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Thomson Develops New Xensium CMOS Sensor For Grass Valley High Definition Cameras (12/2/2007)

Thomson's Award Winning High Resolution Imager Offers Superior Performance Using Next-Generation CMOS Technology

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) continues to raise the bar for high resolution image capture with the introduction of the Grass Valley(tm) Xensium(tm), an innovative new high performance CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor. The new, native high definition sensor has an array of 2.4 million pixels.

Xensium offers a wider dynamic range, lower power consumption and improved signal-to-noise performance when compared to current CCD and CMOS imagers. It was developed and designed by Emmy(r) Award-winning Grass Valley engineers in close collaboration with colleagues at Thomson Technology's Silicon Components division and within a European Union Medea+ programme, where it won the highly prestigious Jean-Pierre Noblanc Award for the most innovative project of 2006.

The imaging chip is at the heart of professional camera design, and Grass Valley has continually worked to achieve high resolution, wide contrast handling and low noise. The first application of Xensium technology is an imager designed specifically for full resolution high definition capture. The chip also includes control electronics which allow pixels to be read in any order, meaning it can capture natively in progressive or interlaced formats. The sensor also incorporates on-board analog to digital conversion, further reducing noise and improving performance by eliminating a separate processing stage.

This marks the first time Grass Valley has moved from CCD to CMOS in its cameras. Coupled with Grass Valley's broad spectrum digital signal processing it is set to deliver remarkable pictures in uncompromised HD resolution. The 2/3-inch 1920 x 1080 active pixel Xensium HD sensor will first be used in production models of the Grass Valley Infinity(tm) Digital Media Camcorder, and the Xensium line of imagers will become a standard in future generation Grass Valley camera products across a broad range of applications.

"Unlike other manufacturers, who have to source their sensors from a third party and then integrate it with their own camera design, our engineers develop both the sensor and image processing architecture in parallel, ensuring that the whole optical-electrical system is perfectly matched to get the best possible quality," said Marc Valentin, president of the Grass Valley business within Thomson. "Grass Valley has been a leader in image acquisition for many years, and continues that tradition of excellence with the new Xensium sensor."

About the Xensium CMOS Sensor

Building on its long history of success in image sensor design, Grass Valley has devoted a multi-disciplined team of experts in the fields of image sensors, analog electronics, integrated circuit design and process engineering to develop Xensium, a sensor that combines the excellent noise and sensitivity performance normally associated with CCD imagers with the low-power benefits of CMOS technology.

www.thomsongrassvalley.com

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