I may be late but from what i have read in the above responses all are true. That is what makes are industy so exciting. There is a hundred ways to skin a cat. This is also why we are paid well for what we do. It is very complex designing and installing several sub-systems and integrating them into one. My opinion is that Crestron has done the best job of developing the software and hardware to make this as seamless as possiable. Unfortuntaly it does take an experienced programmer and technician to make this happen. I do not know your relatives experience but if he has no crestron or integration experience you may spend more money in the long run than just paying a professional now. My company specializes in the design, installaion and programming for a total solution. If you should need to contact me please fell free to call Dan, 772-633-2433 or e-mail me, iaddannyo@aol.com .