Background
A very tech savvy individual who had previous experiences with Home Automation solutions, the client for this space was focused on reliability. They found their previous home automation system to require continual service and restarts, and it also did not support voice activated control. The goals of this project was to create a Dedicated Home Cinema Room and provide a simple, easy to use smart home with the ability to control automated lighting and everything else currently being added to the home, along with future proofing them for anything which may come into the home later as well.
- AV Integration
- Voice Activated Control
- Smart Security
- Smart Lighting
- Motorized Window Shades
- Smart HVAC
Audio Video
The client selected the Audio/Video solutions for their Dedicated Home Cinema Room and asked us to add a simple easy to use control solution which would support all forms of control. The obvious choice for us was Control4 because we could provide a simple, user friendly system which is extremely reliable and does not put a dent in the pocketbook. The Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Tata Sky Satellite Receiver, and Playstation 4 Gaming Console would be controlled using Control4 which is extremely simple.
- Epson EH-TW9400 4K Upscaling Projector
- Apple TV 4K Media Player
- Peerless PRG-UNV Universal Projector Mount
- Amazon Fire Stick Media Player
- Marantz SR6013 9.2 Channel AV Receiver with 4K HDMI Signal Passthrough
Smart Lighting
From the Main Entrance to the Living Room and Bedroom, decorative and standard lighting fixtures were wired to a Control4 Panelized Phase Dimmable Automated Lighting Module. These lights can be controlled using the Control4 App, Control Keypads, Universal Remote Control or Voice Activated Control. At this residence we created a special good night scene which left the entrance passage light on and spots at the bedroom entrance dim to allow someone to see if they need to walk through the residence at night, while all other lights were turned off.
- Control4 EA-1 Home Automation Controller
- Control4 C4-DIN-8APD-E 8 Channel Adapter Phase Dimmer
- Control4 SR-260 Universal Remote Control
- Control4 C4-KC240 Wireless Decora Keypad
Smart HVAC
Almost all HVAC systems can now easily integrate into your smart home system. Set the exact temperature you want by giving a quick voice command to Alexa or turn on the AC before you come home to cool down the space. The HVAC was also linked with many scenes to ensure the HVAC System was turned on and off, and the right temperature was set, depending on what mood was being set. Friends Coming Over? Our client just has to say “Alexa, My Friends are Coming Over” and the A/C automatically turns on and sets the temperature to 20 degrees to ready the room for additional bodies entering the space and creating a cooler environment.
- Control4 EA-1 Home Automation Controller
- Control4 C4-KC240 Wireless Decora Keypad
- Control4 SR-260 Universal Remote Control
Smart Security
Smart Door Phones are easily becoming one of the hottest trends in Home Automation and this residence was no exception. Once we raised the idea of a Door Bell which can actually ring to your smart phone and allow you to communicate with whoever is at your front door no matter where in the world you may be, our clients knew this was a must have. If you are too busy to answer the call which comes to your smart phone or tablet when the doorbell button is pressed, you can simply look into the app to see who rang the bell and at what time with screen shots for each bell press.
- Doorbird D101 Smart Door Phone
Final Verdict
Our initial goal of creating the “Ultimate Cinematic Experience” for our clients was more than accomplished. The automated lighting system worked seamlessly with voice control. After completing a HAA Power Calibration and ISF Video Calibration for the system, when we first sat our clients down for a demo, they were completely blown away. To conclude , this was one of the best sounding Dedicated Home Cinema room we have been able to create for any clients so far. We were able to mitigate the acoustical challenges through proper design, careful execution, and using the best products the budget would allow for.
Products used
- Control4 EA-1 Home Automation Controller
- Control4 C4-DIN-8APD-E 8 Channel Adapter Phase Dimmer
- Milestone 8 Channel RS232 Relay Board
- Peerless PRG-UNV Universal Projector Mount
- Amazon Fire Stick Media Player
- Ubiquiti US-8 8 Port Gigabit Network Switch
- Tributaries UHDP-010 1 Meter 4K 18Gbps Passthrough HDMI Cable
- Control4 SR-260 Universal Remote Control
- Control4 C4-KC240 Wireless Decora Keypad
- Epson EH-TW9400 4K Upscaling Projector
- Apple TV 4K Media Player
- Sony Playstation 4 Gaming Console
- Doorbird D101 Smart Door Phone
- Tributaries UHDT-100 10 Meter 4K 18Gbps Passthrough HDMI Cable
- Marantz SR6013 9.2 Channel AV Receiver with 4K HDMI Signal Passthrough
