A 33M-pixel wide color gamut image capturing system using four CMOS image sensors at 120 Hz

We are currently researching a next-generation broadcasting system called Super Hi-Vision (SHV). We have proposed the following video parameters for SHV: 33-million-pixel (33M-pixel) resolution, 120-Hz frame frequency, and wide gamut color system. In order to capture the SHV images, we investigate a 33M-pixel image-capturing system operable at a frame frequency of 120 Hz. The system consists of four CMOS image sensors that can not only output 33M-pixel at 60-Hz frame frequency but also output half of the 33M-pixel in either odd or even lines at 120-Hz frame frequency. Two image sensors are used for the green channel (G1 and G2), and the other two are assigned to each of the red and blue channels. The G1 sensor outputs the odd lines, while the G2 sensor outputs the even lines. A combination of G1 and G2 outputs 33M-pixel green images. The red and blue sensors scan odd lines and even lines, respectively. Subsequently, the unscanned lines are interpolated in the vertical direction. In addition, we design a prism for wide color gamut reproducibility. We develop a prototype and evaluate its resolution, image lag, and color reproducibility. The performance of the proposed system is found to be satisfactory for capturing 33M-pixel images at 120 Hz.