The Digital Trends Smarthome Part 3 - Control4 Whole home automation

The Importance of a Unified Control System in Smart Homes

In today's era of smart homes, it's not enough to just have individual elements such as Smart TVs, smart lights, and smart thermostats. To truly experience the benefits of a smart home, you need to integrate all these disparate elements into one easily controlled system. This is where Control4 comes in, a comprehensive control system that can seamlessly integrate multiple devices and provide users with full control over their smart homes.

One of the primary goals of this project was to eliminate as many visible boxes as possible. Traditional entertainment systems are cluttered with cable boxes, Blu-ray players, DVD recorders, and other equipment that takes up valuable space in entertainment cabinets or credenzas. The team behind this project wanted to create a system where everything is hidden from view, allowing users to enjoy their smart home without the distraction of unnecessary devices.

To achieve this goal, the team had to establish a robust network in the house. Unfortunately, the existing network was lacking in several areas. It didn't reach different parts of the house, and there was no hardwire throughout the entire space. This meant that data transmission was slow and unreliable, which made it difficult to power and control all the devices. The team decided to retrofit a new package network with high bandwidth, allowing them to distribute data throughout the house efficiently.

The installation of this new network was perhaps the most time-consuming part of the project. Miles and miles of Cat6 cable had to be run around the house, which was a painstaking process. However, it was worth it in the end, as this network is now the backbone of the smart home. Everything electronic runs through this network, providing users with full control over their devices.

The audio side of things was also upgraded significantly. The team replaced the old FM tuner and CD player with an audio control rack that integrates seamlessly with Sonos. This allows users to play any internet radio station, Pandora, Spotify, or access the entire iTunes library from one location. The control matrix switcher and multi-channel amplifier further enhance this system by distributing any source to any room independently.

In addition to audio and video upgrades, the team also integrated new lighting controls from Lutron and a connected smart thermostat. They upgraded the security system, which included a new gate control and video monitoring system. These individual components work well independently but are now orchestrated together through Control4's system, allowing users to control them all with ease.

One of the most exciting aspects of this project is how it will be demonstrated in future episodes. The team plans to show how these devices can be controlled using Control pads, phone apps, and most impressively, Amazon's Alexa. This seamless integration will demonstrate just how much your home can do for you automatically without you having to lift a finger.

In conclusion, the unified control system provided by Control4 is essential for creating a truly smart home experience. By integrating multiple devices into one cohesive system, users can enjoy full control over their homes while minimizing clutter and maximizing convenience. As seen in this project, the benefits of such a system are evident, and with technology like Control4, the possibilities are endless.