RTI remotes are not and have never been intended for retail sales. This is a decision and a market position designed by the manufacturer of the product. It isn't us rich US CI firms that are making this up. RTI licenses the software they write in the way that they want. There is no restraint of trade etc etc. BTW the RTI software is not offered for sale as a standalone product to anyone, even authorized dealers. Your example of an esoteric software platform is just more gibberish, just like 90% of the rest of your posts. If someone wants to pony up 12k for a software platform that the manufacturer is willing to sell them, then more power to them. This in no way relates to what RTI is doing. I could also buy the modeling software that General Motors, Ford etc use to design their cars. If I want to spend the $$ on that peice of software great. RTI chooses NOT to do this. It is their "god given right" to do whatever they want with their own product.

No one has said that an end user can't program his own remote. No one here is that naive. RTI itself has setup its own business in the way that they feel is best. As have Philips and URC. If you want to sell remotes over the counter, then sell a Pronto or something that is marketed as a consumer remote with full access to any software necessary to make it work.

RTI chooses a certain business model. Anyone who sells RTI is bound to that model. If a consumer finds a way to get an RTI remote, but can'tget the software to program it, then they made a big mistake in choosing the wrong product. Them buying it doesn't give them any right the the software. You selling it gives you no right to provide the software. Sell the right product in the first place and stop bi$%hing about it. Or, sell the RTI for your 800 bucks and program it for free, that woud really be customer service. The customer who is stretching his wallet to buy the remote for 800 hasn't saved enough yet. The true cost of the remote isn't 800 it's 800 plus whatever the programming costs.