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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.42

        THIS WARRANT AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE HEREOF HAVE
        NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. THEY MAY NOT BE
        SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED
        EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
        SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE
        COMPANY THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SUCH ACT OR UNLESS SOLD
        PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER SUCH ACT.



                     WARRANT NO. 1 TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
                                       OF
                        DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC.

                           VOID AFTER DECEMBER 9, 2001



               This Warrant is issued to Scott K. Ginsburg, or his registered
assigns ("Holder") by Digital Generation Systems, Inc., a California corporation
(the "Company"), on December 9, 1998 (the "Warrant Issue Date"). This Warrant is
issued pursuant to the terms of that certain Warrant Purchase Agreement dated as
of the date hereof (the "Purchase Agreement").

               1. Purchase Shares. Subject to the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth and set forth in the Purchase Agreement, the Holder is
entitled, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company
(or at such other place as the Company shall notify the holder hereof in
writing), to purchase from the Company up to one million four hundred sixty
thousand sixty-seven (1,460,067) fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common
Stock of the Company, as constituted on the Warrant Issue Date (the "Common
Stock"). The number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Section
1 (the "Shares") shall be subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 8 hereof.

               2. Exercise Price. The purchase price for the Shares shall be
$3.25, as adjusted from time to time pursuant to Section 8 hereof (the "Exercise
Price").

               3. Exercise Period. This Warrant shall not be exercisable prior
to December 9, 1999. Thereafter, this Warrant shall be exercisable as follows:

                  (a) This Warrant shall be exercisable with respect to 50% of
the Shares, in whole or in part with respect to such Shares, during the term
commencing on the date that the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on
the Nasdaq National Market has exceeded $10.00 per share for at least twenty
(20) of the preceding thirty (30) consecutive trading days and ending on 5:00
p.m. on December 9, 2001.

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                  (b) This Warrant shall become exercisable with respect to the
remaining Shares, in whole or in part, during the term commencing on the date
that the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on the Nasdaq National
Market has exceeded $15.00 per share for at least twenty (20) of the preceding
thirty (30) consecutive trading days and ending on 5:00 p.m. on December 9,
2001.

               4. Method of Exercise. While this Warrant remains outstanding and
exercisable in accordance with Section 3 above, the Holder may exercise, in
whole or in part, the purchase rights evidenced hereby. Such exercise shall be
effected by:

                  (a) the surrender of the Warrant, together with a duly
executed copy of the form of Notice of Election attached hereto, to the
Secretary of the Company at its principal offices; and

                  (b) the payment to the Company of an amount equal to the
aggregate Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased.

               5. Assumption of Warrant. If at any time, while this Warrant, or
any portion thereof, is outstanding and unexpired there shall be (i) an
acquisition of the Company by another entity by means of a merger,
consolidation, or other transaction or series of related transactions resulting
in the exchange of the outstanding shares of the Company's Capital Stock such
that shareholders of the Company prior to such transaction own, directly or
indirectly, less than 50% of the voting power of the surviving entity, or (ii) a
sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the Company's assets to any
other person, then, as a part of such acquisition, sale or transfer, lawful
provision shall be made so that the Holder shall thereafter be entitled to
receive upon exercise of this Warrant, during the period specified herein and
upon payment of the Exercise Price then in effect, the number of shares of stock
or other securities or property of the successor corporation resulting from such
acquisition, sale or transfer which a holder of the shares deliverable upon
exercise of this Warrant would have been entitled to receive in such
acquisition, sale or transfer if this Warrant had been exercised immediately
before such acquisition, sale or transfer, all subject to further adjustment as
provided in this Section 5; and, in any such case, appropriate adjustment (as
determined by the Company's Board of Directors) shall be made in the application
of the provisions herein set forth with respect to the rights and interests
thereafter of the Holder to the end that the provisions set forth herein
(including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the
number of Warrant Shares of the Holder is entitled to purchase) shall thereafter
by applicable, as nearly as possible, in relation to any shares of Common Stock
or other securities or other property thereafter deliverable upon the exercise
of this Warrant.

               6. Certificates for Shares. Upon the exercise of the purchase
rights evidenced by this Warrant, one or more certificates for the number of
Shares so purchased shall be issued as soon as practicable thereafter (with
appropriate restrictive legends, if applicable), and in any event within thirty
(30) days of the delivery of the subscription notice.


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               7. Issuance of Shares. The Company covenants that the Shares,
when issued pursuant to the exercise of this Warrant, will be duly and validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens, and charges
with respect to the issuance thereof.

               8. Adjustment of Exercise Price and Number of Shares. The number
of and kind of securities purchasable upon exercise of this Warrant and the
Exercise Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as follows:

                  (a) Subdivisions, Combinations and Other Issuances. If the
Company shall at any time prior to the expiration of this Warrant subdivide its
Common Stock, by split-up or otherwise, or combine its Common Stock, or issue
additional shares of its Common Stock or Common Stock as a dividend with respect
to any shares of its Common Stock, the number of Shares issuable on the exercise
of this Warrant shall forthwith be proportionately increased in the case of a
subdivision or stock dividend, or proportionately decreased in the case of a
combination. Appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the purchase price
payable per share, but the aggregate purchase price payable for the total number
of Shares purchasable under this Warrant (as adjusted) shall remain the same.
Any adjustment under this Section 8(a) shall become effective at the close of
business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective, or as of
the record date of such dividend, or in the event that no record date is fixed,
upon the making of such dividend.

                  (b) Reclassification, Reorganization and Consolidation. In
case of any reclassification, capital reorganization, or change in the Common
Stock of the Company (other than as a result of a subdivision, combination, or
stock dividend provided for in Section 8(a) above), then, as a condition of such
reclassification, reorganization, or change, lawful provision shall be made, and
duly executed documents evidencing the same from the Company or its successor
shall be delivered to the Holder, so that the Holder shall have the right at any
time prior to the expiration of this Warrant to purchase, at a total price equal
to that payable upon the exercise of this Warrant, the kind and amount of shares
of stock and other securities and property receivable in connection with such
reclassification, reorganization, or change by a holder of the same number of
shares of Common Stock as were purchasable by the Holder immediately prior to
such reclassification, reorganization, or change. In any such case appropriate
provisions shall be made with respect to the rights and interest of the Holder
so that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable with respect to any
shares of stock or other securities and property deliverable upon exercise
hereof, and appropriate adjustments shall be made to the purchase price per
share payable hereunder, provided the aggregate purchase price shall remain the
same.

                  (c) Notice of Adjustment. When any adjustment is required to
be made in the number or kind of shares purchasable upon exercise of the
Warrant, or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall promptly notify the holder
of such event and of the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities or
property thereafter purchasable upon exercise of this Warrant.

               9. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip
representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this
Warrant, but in lieu of such fractional


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shares the Company shall make a cash payment therefor on the basis of the
Exercise Price then in effect.

               10. No Shareholder Rights. Prior to exercise of this Warrant, the
Holder shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder with respect to the
Shares, including (without limitation) the right to vote such Shares, receive
dividends or other distributions thereon, exercise preemptive rights or be
notified of shareholder meetings, and such holder shall not be entitled to any
notice or other communication concerning the business or affairs of the Company.
However, nothing in this Section 10 shall limit the right of the Holder to be
provided the Notices required under this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement.

               11. Transfers of Warrant. Subject to compliance with applicable
federal and state securities laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are
transferable in whole or in part by the Holder to any person or entity upon
written notice to the Company. The transfer shall be recorded on the books of
the Company upon the surrender of this Warrant, properly endorsed, to the
Company at its principal offices, and the payment to the Company of all transfer
taxes and other governmental charges imposed on such transfer. In the event of a
partial transfer, the Company shall issue to the holders one or more appropriate
new warrants.

               12. Successors and Assigns. The terms and provisions of this
Warrant and the Purchase Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding
upon, the Company and the Holders hereof and their respective successors and
assigns.

               13. Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Warrant may be
amended and the observance of any term of this Warrant may be waived (either
generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or
prospectively), with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

               14. Notices. All notices required under this Warrant and shall be
deemed to have been given or made for all purposes (i) upon personal delivery,
(ii) upon confirmation receipt that the communication was successfully sent to
the applicable number if sent by facsimile; (iii) one day after being sent, when
sent by professional overnight courier service, or (iv) five days after posting
when sent by registered or certified mail. Notices to the Company shall be sent
to the principal office of the Company (or at such other place as the Company
shall notify the Holder hereof in writing). Notices to the Holder shall be sent
to the address of the Holder on the books of the Company (or at such other place
as the Holder shall notify the Company hereof in writing).

               15. Attorneys' Fees. If any action of law or equity is necessary
to enforce or interpret the terms of this Warrant, the prevailing party shall be
entitled to its reasonable attorneys' fees, costs and disbursements in addition
to any other relief to which it may be entitled.

               16. Captions. The section and subsection headings of this Warrant
are inserted for convenience only and shall not constitute a part of this
Warrant in construing or interpreting any provision hereof.


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               17. Governing Law. This Warrant shall be governed by the laws of
the State of California as applied to agreements among California residents made
and to be performed entirely within the State of California.


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               IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Digital Generation Systems, Inc. caused this
Warrant to be executed by an officer thereunto duly authorized.



                                         DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC.



                                      By:
                                         -------------------------------------
                                         Henry W. Donaldson,
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer






                   SIGNATURE PAGE TO WARRANT NO. 1 TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
                       OF DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC.

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                               NOTICE OF EXERCISE



To:  DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC.

               The undersigned hereby elects to purchase _________________
shares of Common Stock of Digital Generation Systems, Inc., pursuant to the
terms of the attached Warrant and payment of the Exercise Price per share
required under such Warrant accompanies this notice.

               The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the
undersigned is acquiring such shares for its own account for investment purposes
only, and not for resale or with a view to distribution of such shares or any
part thereof.

                                            WARRANTHOLDER:



                                            By:  
                                               -------------------------------
                                               SCOTT K. GINSBURG

                                     Address:                
                                             ----------------------------------

                                             ----------------------------------


Date:
     -----------------


Name in which shares should be registered:


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