LAS VEGAS -- Battle lines have been drawn for control of your home entertainment system, with both Microsoft and RealNetworks pushing competing devices to manage movies, television and music.
The bitter rivals used the Consumer Electronics Show as a platform for introducing technology each hopes points the way to its domination of the home entertainment market.
For Microsoft, the future is a server that manages every electrical device.
RealNetworks blew off the PC-centered approach, striking a deal with a couple of digital video recording companies, Moxi and TiVo, that links the television and home stereo system through a set-top box.
The plans renew the debate over whether the personal computer or the television will be the centerpiece of your living room. While Microsoft's (MSFT) approach would amount to one-stop shopping to manage any appliance, analysts are skeptical that people will change their long-ingrained habits.