Dear Razlaw
Programming the Beo 5 in my opinion it's not easy, but it's far from imposible. With the Beo5 you can control "any" device that uses IR commands. I control a Sony LCD, a Sony BluRay, a Sony DVD-home teather and a Motorola HD-DVR, note than anything it´s B&O but the Beo5.
To program the Beo5 you will need the configuration software (you can buy it on ebay), any recent version it's fine. Then you will need to make an .xml file (one file for each product bluray, dvd, etc). This file, can have all the "virtual buttons (commands)" you want, you can create virtually all the buttons of your original remote in this file, to eject the disc, to change the subtitles, etc, etc. The treaky part its that you will need the "codes" for each instruction.
This codes are the HEX interpretation of each IR command. To get this codes, will not be simple, with some luck you can find them on Internet, or you can use the .xml files that many user of the forum (like Quim43) have. Another way it´s to use the Lintronic Hardware TT455-RT 238 (