The Canon iVIS HV10 high-definition HDV camcorder was released in September 2006. In order to realize broadcast-quality HD video on a camcorder, images must be produced with the same pixel count as HDTV broadcasts —: 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Canon's choice for bringing HD performance to its camcorders was a CMOS sensor, an industry first.

The chip itself measures 7.8 by 7.6 mm, offering an effective pixel area of 6.6 square millimeters(diagonal). Three chips fit across a nickel, which is about 2 cm in diameter. But inside, it's an imaging powerhouse with nearly 2 megapixels for video and 3 megapixels for still images.

How well did the developers solve the challenges in stepping up to HD—increased processing speeds, CCD-quality pixel performance, and effective noise reduction? Here's the inside scoop from experts in product development, process development, and image processing.