December 17, 2005

HD TV cameras for under $800 in 2006?

Very very cool if they can pull this off. From CNet News:
Upstart aims to bring HD camcorders to the masses
High-definition consumer video cameras are tough to find these days and cost around $1,800. But next year, you might be able to grab one for $799, according to a camera chip upstart.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Ambarella has devised a family of multicore microprocessors that it says can compress and process HD video efficiently and cheaply. The company's chips could be incorporated into a video camera selling for around $799 or into digital still cameras, which would become capable of taking high-resolution stills (8 megapixels or so) as well as TV-quality video.

The company will show off the technology at the Computer Electronics Show kicking off on Jan. 5 in Las Vegas. Three major camera makers have already begun to build experimental cameras using Ambarella's chips.

"Two out of the three have fairly solid product plans," said Didier LeGall, executive vice president of Ambarella. "There is a very good chance of products showing up in Q2."
Ambarella's website is here Hat tip to Thomas Hawk for the link. There are still questions about the actual quality of the image -- a good image is not a matter of getting a high pixel-count. You also need low noise and a good color rendition. Still... Posted by DaveH at December 17, 2005 2:06 PM
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