Universal remotes, and home automation

obieone

I know a lot of people are fans of the Harmony 900(or it's predecessor?), but I may want something for the future, so hear me out:
Right now, I've got an SC05, Oppo 93, and a Samsung 40" 1080P LCD. I also have an HTPC, w/ Window 7.
I may be installing recessed LED pots in the perimeter of my living room, with the ability for dimming, and zoning, so that's something I'd like to be able to do, without getting up from the couch.
This would be about the extent of the needs. I already have a programmable t-stat, and my exterior lighting is controlled by a photostat, although, that may get added to this system.

My house is only 1200 sq. ft, so I don't want to "over invest" in this system.

I looked at the Crestron site, but have nooooo idea where to begin.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

ViperZ

You can buy dimmers with IR remotes at any hardware store like Home Depot, Harmony has those dimmers in its database (Lutron if I remember correctly). I have one, so when I turn on the home theater, the lights in the theater dim to a pre-set level (Lutron has 6 levels).

If you want to play with house automation, check out X-10 website, they have tons of cool gadgets.

VR3

Alot of the new tablets are coming out with universal remote functions which makes alot of sense... fwiw

tonyb

Ok, I'll say it.

Your house is only 1200 sq feet, how far away from the couch can the light switch be ?

VR3

Yeah home automation is cool but that is just a fancy word for -lazy- lol

mantis

I've been in the Home Automation Business for over 13 years. I've seen many good and bad products. These are the 2 I feel are suited for your needs.
If you want an affordable Home Automation system that you can grow with over time look no further then Control4. It's price point is for the common man but offers flexibility and features of a Ultra high end system.
Go to there website and check them out. They are not self install products but if you have a good Integrator near you , the experience can be way better then one might expect, not to mention they can steer you in the right direction and not waste your time and money with products you don't need.
www.control4.com

Universal Remote control also is a nice solution ,check out their website as they offer plenty of nice affordable products.
www.universalremote.com

Unless you have basically unlimited funds , Crestron is out of the picture. They are for most people. So is Savant.

Syndil

My Monster AVL-300 will control lighting. It does both IR and RF, and includes a Omnilink IR extender (controlled by RF). It can definitely control everything you are looking to control, assuming the lighting controls you go with are Z-wave compatible. The remote is only $70 on Amazon, so definitely not over-investing. Crestron is good if you want a highly integrated solution with permanently installed controls (wall-mounted, console, etc.), but for what you're looking for, I think it would be overkill.

wz2p7j

Take a look at the Adicon stuff for what you're trying to accomplish:

http://www.appdig.com/adicon_new/index.htm

Chris

Serendipity

VR3 wrote: »

Yeah home automation is cool but that is just a fancy word for -lazy- lol

I'm programming my own system right now and it is a lot of work! Control systems programming can be quite complex.

Luckily, once you've dealt with Embedded C++ or a similar language, the learning curve isn't that steep.

Then you have to drill holes and fish wire for your data lines, set up a rack, make sure all sources/amps are routed, etc.