gmc911 , since i was the one that mentioned xantech piece , i feel that little " disclaimer " should follow . First of all , it will not replace myrobridge AND keypads ( unless you buy two , and then you will really create trainwreck ) , second - it was simply an " exercise in possibilities " , not something i would design with a brand new system . About ten years ago i was forced to use that piece , when nothing else was available ( except spending $$$$ ) , if you are looking for a better solution - look at Bitwise Controls or RTI - those are more " budget friendly " and easier to program than Crestron or AMX , yet it will allow you to accomplish your project without " experimenting " . Finally , i would drop the idea of using PC as media server / centerpiece of your design . It can work , as long as the end user does not have any direct access to the PC , and it only serves a purpose of headless server i.e squeezebox , sonos server etc . Otherwise you are opening up a whole new can of worms .