hmmmm.... not sure you guys understand what it is I plan to do. I will not take anything, but setting up HT until I see fit. I get people coming over how the heck I managed to do what I did in my basement and want the same, but they have no knowledge of how to set it up. I have a love for anything audio/video and am looking to break into the market. I will offer products such as speakers, projectors, screens etc. but I don't plan on getting into total home automation yet.
I worked in that business as an owner and employee for many years, the last gig being as a room acoustics designer for a woodworker who designed $300K to $1 Mil custom movie theaters. One of the things all of these guys are trying to point out to you is that in order to get these HT jobs from customers who are strangers, and not friends, or friends of friends, you probably have to be willing to at least hook them up with a home automator or alarm installer. Forging relationships with these types companies is one way to go about it. I think what we may then be suggesting is that if you are going to be doing the wire pulling and system set up for their home theater, then you might as well get in to distrubuted audio/video/computer, (more revenue in EQ and labor for you). IF you get in to whole house entertainment, you might as well get in to automated lighting/curtain/appliance control. IF you get in to that, then you may as well rig up their alarm syatem as you would then be running all of the non electrical wire in their home, making it 1] easier to co-ordinate/integrate, and 2] earn more revenue for your venture.
Unfortunately, even in HT, much of the work/revenue is construction oriented and NOT system oriented.
It's a never ending ride from there! I loved my time in that industry. <
As far as buying expensive measuring and calibration systems, you are better off buying a version of SMAART from JBL (around $1K) a good measurement mic and borrowing/renting any other stuff you might need. That stuff is used so rarely, as some one said, most customers can't afford it