Yeah the MX3000 software is dealer only or at least the latest version with the full IR database is. I agree that in an ideal world a sale that was a simple handover, ie an RTI ready to work in a clients house. Having said that it turns an $800 item into a say a $1200 item. That's a substantial jump. I whole heartedly believe in buying into a service that has excellent trained backup. It offers the client a worry free system, relaxed in the knowledge that "my dealer" can fix it. Lots of people still ask me for advice about buying a new product. I always suggest going to my old place of work and going with the service package. Having said that here in the UK we have famous street in London called Tottenham Court Road. On it you'll find 20 odd shops selling the same brands at cut throat internet prices with no service. They do a lot of business to people that want the box not the company that goes along with it. This is without question a good thing for most. Some want to do things themselves. I find more people prefer discount and lose the extra 2 years a BADA guarantee offers than have the dealer tie in.

I was once someone that got really annoyed when some, what I classed as "unappreciative", person bought into the likes of Lexicon, Naim or Tag McLaren. I have owned all these brands in the past I felt, that because I knew what they were about and appreciated the gains the equipment offers, only those with the same values should be "allowed" to have it. A classic case is THX. When I got my first piece of THX gear I thought I was running the best and that I was somehow worthy and better than other people. I felt the THX training gave me some kind of permission to use it and own it. Nowadays the THX badge is on a PC. What the hell is it doing there? I still think THX certifed PC stuff, which is largely garbage, lessens the one-up-man-ship attached to the Ultra certficate for which I paid so heavily for. Why did I pay £5500 for my MC 1 only to see Denon bringing out an integrated amp with a better badge i.e. Ultra 2. Yes I know the two are different products but NOT to THX anymore. ,When I started to work with clients who had significantly larger amounts of money I began to realise that people buy what they like when they like. Most of them wanted such and such because it "looked" good. It took me nigh on six months to come to terms with what I thought was stupidity. I have a friend who is a multi millionaire. He has a system worth about £1500. I asked him why he doesn't buy something decent. He usually answers, "you can hear it can't you". He bought it because it does what he wants, no strings, no dealer ties. The same should be of a remote control. Selling a T2-C with say a basic RF unit is fine and should be completely normal. Selling a complete Home Control System is naturally pro dealer stuff. Having said that if someone who writes software for NASA for example, decided to do it himself and go the whole nine yards with a second fix property, 2Km of CAT 5 etc etc .... so be it. The impeccable service on offer on dealers these days is in itself a selling point and should be seen as an option not a default demand placed on the end user.