NHK 33 Megapixel 120fps Ultra High Definition Imaging System

NHK, in conjunction with Shizuoka University, has developed an Ultra High Definition imaging system that outputs 33MP video at 120fps.

As Ultra High Definition broadcasts at full resolution are designed for large, wall sized displays, there is a possibility that fast moving subjects may not be clear when shot at 60fps, so the option of 120fps has been standardized for these situations.

To handle the sensor output of approximately 4 billion pixels per second with a data rate as high as 51.2Gbps, a faster analog-to-digital converter has been developed to process the data from the pixels, and then a high-speed output circuit distributes the resulting digital signals into 96 parallel channels.

This 1.5-inch CMOS sensor is smaller and uses less power when compared to conventional Ultra High Definition sensors, and it is also the world's first to support the full specifications of the Ultra High Definition standard.

From now on NHK plan to increase the light sensitivity of this Ultra High Definition sensor.

by Don Kennedy, DigInfo