Thomson says it will unveil a new high definition video decoder chip for settop box and PVR makers at this years IBC show, able to decode decoding for H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX codecs. The so-called Thomson 4230 can deliver output HD and SD simultaneously over HDMI and Gigabit Ethernet.
Sony Corporation today announced the commercialization of “IMX021″, an APS-C size (diagonal: 28.40mm/Type 1.8) 12.47 effective megapixel ultra-high speed, high image quality CMOS image sensor “designed to meet the increasing requirement for rapid image capture and advanced picture quality within digital SLR cameras.” Sony will position “IMX021″ as a key device capable of generating new added value in the high-growth digital SLR camera market, actively promoting its use within Sony and externally.
One of the main strengths of CMOS image sensors is their potential for system integration, enabling both analog and digital circuits to be combined on the same chip. “IMX021″ maximizes these advantages, while also incorporating Sony’s newly developed “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion Technique”, providing each column within the sensor with its own A/D converter.
This system enables analog signals transferred from the Sensor’s vertical signal lines to be A/D converted directly, over the shortest possible distance. It also minimizes image degradation caused by the noise that arises during analog processing, while at the same time delivering an extremely high signal conversion speed (in all-pixel scan mode) of 10.39 frame/s (12 bit).
