Control 4 installer quote - I have questions...and concerns - Page 3

You're networking experience seems to be strictly related to home type of environments. While this control4 system is for the home, you certainly don't want home "tolerances" for network type of equipment in there. . . While I'm not saying that this stuff is better than the home stuff, let me just say that that price is nowhere near where I would classify as a good business class (aka enterprise) class switch. If you want a good switch that can handle the TCP-IP bandwidth that can be thrown around in a high bandwidth situation then you're going to have to step up to some big Cisco gear like 2960 and 3560 series switches. These things run from a few thousand to 10K depending upon POE needs, etc.

And by high bandwidth - I don't mean the occasional use of streaming video to a few locations for watching movies. You can't use a $600 switch when you have numerous megapixel ip cameras feeding data to security servers. . . So it really depends upon use that you need.

In real life terms, I wouldn't get caught up in the small stuff. The last thing you want to have happen is for your installer to spend a day trying to find out why something is erratic and/or not passing data correctly and it ends up being the netgear/linksys switch. . It happens quite a bit as I've seen them look/operate fine but they are the culprit to a lot of network problems.

And just fyi, $6k for that HDMI switch is a steal if it works to what you want. A comparable Crestron DM switch in an 8x8 configuration is probably 15-20K with the room solution boxes.

You should concentrate on what you want to have happen within the network and make sure that your needs are met within your budge.

I suggest that the matrix switch be more closely examined not so much for price but rather for architecture. Specifically, the decision to use HDMI over component may be worth a closer look. There are precious few HDMI switches that will work as desired. Problems will include extremely long switch times and signals completely failing to display.

Signal display failure will be a burden that hopefully the installer alone will shoulder. Long switch times are more of a grey area. The installer will assert this is "normal" (which it currently is), but the user may find this entirely unacceptable.

You may ask why install a component switch today with the component sunset approaching. Consider, however, that a component switch today will cost less than $3k, and add to this the fact that any HDMI switch purchased today may likely need to be replaced with a more functional HDMI switch down the line when the technology is more ripe.

In terms of doing a line level analysis of the proposal, this is potentially useful, but also potentially dangerous for a long list of reasons. Another approach is to rely on comparable quotes from other installers in conjunction with client references for similar types of projects.

Hi Scott - my advice would be to stay well away from Control 4. I've had a nightmare experience with the product. Installed it about 3 years ago - never worked properly - dealer support was appalling - 50% of the wireless dimmers have already failed and the wall-mounted touchscreen also died recently. This week I've had it removed and am very happily back to living in a non-automated house. Control 4 is a complex (technically) product that locks you into a dealer network where there is no effective quality control.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with Control4. We've installed hundreds of Control4 systems throughout Colorado and have had very few issues. Control4's equipment has improved dramatically over the last few years, as has the reliability. We're very proud to be Platinum Control4 dealers and we wouldn't be that way if the systems failed a lot.

Travis Leo
www.ResidentialSystemsInc.com

I'd assume Scott has figured something out in the three years since his last post in this thread...

Do you google every single item when you wreck your car and are rushed to the hospital and need life saving services. I mean seriously. You know how low margin all this stuff is and the ridiculous amount of knowledge in so many areas that is required to install this stuff. People like u that google every item and expect prices that are in line with volume online resellers are clients I never want to even deal with. Maybe the integrator is knowledgable in whatever brand switch he's selling and thats that. Who cares if the hp is cheaper. Maybe it blows. Maybe range sucks. He is selling you a product that is most likely familiar to him or her and known to work. So frustrating having clients like this. Our services are already undervalued a vast amount considering the knowledge required. Posting quotes online I agree is just wrong. I would drop any client immediately if I found out they did that.

Also the guy who said control 4 performs well above any other product on the market. Thanks for the laugh. Drawings/documentation/prints should be included in any install by a good integrator but it should always be charged for and worked into the quote. You can put 60 hours into all that documentation easily.

Agreed x100

Ya right. That's not expensive at all. Any enterprise grade router is instantly 1,000 bucks no questions asked. Especially a managed gigabit switch. My 48 port managed gigabit switch in the showroom is a 2500 dollar unit. Everything relies on the network nowadays. So go ahead. Skimp. Best of luck.