Customized sensor for 'Big Sky', the world's most advanced camera system
Las Vegas Sphere, USA used to capture ultra-high-resolution content

The latest details on the 'Big Sky' custom sensor being used to capture ultra-high-resolution content at The Sphere, a recently popular entertainment venue in Las Vegas, USA, have been revealed.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, today announced new details about its collaboration with Sphere Entertainment Co. to develop the world’s largest image sensor to support Sphere’s Big Sky camera system.

Big Sky is a groundbreaking high-resolution camera system that captures content for Sphere, a next-generation entertainment media company based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Inside Sphere's performance hall, the world's largest high-resolution LED screen surrounds the audience, providing a completely immersive visual environment.

Sphere Studios is the in-house content studio developing original live entertainment experiences for Sphere, and the team designed the Big Sky Camera System to capture content across 160,000 square feet of 16K x 16K displays.

Big Sky Sensor is now commercially available The world's largest cinema camera sensor used and paired with the world's sharpest cinema lenses, it captures large-scale images in unprecedented detail.

“Big Sky is taking cinema camera technology a step further, with each element representing a leap in design and manufacturing innovation,” said Deanan DaSilva, Sphere Studio Big Sky Chief Architect. “The sensor in any camera is critical to image quality, but given the size and resolution of the Sphere Display, Big Sky’s sensor had to outperform conventional sensors.”

He added, “ST is working closely with Sphere Studios, leveraging its extensive expertise to expand the possibilities of Sphere’s immersive content and create groundbreaking sensors across the entertainment industry.”

“For nearly 25 years, ST has leveraged cutting-edge imaging technology, IP and tools to develop unique solutions that deliver advanced features and performance, but implementing a customized sensor for the size, resolution and speed required by Big Sky presented an entirely new challenge that required nearly impossible yields, low noise, and high dynamic range,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Imaging Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics. “ST has now succeeded in fabricating the first of these wafers at our 12-inch (300mm) wafer facility in Crolles, France.”

A leader in the development and manufacturing of image sensors, ST's imaging technology and foundry services serve a wide range of markets, including professional photography and cinematography.

Big Sky's 316-megapixel sensor is nearly seven times larger and has 40 times higher resolution than full-frame sensors used in high-end commercial cameras.It has a commercial purpose.

Measuring 9.92cm x 8.31cm (82.4cm2), the die size is twice the size of a wallet photo, and only four dies fit on a 300mm wafer. The system captures images at 120fps and transfers data at 60GB per second.

Additionally, Big Sky allows filmmakers to capture large images with a single camera rather than stitching together content from multiple cameras, avoiding common stitching issues such as seams and proximity restrictions between images.

Meanwhile, Sphere Studios has filed 10 patents related to Big Sky technology, and the number continues to grow.