on reducing high-resolution sensors to a 1080p display resolution through either cropping, or merging pixels by binning. However, cropping reduces the field of view, while binning degrades image quality, color reproduction and picture sharpness, said OmniVision. Furthermore a higher resolution sensor will need a much smaller pixel size than a 2-megapixel sensor to achieve the same optical format; and shrinking pixels generally degrades low-light performance.
The OV2710 supports multiple platform architectures and controllers with both parallel and MIPI interfaces and allows system designers to leverage the same opto-electrical design across various products and multiple market segments. The OV2710 will enter into mass production in September 2009.