High-definition television (HDTV) images are now commonly available and the recent trend of video applications is toward even higher spatial resolutions with higher pixel rates. To make such high-resolution video images possible, the sensor must have a line time, or one row time, of less than a few microseconds with a pixel rate greater than gigapixels per second. In this paper, the basics of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and the architectures/technologies used to obtain such high resolutions and frame rates are reviewed and the technologies to obtain the highest possible quality video images are explained.