Who we are
VCX is a non-profit organisation, it does not primarily pursue its own economic ends
A numeric indicator of the camera value of smart-phones and products. It is based on an objective assessment of equipment
Getting the experts together to improve the user experience
Introduction
The association of Vision and Trust
Due to the fast-evolving technologies and the ever-increasing importance of imaging in social media, the camera is one of the most important components of today’s smart-phones. Smartphones have essentially replaced low-to-mid end compact cameras, thanks to better imaging apparatus, convenience, and connectivity.
With the vast choice of devices and great promises of manufacturers, there is a demand to characterize image quality and performance in very simple terms in order to provide information that helps users choose the best-suited device. With a plethora of choices, exaggerated marketing claims, competing technologies, and techno mumbo-jumbo have created a confusing situation for customer planning for device acquisition; A market devoid of a transparent, open, and objective scoring system has exacerbated the situation.
For this reason, VCX(Valued Camera eXperience) was established to address the challenges.
The mission of the association is the creation and dissemination of a standard for objectively assessing the image quality of cameras in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, notebooks, drones, etc. The objective is to provide independent and credible information to consumers and industry alike; For experts who are in the know, an open and transparent system to build, comment, and improve upon.
The VCX Forum has been working with its members on the system and infrastructure as a nonprofit organization. Now, we will strive to improve our technology to develop and exchange accurate and objective quality and performance indicators that are our ultimate goal. We will also serve as a compass for the smart-phone camera industry. This requires constant attention and encouragement from you. We appreciate your interest in VCX-Forum.
Foundation
The Association serves the creation and dissemination of a standard for objectively assessing the image quality of cameras and mobile devices such as smart-phones, tablet computers, notebooks, etc. The objective is to provide independent and credible information for consumers.
The VCX-Forum seeks the most objective assessment and the ideal mediator between consumers and companies.
Purpose
VCX scoring system was born out of the need to create a transparent and objective image quality assessment system from the perspective of the consumer.
The VCX score aims to enable the comparison of camera accuracy and performance. A high score indicates an excellent camera performance for consumers. That way the VCX score is not just a simple comparison system but will also serve as a standard to help guide the industry to develop better cameras.
The Association is a non-profit organization
It does not primarily pursue its own economic ends. The members shall not receive any profit shares, and in their capacity as members, will also not be granted any other benefits from the funds of the Association. No person may be benefited by distributions that are outside of the Association's purposes, or by way of disproportionately high remuneration.
The mission of the association is the creation and dissemination of a standard for objectively assessing the image quality of cameras in mobile devices such as smart-phones, tablets, computers, notebooks, etc. The main objective is to provide independent and credible information to consumers and industry likewise.
The VCX-Forum seeks to be the most objective assessment and the ideal mediator between consumers and companies. It is important to point out that the VCX score is a reference evaluation, different from advertisements by providing objective and accurate information to customers who are likely to otherwise depend on advertisements for information. We aim to bring together the world’s smart-phone camera manufacturers, camera component producers, chipset/ISP vendors, image quality labs, researchers from academia and other stakeholders from the mobile phone industry. VCX-membership is open to any organization that wishes to further the goals of VCX.
Principle
The initiating companies have the intention and motivation to bring the VCX Score to a larger audience. The list below includes opening up aspects of VCX to key industry players. VCX is based on 5 tenets which guarantee results that can be mapped to real life experience:
Tenets
1.VCX measurements shall ensure the out-of-the-box experience
2.VCX shall remain 100% objective
3.VCX shall be open and transparent
4.VCX shall employ/use an independent imaging lab for testing
5.VCX shall seek continuous improvement
VCX measurements shall ensure the out-of-the-box experience
The VCX score is designed to reflect the user experience with a camera to make it much easier for end-users to decide what they need or want from a new device. The results are obtained from a device launched onto the market to ensure that neither special samples from suppliers nor custom hardware/software are accepted. The device is tested using the default camera application and setting (except for flash/burst mode test cases, if applicable) from the device.
VCX shall remain 100% objective
The score is calculated from measurements solely based on objective analysis of the device under test, followed by fixed and unbiased processing of the numerical results. No human interaction or subjective scoring is involved when generating the VCX score for a device.
VCX shall remain open and transparent
The VCX score is intended to be useful to the consumer, rather than just an internal target for ecosystem participants. VCX members may publish the score in marketing campaigns or other literature, and qualified VCX scores may be published on the website www.vcx-forum.org. The specification itself, as well as the scoring methodology, is open to critique and scrutiny by the imaging community at large - within the VCX forum. High-level weighting criteria are published along with the details of high-level components that make up the final VCX score.
VCX shall employ/use an independent imaging lab for testing
Anyone is welcome to build and utilize a VCX-certified lab for the purposes of testing and benchmarking devices. To combat bias, however, the results on vcx-forum.org are restricted to results measured or audited by trusted labs to ensure the highest quality and consistent results in order to qualify for publishing. Other independent imaging labs are welcome to join the VCX initiative; processes and procedures for the inclusion of other entities to actively contribute to VCX are defined in the VCX handbook.
VCX shall seek continuous improvement
VCX forum members are leading ecosystem partners from the PC and Mobile industry. Members closely watch and follow industry trends and contribute positively to continuous specification development. VCX specifications have been developed over several years and will be regularly updated on an annual or as-needed basis.
History
It was more than 15 years ago that Vodafone started to test the cameras that got bundled with their services based on so-called key performance indicators (KPIs). The test procedure has been developed together with Image Engineering who established the first independent test lab for cameras in 1997 and contributed to many of the existing ISO standards for camera performance tests. The name was Vodafone Camera eXperience which was used internally.
When in 2016 the test results that got published by another institution were questioned by many industry members for their objectivity Vodafone and Image Engineering decided to donate their developments to the community and in 2017 the VCX- Forum e.V., a non-profit organization, was established. The abbreviation VCX is still used but the name behind it changed to
Valued Camera eXperience – VCX
Today the organization is member-driven and Vodafone and Image Engineering are members among about two dozens other companies including almost all of the big mobile phone manufacturers, chipset vendors, module manufacturers, and labs. All members are united in their intention to create a quality and performance measure that allows to compare their smartphone cameras with the ones of others and provide guidance to the customers on which camera to choose. That way the image quality of smartphone cameras is comparable and will be improved in the future.