How Control4 can be the brains of your smart home

Creating a smart home has a huge appeal but people don’t know where to start or how far it can extend but Control4 can offer a personalised automation solution to control any device in your home.

What makes a smart home smart is a brain and that exactly what Control4 is.

Whether it’s your entertainment system in a single room or your entire home’s lighting, security, thermostat, blinds and door locks – Control4 has products and tailored solutions to suit your needs.

The Control4 systems can be used with a dedicated controller to provide the ultimate universal remote so you can can control anything within your network.

At the top of the line is the Control4 HC-800 controller which has the power to control your entire home.

Also on board is the award-winning Control4 operating system which is where the rubber hits the road.

The platform puts the power of the system at your fingertips with an interface that can be accessed with a physical remote control, a keypad, a TV, touchscreen, smartphone or tablet.

The beauty of the Control4 set-up is that the controller and the installer (it needs professional installation) do all the heavy lifting.

The system is set up so that if you want to watch a movie, or adjust the temperature, listen to music in multiple rooms or adjust the home’s lighting – it’s possible at the push of a button.

An ideal scenario would be to cable your home when it is being built but that’s not to say it’s not possible to retro fit Control4 to your existing home and your current network.

We’ve seen Control4 systems installed in hotels – old and new – as well as office buildings.

But whether it’s installed in an office, a hotel or in your home, the result is the same – you will have complete control.

Control4 works with more than 8000 products from major electrical brands and security and lighting companies.

Tech Guide installed the HC250 Home Controller which is a small or single room solution and took control of our home theatre including all of the equipment, the lighting and the blinds.

The Control4 units are sleek and thin and can be installed on an equipment rack, in a cabinet or on a shelf.

Here’s what you can control with a Control4 system:

HOME THEATRE

Choose what you want to watch – TV, Blu-ray, Foxtel, Apple TV – and the system turns on all of the necessary equipment so you’re ready to go in seconds.

The Control4 controller – whether it’s a physical remote or touchscreen – then becomes the remote for whatever you’re watching so you get rid of those multiple remotes on your coffee table.

And when you’re done, a single press of the “Room Off” key will turn everything off.

VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

Control4 lets you control an 8×8 HDMI Matrix Switch that can distribute eight HDMI sources (Blu-ray, Pay TV, media player, gaming console, DVR) to eight video display locations around your home.

These sources can be stored out of sight while the Control4 system offers control from anywhere in your home.

MULTIROOM AUDIO

Users can link their entire music library to the Control4 system and be able to not only control where the music is played but you can also browse your entire collection and also link streaming services like Spotify and Pandora.

COMFORT CONTROL

Your comfort is just as important as your entertainment with Control4.

Users can adjust the thermostat, window shades and blinds and even turn on the heat in the pool and spa whether you’re home or not.

LIGHTING

There are a number of lighting options that can be configured with the Control4 system. Users have the convenience of turning lights or groups of lights on and off at press of a button as well as dim the lights to a desired level

You can set different lighting modes with customised movie and music modes to adjust the lights to suit the mood of what you’re doing.

And the Goodnight mode can turn off all of the lighting in the house with one button.

It’s also possible to create a Mockupancy scenario with with exterior and interior lighting to turn on and off automatically and create the impression that your home is still occupied even while your out or away on holiday.

SECURITY

On the security side, Control4 brings in your surveillance cameras so you can check your home from anywhere in the world.

Control4 can also respond to actions like motion detection so you can receive an alert if someone approaches your front door while you’re out.

SMART LOCKS

Control4 is compatible with most smart locks so doors throughout your home can be locked and unlocked with the touch of a button.

It’s possible to provide security codes for deliveries and service workers and also provide children and other family members with their own unique codes and then receive a text message when they come and go.

And if you or anyone one in your family forgets their keys, you can let them in from anywhere with Control4 instead of having to drive over there with a key or call a locksmith.

The Control4 HC800 Home Controller is priced at $3,195 while the smaller HC250 is priced at $1,795.

For more information contact Suite Control on 1300 921 955 or visit the website at www.suitecontrol.com.au