The digital divide is broadening in the area of entertainment. Those without the cash or inclination to invest in high tech toys just may not have as much fun as those who do. No worries, all the fun stuff is bound to come down in price and early adopters will either end up with the coolest stuff or the equivalent of a closet full of Newtons and Beta video machines. CES seems to be all about digital entertainment this year, and Thomson is certainly in the mix with a gaggle of new toys. The company intends to launch a new line of entertainment products throughout 2002 to bring new capabilities to the digitally aware. First off, Thomson will be turning loose a new series of analog RCA televisions that have an Xbox component video connection port. This new connection is supposed to take advantage of the Xbox's ability to output component video signal levels, and feeds the signal through a single connection cable. More than 15 different RCA TV models will feature the Xbox connection in 2002.

Next, Thomson will use a semiconductor technology it calls Matrix 3-D Memory to offer "Technicolor Digital Memory Cards," which will offer write-once capabilities for permanently storing digital files. The little devices will come in standard flash formats and sizes, and should work interchangeably with existing flash cards. A new lineup of RCA Scenium HDTV sets and HDTV monitors add convenient copy-protected DVI-HDTV and DTVLink (1394) interfaces that connect to HDTV satellite and cable equipment. RCA says the Scenium line will grow this year to include a broader selection of flat-panel plasma, rear-projection, and direct-view HDTV monitors and sets, as well as additional audio and video components. The newest RCA Scenium is a 61" rear-projection HDTV set with integrated ATSC reception, a flat-screen TV/DVD combo HDTV monitor, and innovative audio and DVD. Last but not least, Thomson is putting out a portable digital music player with a 10 GB disk drive called the RCA LYRA Personal Jukebox, which is shown in the image above. The gadget is compatible with both Mac and PC platforms and will set you back around $299.