Both Sony Electronics and Panavision say they will soon deliver the first prototype 24-frame-progressive high-definition camera system to Lucasfilm for testing prior to its being used in shooting the next two Star Wars films. The companies say that this announcement signifies the beginning of a new era in high-definition digital cinematography.

Last week, The Walt Disney Company and Texas Instruments announced that DLP Cinema technology will be featured in an all-digital showing of Disney/Pixar's new computer-animated film, Toy Story 2, at six locations in North America. According to the companies, Toy Story 2 will be the first major studio feature to be released simultaneously in both digital and traditional film formats.

What's an American industrial icon worth? Try 200 million bucks. That's what LG Electronics paid when it acquired Zenith in a bankruptcy settlement completed November 8 in a Federal court in Glenview, Illinois. As Zenith's largest creditor, LG electronics agreed to accept 100% of Zenith's assets in exchange for $200 million in claims against the former consumer-electronics giant.

Children's programming seems to fill a huge number of time slots on television these days. What once was a minor business in the broadcasting industry has become a giant in its own right. The industry is throwing increasing amounts of capital at developers of children's programming in the hope of creating brand loyalty and thereby pulling in lucrative advertising dollars.