Micron announces 5 megapixel HD sensor for consumer cams
By Paul Miller 
posted September 20th 2006 3:50PM
posted September 20th 2006 3:50PM
HD video is becoming more and more prevalent, but most people are still snapping those grainy VGA flicks with their digital cameras, which might be plenty for YouTube, but it won't win you any videophile cred. We can't guarantee stuffing a HD sensor into your consumer cam is going to do much for that cred either -- maybe you and cred were never meant to be -- but it's a fun spec to have for specifications sake, and Micron is bringing just that kind of love with their new HD sensor. The new CMOS unit can handle 60fps 720p, or 30fps 1080p videos, and Micron hopes to start sampling the sensor this fall. Micron also has a new sensor with similar specs, but designed for camcorders, so hopefully we'll be seeing some price drops and spec bumps for those in '07. We're guessing this first wave of such consumer "TrueHD" tech might leave a bit to be desired in the quality department, but it's a good step towards putting a whole lot more pixels in every pocket.
How long will it be before HTC phones have enough processing power to take in these chips and make use of them?
I'm really okay with my standard def digital camcorder. I like hi-def footage/movies due to their spectacular quality as well as the subject captured on film and professional composition/presentation. When I watch a home video I rarely pay attention to the quality of the footage and focus more on the wedding I'm watching, the baby that's crawling for the first time, or the grandparent sharing stories (or buddies acting a little crazy).
I'm sure there'll be a market for this. With the HD rage it'll probably do fairly well, but eventually I anticipate the users will find the hi-def capabilities to be rather superfluous.
Isn't 30fps 1080p videos just 1080i? Cause 1080p is 60FPS.
Not if it's 30 progressive frames.
There is both 30 frames per second progressive scan and 60 frames per second progressive scan. And then there is 30 interlaced frames per second which is made up of 60 half frames interlaced togther.
Then there is 24p which was invented to simulate motion picture film here in the US.
For the most part interlaced is heading out the window and 1080i should have never been accepted as an HD format in the first place. The future, as well as the past (i.e. motion picture film) is progressive scan.
isn't "true" HD 24 progressive frames at 1080 lines per frame? the idea is to mimic the way feature films are shot, and it's getting VERY close.
5 Megapixel ? move on we are now on the 160 megapixel count...
nope....engadged just bumped the pixel count... we're on 300MP now hehehehe.