ultimateguide_homeautomation2010

CEPro

ULTIMATE GUIDE

© 2010 EH Publishing

to Home Automation

Unbelievably easy control of my home theater with the touch of a button. Bye-bye remotes. Hello, coffee table.

I am the face of Control4. Control4’s affordable home control solution lets me ditch the five remotes cluttering my coffee table and manage all my entertainment gear – like DVR’s, movies, music, and game stations – right from my TV screen. The same system lets me control sound, lighting, security, temperature, and all the other gadgets in my home. I started with one room and added more capabilities throughout the house, transforming my home virtually overnight without breaking the bank. Finally, a home control solution designed for me.

GET ALL OF THE LATEST AT CONTROL4

www.control4.com/hello3

COPYRIGHT © 2009. Control4 Corporation. All rights reserved. Control4, the Control4 logo and Everyday Easy are registered trademarks or trademarks of Control4 Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other names or brands may be claimed as the property of others.

CE Pro’s Ultimate Guide:

Rediscovering HOME Automation S

Sure our comprehensive chart includes all the old faithful home control manufacturers, but don’t forget the little guys either. by Julie Jacobson

Sponsored by:

OME THINGS NEVER CHANGE in home automation. After all these years, we still have the old faithfuls: AMX, Crestron, Elan, HAI and Vantage. We all know those companies, each of which has been selling home control systems for over 20 years. But we also have at least one other old-timer, JDS Technologies, that continues quietly to crank out great products and support. JDS, a pioneer in home controls for 32 years, is the go-to brand for many successful integrators, but most CE pros have probably never considered the company. Don’t let the dated Web site fool you. The company has rock-solid hardware in its Stargate line and a wonderful newish programming platform and interface called HomeRunner. Easily import any image and create hotspots and icons to trigger any event. JDS founder Jeff Stein likes to show off applications that simulate the status of every room. For example, if you take pictures of a bedroom with lights on, lights dimmed to 50 percent and lights off, you can display the graphical status when the appropriate event is initiated. You can do this with the high-end systems, of course, but JDS was one of the first to incorporate this type of GUI into its control systems — and it may be one of the cheapest such solutions on the market. Not that dealers should all run out and start installing JDS for their customers. It’s just one example of what the little guys bring to the table. And they bring plenty more. Mi Casa Verde’s new Mios system, for example, is a Z-Wave-enabled energy management

Look for the “Mobile Devices/Platforms Supported” columns in our chart to see how smart phone-friendly the manufacturers are.

www.cepro.com

April 2010

CE Pro

57

Home Automation

and control platform that gives you the basics for $300 … and all the extras you want through a consumer-oriented app store. HomeLogic was still a “little guy” when it came out with possibly the first embedded app for the iPhone. To demonstrate the capabilities of the then-new mobile platform, HomeLogic set up a system in its own corporate headquarters that enables consumers to log in and mess with a variety of subsystems — not security, of course. Sand Hill Engineering and Perceptive Automation have quietly been making Mac-based automation software for many years, and Perceptive’s Indigo has a particularly large following among Apple fanboys. And here’s another thing that the little guys do particularly well: consumer and installer forums. The top products by DIY/ pro providers — such as HomeSeer and Charmed Quark — have strong and active followings among folks who are passionate about home control. The company’s proprietors are active in online discussions as well. Whether you’re already loyal to one or more home-control vendors, it’s worth it to check out some of the newer providers, as well as the older and quieter veterans in the space. Our chart includes just a small portion of the information we collected from home automation vendors. More data can be found at www.cepro.com/whitepapers.

We’re guessing that many CE pros don’t know about JDS Technologies’ programming platform and interface, HomeRunner. Our chart should change that.

In addition to the companies listed, several other vendors offer home-control products, but CE Pro did not receive their forms in time to include them in our chart. Check the online story for a more comprehensive list.

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control TSU9800

TSU9600

TSU9400

TSU9300

Pronto offers a complete range of control solutions for the home automation market. The Pronto touch screen control panels offer intuitive, integrated, multi-room control of conventional home theater, multimedia content, lighting, security, HVAC systems and much more. The Pronto range also includes extenders, enabling full integration with all automation equipment in residential and commercial environments. The total system is very flexible and easy to program using the ProntoEditProfessional software. Through industry partnerships with leading brands, and powered by the unique ProntoScript technology, Pronto offers seamless 2-way integration resulting in richer user interfaces and a unique control experience. Philips Pronto products, trainings and technical support are available through a global network of distributors. For more information, please visit www.pronto.philips.com.

www.pronto.philips.com

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HOME AUTOMATION GENERAL INFO

COMPANY NAME 2gig Technologies 2gig.com

CHARACTERISTICS

Years in Home Control Business

No. systems installed systems in the U.S. (thousands)

Key brands

1

25k–100k

Go!Control

100

>10

>10

No

No

Typical price Third–party No. of of installed subsystems keypads/ system supported touchpads (thousands) (excl. IR) offered

No. of touchscreens offered

Software– On–screen only (TV) option? display?

AMX amx.com

27

>100k

AMXhome, AutoPatch, Endeleo, Metreau, Mio, Modero, NetLinx, ViewStat

Calrad Electronics xlobby.com

12

>100k

xLobby

$5k–$25k

>100

0

5–10

PC

Yes

CeBotics cebotics.com

6

100k

$5k–$25k

>100

1–4

5–10

No

Yes

Cortexa Automation cortexa.com

5

>100k

100k

V–Panel, Isys, DigitalMedia, Prodigy, Adagio, RoomView, e–Control

>$25k

>100

>10

>10

No

Yes

Elan Home Systems elanhomesystems.com

20

>100k

g!, VIA!, Olé

$5k–$25k

>100

1–4

>10

No

Yes

Elk Products, Inc. elkproducts.com

15

25k–100k

M1 Gold, M1EZ8

100k

mControl, mPanel

100k

Lifeware

$5k–$25k

>100

1–4

1–4

PC, Mac

Yes

4Store, Composer, 4Sight

KEY: (e) Estimated by CE Pro; not supplied by vendor MOBILE DEVICES/PLATFORMS SUPPORTED: Other: [1] Nokia N800, [2] Palm WebOS, [3] J2ME, WAP

58

CE Pro April 2010

DIY ACCESS: Consumer programming: 0 - No consumer programming, 1 - Consumer can make modest changes after pro installation, 2 - Consumer can make substantial

www.cepro.com

Web app

fee

✓

Native

fee

free

Web app

free free

✓ Native

✓

Web app

3

✓

Native

✓

Web app

✓

✓

3

None

Limited

Ltd./authorized

Yes

3

Most

DIY

Ltd./authorized

free

free

3

Most

Most

Ltd./open

[1]

free

free

free

free

free

free/ fee

free/ fee

1

3

0/2

2

2

3

1

None

None

Some

None

None

None

Most

None

Limited

Most

Most

Limited

Limited

Most

DIY

Limited

changes, 3 - Consumer can program start to finish, Note: Multiple answers due to different product lines Sell to Consumers: Most products, Some products, No products

www.cepro.com

Direct only

Broad

Broad

Direct only

Ltd./authorized

Demo

Purchasing Req.

Training Yes

Ltd./open

free

✓

Distribution Ltd./authorized

Most

Web app

Web app

Dealer base Limited

Some

fee

Yes

None

3

free

Native

Ltd./authorized

free

free

Web app

Limited

free

free

✓

None

DEALER ACCESSIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTH. DEALERS

0

1

Native

Sell to consumers?

DIY ACCESS Consumer programming

Consumers

REMOTE ACCESS

Dealers

Other

Windows Mobile/Win CE/.net

Blackberry RIM OS

Android

iPhone interface?

MOBILE DEVICES/ PLATFORMS SUPPORTED

Yes