My brain hurts: Mega sharing multiple accounts and devices

Question

What’s the best way to organize all this? I would like to avoid repurchasing the exact same DRM’ed content in too many itunes accounts.
I have a big family full of 6 people/laptops, 3 TV/PCs, multiple ipods, iphones, etc. per person; and a growing number of separate itunes accounts. All the computers are running Windows 7 and are on the same network so can all be shared. I don’t have a media server yet, but the PC attached to my “Main” TV serves this purpose at the moment and includes my “Main” itunes account. I’m beginning to consolidate all the media from the various PC/itunes accounts into this Main library.
*Answers to these questions might help me get started (and please also answer any questions I should have asked!)…*
1. How many different computers can be authorized per itunes account? I think this is 5.
2. Conversely, how many itunes accounts can be authorized per computer? (i.e. how many different itunes accounts/libraries can be shared and sucked into the Main itunes account connected to my Main PC/TV)? Also 5? Unlimited?
3. I think an ipod or iphone can only be synced to one library at a time (assuming no hacking). A library can hold media from several accounts (as in question 2). But how many different accounts/libraries, once sucked into the Main library, can then be synced to an ipod, iphone, etc.? Is the answer the same as question #2? I assume there is only a limit on DRM content (ie there is no from-this-library “tag” for non-DRM content).
4. I know I can have the same itunes account (ie apple id/login) on multiple computers. Each would still have its own “library,” however. Except for movie rentals, which are restricted to the computer, is all other DRM content tagged to the itunes account (apple id)? Not the computer or library? Does the “library” even matter in all these discussions? Or only the “computer” and the “account?”
*For sake of discussion, this is what I mean by (please correct)…*
A. Account = an itunes account, which is set up with a unique apple id.
B. Library = the itunes application on a computer has one library. Let’s assume “copy files” and “keep organized” are checked.
C. Hard Drive = where the content physically resides (a library can include pointers to files on multiple hard drives (what about on networked computers?))
D. Computer = DRM content can be played on up to 5 “authorized” computers. Is it the computer that is authorized or the library on that computer?
Ok, enough already. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hello!
1. Yes, the answer is 5. As stated here in the first few paragraphs
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1420
2. I don't know. Why don't you tell us, since you have 6 accounts!
3. ipods can hold content of up to 5 itunes store accounts. As buried in this article
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1420
They can only auto sync to one itunes library, though.
4. DRM is tied to the itunes store account. You can check: highlight a purchased song, right-click > get info. The Summary tab shows the purchase info and itunes account.
Your definition of B) library is a little off. Each windows user Id on the same PC can have a different library database. If you have 6 windows users on one PC, and they each start itunes for the first time using all the defaults, there will be 6 itunes library databases. They can all be pointing to the same content.