Apparently I hit a nerve.  My discussion with Best Buy went exactly the way I described it.  

As to my other comments, I am sorry I offeded you.  Relative to your comments about the liability and desire to limt your liability to assume someone elses code.  I certainly understand the issue and hadn't proceeded to that point with anyone.

You are correcty that current device capability to be controlled via TCP/IP are not capabile of providing the capabilites I envision yet.  Just as HDMI standard was very unstable 5 years ago, the capabilities of these TCP/IP devices will evolve.

I will stop making comments on the thread.  I believe I made my point.  I believe that URC style control devices will disappear if the tools to support the primary risk of a custom system, that of the installer going out of business, aren't addressed.  Your comments about the lack of profit margin in this type of open architecture to small business installers is exactly the force that will drive the changes I have described.  With the TCP/IP stacks on the devices and tablets with GBs of ram and multiple modes of communication, it is a matter of time....

Being a computer professional, with a PhD in computer Science, with 30+ years in my profession, having watched the evolution of multiple technology pltforms 
over the years.  I believe my vision is valid and typical of technology evolution.  

I have reached out to a local company that is a URC Master Certified group.  Hopefully they will be willing to look at the system, and program the device into the system, or work with me to see if I need to make some hard decisions.  If not,  I continue to reverse engineer the existing system, and will begin making changes to bring in the new device.