World’s Largest Image Sensor Revolutionizes Film Experience

Postcard from Earth © Sphere Entertainment (eap) The media and live entertainment company Sphere Entertainment, to which belongs the impressive Sphere building in Las Vegas that opened last fall as a new venue for concerts, film presentations and other large-scale events for audiences of up to 20,000 people, has announced details of its collaboration with European semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics. As part of a collaboration between the two companies, the (as is officially stated) “world’s largest cinema image sensor” was developed specifically for the ultra-high-resolution camera system “Big Sky” from Sphere Studios (the in-house content studio of Sphere Entertainment).

Inside Sphere, the event venue features the world’s largest, high-resolution LED screen which wraps up, over, and around the audience to create a fully immersive visual environment. New film content for presentation on this giant LED screen will be produced using the specially developed image sensor to reproduce images in ideal size and detail. In collaboration with Sphere Studios, STMicroelectronics developed a unique 18K sensor for the Big Sky camera system, officially the largest commercially used camera sensor in the world.

“Big Sky significantly advances cinematic camera technology, with each element representing a leap in design and manufacturing innovation. The sensor on any camera is critical to image quality, but given the size and resolution of Sphere's display, Big Sky‘s sensor had to go beyond any existing capability. STMicroelectronics, working closely with Sphere Studios, leveraged their extensive expertise to manufacture a groundbreaking sensor that not only expands the possibilities for immersive content at Sphere, but also across the entertainment industry,” said Deanan DaSilva, lead architect of Big Sky at Sphere Studios.

As a leader in the development and manufacturing of image sensors, STMicroelectronics’ imaging technologies and foundry services cater to a wide range of markets, including professional photography and cinematography. Big Sky’s 316-megapixel sensor is almost 7x larger and 40x higher in resolution than the full-frame sensors found in high-end commercial cameras. The system would also be capable of capturing images at 120 fps and transferring data at 60 gigabytes per second.

Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth” film, which is currently being shown at the Sphere as part of The Sphere Experience, is the first film production to use Big Sky. Since its premiere, Postcard from Earth has taken audiences on a journey through all seven continents. ■