The Audiotron had the functionality because the core of the unit was an interface between PC and device, so the network connection was already a core aspect of the unit and using a web interface was a convenient way to provide a "face" to the interface. That's a big plus that today's processors don't have. Will tomorrow's processors start out with some sort of PC interface that would make this process much easier (or even unavoidable)? The push for convergence suggests that some might, but convergence has been slow in coming (it was already quite the buzzword when the Audiotron was developed years ago).

I very much agree that Crestron's price tags are out of reach (to put it mildly) for the steadily growing market of home theater enthusiasts - the folks who invest a significant amount of time and money into their home theaters, but don't have the kind of deep pockets that allow for the custom install projects that are Crestron's target market. Like you, that seems to me to leave a gap in the market where a product in the $200-$300 price range could actually achieve some decent sales. I'd have to leave it to those better qualified to build such things to determine if such a beast could be brought to market in that price range.

An embedded product would likely cost less (in part because it would be required to do less - simply interface with the one specific component, alleviating a lot of compatibility issues and restricting the scope of the endeavor a bit), and it would be a cool feature to see in a processor. I just have a feeling that it would be easier for a small outfit like Outlaw to justify from a marketing standpoint if it were a standalone product. Perhaps, as you say, an optional unit that plugs into the RS-232 port of a processor and has an RJ45 port for connection to a computer network...