OmniVision, one of the most important manufacturers of cameras for mobile terminals, announced today the release of image sensors capable of taking pictures at 16 megapixel resolution but also filming at 4K2K (quad full HD) resolution. OV16820 and OV16825 are the names of the sensors launched today by OmniVision, they are designed to work in compact cameras and high-end smartphones, and with their help you can shoot video at 4K2K resolution (3840 x 2160, quad full HD ) at 60 fps. If the 4K2K resolution is too small for you, then you have the option to film at 30 fps at 16 megapixel resolution, i.e. 4608 x 3456.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV16820 and OV16825, two 16-megapixel CameraChip sensors that support 16-megapixel burst photography and can capture 4K2K video, or Quad Full High Definition (QFHD), at 60 frames per second (FPS). Built on the high-performance 1.34-micron OmniBSI-2™ pixel architecture, the OV16820 and OV16825 were developed by OmniVision to support emerging standards in high-resolution video recording for the digital still and video camera (DSC/DVC) markets and the high -end smartphone market, respectively.
The new image sensors are extremely impressive, from the point of view of specifications, but it remains to be seen if smartphone manufacturers will find effective methods to implement them in future mobile terminals. To be honest, I don't think there is a need for 4k2K resolution in smartphones, considering that just two years ago we switched to Full HD on almost all top smart phones and for now YouTube is still experimenting with this technology.
