Ecco quello che ho trovato in un noto sito USA che vende visori e in generale strumenti ottici:
The same technology used in digital cameras, using CCD chips and CMOS chips to collect light, is also finding its way into night vision equipment and, like any other digital product (digital night vision) category, advances are being made rapidly. The first of these "digital viewers" to appear were on a par with a typical Gen 1 unit, but newer versions of digital night vision monoculars are now approaching performance that of a Gen 2 unit.
The advantages of going digital are significant. A digital monocular with Gen 2 like performance will be less than half the price of a standard Gen 2 night vision monocular. Digital night vision units are also easier to use with cameras, since you can attach any camera or camcorder equipped with a video input to the digital night vision unit with a simple RCA video cord. This circumvents the need to find an adapter, which is a problem with most conventional NV units. Lastly, digital units are not damaged by exposure to bright light, as are most conventional night vision products.
In sostanza i primi visori digitali erano poco più che giocattoli, la nuova generazione è paragonabile ad una II GEN di visore tradizionale ma con un prezzo nettamente inferiore. Sarebbe ottimo se solo li facessero senza ingrandimenti!