Jon Iverson

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.zenith.com">Zenith Electronics</A> and <A HREF="http://nxtwavecomm.com">NxtWave Communications</A> announced they have finalized their agreement to jointly develop compatible enhancements to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) DTV standard. The companies had previously responded separately to the ATSC's "VSB Enhancements" Request for Proposals (RFP).

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.st.com">STMicroelectronics</A>, which manufactures semiconductor devices used in set-top boxes (STBs), High Definition Television (HDTV), and other sophisticated digital consumer equipment, announced what it describes as the "world's most advanced chip" for the HDTV market. STM says that the new STi7020 "brings an unprecedented level of integration to the HDTV industry" and adds that the chip is expected to play a key role in the transition from standard definition to HDTV technology.

For decades, <A HREF="http://www.disney.com">Disney</A> has dominated the animated feature-film business. Recently, Dreamworks SKG, which scored a hit with this summer's <I>Saving Private Ryan</I>, jumped into the fray with the film <I>Antz</I>, about the life of an idealistic ant who feels trapped amoung his colony's soldiers and workers. Considered better than any other animated feature released so far this year, <I><A HREF="http://www.antz.com/">Antz</A></I> needed an early start out of the gate, as Disney had planned a big splash for their own insect story.

Lately, there's been a deafening buzz in the high-tech community: Developing digital networks for consumers' homes is going to be the Next Big Thing. There are <A HREF="http://www.zdnet.com/chkpt/adem2fpf/www.anchordesk.com/story/story_1961.... skeptics</A>, but the clamor has caught the attention of every big computer company out there; everyone from Sun to Apple to Microsoft to IBM is getting in on the act. However, there hasn't been much noise from the consumer-electronics companies---until now.