Control4 vs. Off-the-Shelf Smart Technology

If you’ve read up on smart home technology, you may have come across conflicting suggestions and advice. Many people recommend a DIY approach with smart devices like the Nest thermostat, Ring video doorbell, and Phillips Hue lightbulbs. But most technology experts, including ourselves, consider these approaches to home automation weaker than a system like Control4’s OS 3. But why?

As a Control4 dealer in Austin, TX, we’ll shed some light on what makes Control4 many steps ahead of off-the-shelf gadgets. Continue reading to see how a smart home system will enhance your daily life.

SEE ALSO: The Smarter the Home, The More Reason to Hire a Professional

One Press of a Button

As more household objects become smart—from coffee pots to lighting fixtures— you’ll spot more smart gadgets in stores like Best Buy. You can bring home a smart speaker or a Ring doorbell and quickly plug-and-play. But the thrill of your new devices fades when you have to juggle different apps for every subsystem in your home. You won’t have an integrated home, but rather a disjointed experience that’s mildly inconvenient for you and completely inaccessible to visitors.

So instead, imagine coming home to relax with a glass of wine and a book, the lights dim automatically to a warm glow. Your system sets the house to the right temperature for your arrival and your favorite playlist queues on the downstairs speakers. With a system like Control4, this is all possible in one touch of a button or a scheduled scene. Every device is part of an infrastructure that is built to last in your home. You won’t need to scramble through multiple apps or remotes—it’s all there on Control4.

Reliable & Consistent

Wireless devices are all the rage now. But movie night with wireless devices may go a little like this: You sit down to watch a movie on Netflix on the wirelessly connected smart TV. Your son is playing a game online in his room upstairs. Your spouse is watching a tutorial video in the kitchen. Your video doorbell, speakers, and thermostat are using the internet too. Your now-overloaded Wi-Fi network is clogged with demand, and nothing will deliver well.

 
A Control4 installer knows that a smart home relies on a robust home network. A professional will use the right combination of wired and wireless network access points for your devices coupled with professional-grade networking equipment that can deliver the performance you need. These systems may cost more than off-the shelf routers from your internet service provider, but they will far more stable and reliable. A professional installation done right the first time also makes it easy to add new devices later on.

More Possibilities & Imagination

If you have never experienced a true smart home, you might lack the context to understand what you want. A professional Control4 installer will see your home in scenes and understands that different moments of the day require your technology to adapt. For instance, smart lighting means much more than turning on or off or creating a schedule from an app. In your kitchen, a ‘cooking’ scene will turn on all of your lights to a bright level, so you can see what you’re doing. ‘Cleaning’ should be even brighter so that you can catch every speck of dirt. ‘Dinner’ will dim the lights and shift to a warmer tone, with a music playlist playing softly over the speakers.

With Control4 OS 3, you’ll be able to check in on your entire system remotely, with an overview of your house in real-time from the app. Custom scenes can be saved for precise moments, incorporating and tweaking all of your technology for the perfect setting. And the When>>Then feature enables you to easily program your own automation sequences. For instance, when the front door opens, your foyer lights will turn on and your thermostat adjusts to your preferred temperature. Control4’s OS 3 unlocks a world of possibilities that would be extremely difficult to achieve otherwise.

Would you like to bring home automation to your Austin abode? Call mero CONCEPTS, an experienced Control4 dealer at (512) 375-3379, or fill out our contact form here.