AVS › AVS Forum › A/V Control & Automation › Home Automation › Any Elan G! Users or Installs?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Any Elan G! Users or Installs?

post #1 of 99
10/23/10 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

My wife and I are building a new construction home with some custom features, and I've just gone through a proposal with my custom installer. The plan is to use the new G! system by Elan to run everything. For now it would be controlling a Niles audio system, Lutron lighting, as well as security and climate (I think with Honeywell products). The CI also does Control 4 and HAI in this price range, but felt the Elan products would best fit our lifestyle and needs.

I've had a tough time finding any reviews of this control product. The web site is flashy and somewhat nebulous at the same time. I'd love to hear any positive or negative experiences with the system, both from end users and installers.

Thanks in advance
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 99
10/23/10 at 7:06am
im curious on their line too. the gui on their new stuff looks incredible, very slick and user friendly. in my years of being on this forum, i haven't come across many, if any, elan installs so it may be difficult to get experiences. maybe a CI can help.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 99
10/23/10 at 8:27am
It is an excellent mid-range product.

You don't have the option for a totally custom graphic UI as you do with something like Crestron but you do have more then enough flexibility to have highly functional and user friendly screens.

With some creativity on the part of the installer you can support most any hardware you desire.

In my home I have the slightly older HomeLogic system with control over Lighting, Thermostats, Irrigation, Security System, Security Cameras (with DVR), Home Theater.

The system can also handle your voice and email messaging.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 99
10/23/10 at 8:35pm
Why a Niles audio system rather than an Elan?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 99
10/24/10 at 5:53am
Thread Starter 
Fletch,

The Elan audio system, as far as I could tell, is great for categorizing your existing music and sources, but the interface offered with the Niles system, the expandability, and ease of operation sold us on it. We're starting with 6 zones and 6 different types of content, but will prewire for an additional 6 zones that can be easily expanded later. The swappable modules are a great feature, and our plan is to have 2 iPod modules, Sirius, XM, and 2 IM net modules for Pandora and Rhapsody type content.

My wife and I have been city apartment dwellers for years, and in building a home we wanted to really tune it to our listening habits. Right now we mostly listen to music by plugging in our iPhones to auxilliary inputs on receivers in a couple of rooms. But the hassle involved really limits our usage. To be able to set up our listening preferences with hot keys on tiny panels, and to have greater control over the music library when needed through either their panels or an iPhone/iPad app, will be great. The icing on the cake is that the whole system will be centered in the basement and the look will be clean throughout the house. I'm sure that other systems could have worked for us, but since Niles is either owned by or under the same parent company as Elan, the products should mesh well.

fcwilt,

Thanks for the response. While Creston would have been awesome, I think it's a little mismatched to the size and cost of the home we're building. Elan and C4 both seem to be the best products at this price point that I've come across. We are fortunate to have an installer who really enjoys his work and has installed several Home Logic systems in the past with very happy clients. Just hearing his excitement over how the doorbell system works inspired my confidence in his design and install skills.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 99
10/24/10 at 8:31am
So you are going to mix the user interfaces? Meaning you wil hav G! touchpanels and remotes in addition to the Niles keypads?
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 99
10/24/10 at 3:23pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, we'll be using a variety of the proprietary touchpads for Niles, and using the apps for iPad/iPhone for controlling the G! system. We only have to pay for 2 licenses for G! but can load the software on any number of hardware devices. I toyed around with the iPhone app and it was fine for the level of control we'll be using. I figure that with 2 iPhones, 2 iPads already in our possession, we couldn't lose going that way to start. I believe we'll be able to control the Niles system from the iDevices as well, but I need to double check on that.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 99
10/25/10 at 6:31am
I'm not sure what you gain by using the Niles system and then adding the G on top of it. Two completely different user interfaces is more times than not, a pain from a users perspective and just adds complexity for a dealer as well. Two separate programming environments, etc etc.

The Elan audio stuff gives you pretty much any source you could want and the G will then control everything from one unified front end. Whether your interfaces are iPads or other iOS devices or G touchpanels and remotes.

Ease of use is a primary goal of an automation system and mixing two or more different UIs defeats that purpose.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 99
10/25/10 at 9:44am
Thread Starter 
Fletch,

You bring up a good point about needing to use 2 interfaces rather than one. My wife and I had a fair amount of discussion time with the integrator prior to him putting the package together. I'm not sure why he chose the Niles system over the Elan system for the whole-house audio component of the install. I suspect it was a combination of perceived ease of use, prior customer satisfaction, and the price he could negotiate with the company. Since we will be in a Parade of Homes in my area, the integrator said he was able to get very good pricing on the system and felt it would tie in well.

Looking at the Elan offerings, it looks like they can offer all that the Niles system does. I'll have to ask the integrator about all of this. I thank you for bringing it to my attention!
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 99
10/25/10 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by uscmatt99 View Post

Looking at the Elan offerings, it looks like they can offer all that the Niles system does. I'll have to ask the integrator about all of this. I thank you for bringing it to my attention!

I also would suggest you take a long second look at using just the Elan system.

The integrator may have reasons for suggesting Niles even if it is not the best choice for your install.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 99
10/25/10 at 3:40pm
Niles ICS with all its cards and touchpanels is not inexpensive. Then add on the entire G system on top of it, even without using G touchpanels, plus programming both systems and getting them to work together with feedback both ways, if that is the goal, will not be easy or inexpensive.

Using a System 8 plus all the sources you would need, then G controlling all the various subsystems seems like a better way to go.

As to C4, I don't know if it can control a Lutron system or not, but if it can, I don't know what it couldn't do that G can't either.

Question; what Lutron lighting system? Centralized Homeworks? or RadioRa2 or what?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 99
10/26/10 at 9:36am
Thread Starter 
I read a little bit about the Elan system 8, and it seems that we'd need the 8.6 AVP plus an amp to have reliable power to all the zones at once. Would I then need to shop for input devices for each source from the manufacturer? For example, do I need little networked boxes for Sirius, XM, internet radio, Pandora, Rhapsody, etc. or do I need a separate computer with outputs to the pre-amp for the web-based services? The Niles system, while expensive, seems pretty elegant in that the receiver has enough amplification for our needs and offers cards that at least integrate right into the unit, hopefully with no handshake issues. Despite these niceties, I'm sure they come at a cost, and I'll be interested to hear the integrator's response as to why he suggested Niles in the first place.

I forsee us using proprietary touchpads for the audio at least 90% of the time, and could completely do without iOS device control as needed. My wife and I have very different musical tastes, and the ease of switching between sources with one button-touch would be great. It seems like both systems can accomodate that. Otherwise the tabbed G system running everything else via an iOS interface is all we need.

For lighting, I still need to talk with the integrator about advantages and disadvantages of RadioRa2 and the Centralized system (which I assume uses wiring?) We'd like to have light load and shade control on the main floor, and light load control on the upper level and basement as well. I understand it will all be controllable from iOS devices via G. I'm hoping it can be tied into the universal remote in the family room so that when the TV comes on, the lights dim to a preset level and shades go down.

Frederick, I understand that the integrator could always have ulterior motives behind any recommendation. I've price checked what I could and feel he is making a fair amount of money for the installation for those items. I think that whatever his reason for suggesting Niles, it is probably in our interest and modeled around the budget we gave.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 99
10/26/10 at 1:07pm
The Niles ICS receiver is a nice unit and it has great source capabilites as you have learned. I just question the use of multiple user interfaces. If you are going to use G! as the front end and controler for all the sub systems, then use G!. I don't know if the G! System has a two-way control module for the Niles GRX2, but if it does, then there is no reason to use Niles touchpanels IMO. One unified user experience instead of multiple. Plus the new G! remote is slick for TV watching plus full control of everything else.

As far as Ra2 vs Homeworks, that is a whole different story. Homeworks is a full, hardwires, centralized lighting system that replaces the standard wiring in ahome and all of the standard light switches/dimmers with simple, elegant keypads where light switches wouldusually go. There are a ton of reassons to use this type of system that you can find with a quick search. Radio Ra2 just swaps out the standard swtches that are already in the walls with controllable dimmers. The control system can then talk to those dimmers. Totally an apples to oranges difference between Homeworks wired and RA2. ALso a world of difference in cost.

If you are going to use RA2, then I don't see why Control4 isn't in the running for this system, since it can do A/V, lighitng, HVAC etc mostly natively. With a few pieces from third parties thrown in.

Anyway, there are a million variables to a project like this, not the least of which is your budget and your comfort level with the integrator. If your needs are met by the integrator at the budget you want, and you are comfortable wth the integrator, then nothing we say on these forums matters much. Good luck with your new home!
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 99
10/27/10 at 9:38am
Thread Starter 
Fletch,

Thanks for the detailed response. What you say does matter! Otherwise I wouldn't have posted in the first place. To respond to a couple of points you raised.... We went with Elan over Control 4 mainly because we preferred the interface and graphics when we tried it out on an iPhone. May be a silly reason for most, but since we always have a phone on us and an iPad nearby, it made sense.

For the audio, you've really got me questioning why Niles was suggested over the Elan system. I'll be discussing that with the integrator today. I definitely see the value of a unified control system, I'm just wondering what, if anything, we'd be losing by going with the Elan over using Niles.

I read some about the lighting, and I think that Ra2 is definitely the way to go for us. Homeworks seems crazy expensive with a lot of up-front costs, while Ra2 should be easy to install in stages based on pre-existing wiring. While not as robust or absolutely reliable, it should meet or exceed what we're looking to do. Of course, when Ra3 comes out and is not backwards compatible with Ra2, that will suck
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 99
10/27/10 at 10:28am
Other than using a few extra rack spaces for sources, there isn't much, if anything, to lose between Niles and Elan. That assumes that G is your unified interface, which it easily can (and should IMO) be.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 99
10/29/10 at 1:13pm
I have a Homelogic system and use it to control 3 system8's and the V883 video switcher. It works great. I also don't know why you would use a niles system. I don't know much about Niles, but if I would do it again I would choose Elan for my distributed AV all over again. I would have to think that because Elan owns G that the drivers have to be better.
For controlling the system I use my Computers and Iphone for touchscreens. I have one touchpanel in my bathroom and I can't think of anywhere else I would need one. I would look closely at the new G remote. Touchpanels are great, but surfing the TV with are not very user friendly. Having a hard button remote with each TV is a must for me. I carry my Iphone everywhere, so if I need the touchscreen interface it is right in my pocket.
I keep pestering my installer, to get me upgraded to G, but his rep doesn't have to many answers for him. Hopefully it can be upgraded since it is software based. Suppose I will just have to wait and see.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 99
10/29/10 at 1:16pm
Also, forgot to add, I use centralite Jetstreams for lighting. I have about 86 loads. RA2 wasn't out when I built and RA1 didn't have capabilities I wanted and the price point wasn't good. If I had to do it over again, I would use RA2 instead of Centralite.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 99
10/30/10 at 6:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by uscmatt99 View Post

I read a little bit about the Elan system 8, and it seems that we'd need the 8.6 AVP plus an amp to have reliable power to all the zones at once. Would I then need to shop for input devices for each source from the manufacturer? For example, do I need little networked boxes for Sirius, XM, internet radio, Pandora, Rhapsody, etc. or do I need a separate computer with outputs to the pre-amp for the web-based services? The Niles system, while expensive, seems pretty elegant in that the receiver has enough amplification for our needs and offers cards that at least integrate right into the unit, hopefully with no handshake issues. Despite these niceties, I'm sure they come at a cost, and I'll be interested to hear the integrator's response as to why he suggested Niles in the first place.

I forsee us using proprietary touchpads for the audio at least 90% of the time, and could completely do without iOS device control as needed. My wife and I have very different musical tastes, and the ease of switching between sources with one button-touch would be great. It seems like both systems can accomodate that. Otherwise the tabbed G system running everything else via an iOS interface is all we need.

For lighting, I still need to talk with the integrator about advantages and disadvantages of RadioRa2 and the Centralized system (which I assume uses wiring?) We'd like to have light load and shade control on the main floor, and light load control on the upper level and basement as well. I understand it will all be controllable from iOS devices via G. I'm hoping it can be tied into the universal remote in the family room so that when the TV comes on, the lights dim to a preset level and shades go down.

Frederick, I understand that the integrator could always have ulterior motives behind any recommendation. I've price checked what I could and feel he is making a fair amount of money for the installation for those items. I think that whatever his reason for suggesting Niles, it is probably in our interest and modeled around the budget we gave.

uscmatt99,

You mention the S86AVP. Note that the S86AVP is now called the S86A and is basically a composite video and stereo audio matrix switcher with a built-in 12-channel amp. There is also a S86P which is the same as the S86A but without the 12-channel amp. Assuming you don't need to distribute composite video, you could wait for the new Elan M86A which basically eliminates the video switching. The M86A also has a built in 12 channel amp.

In term of music sources, the new g! controllers (which are just starting to ship) are called the HC6 and HC12 and the have the ability to stream Pandora and Rhapsody via two independent audio outputs. You have to pay for the Online Content App for these services. The HC12 has a built-in hard drive to store you digital music collection. Elan has a DT22 dual AM/FM/Sirius tuner. So you can take the HC6/12 and DT22 audio outputs (total of 4 outputs) into the M86A/S86A/S86P.

Integrating Niles and having different interfaces is a very bad idea IMHO. The g! system with Elan M86A can do it all with a common interface on all devices (in-wall touchscreens, iPad, iPhone, and the new HR2 remote). It sounds like the installer has some Niles product in inventory that they are trying to offload on you. Furthermore from a programming standpoint, it's much easier to stay all within the Elan umbrella and will probably be easier to troubleshoot with Elan tech support if necessary.

Finally, RA2 is pretty awesome. I haven't installed it yet but I will by 1st quarter next year. I have the original RA in my house and it is rock solid. RA2 basically gives you more functionality for the same $ as the original RA and its very easy to program by the custom installer. The original RA had to be programmed manually by physically pressing each dimmer. With RA2, the electrical contractor can wire the house in conventional manner (versus home-run wiring to a lighting panel). You can even add RA2 anytime after the build and just update the g! programming to control it.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you want more info/advice.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 99
11/1/10 at 8:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by snooktarpon View Post


uscmatt99,

You mention the S86AVP. Note that the S86AVP is now called the S86A and is basically a composite video and stereo audio matrix switcher with a built-in 12-channel amp. There is also a S86P which is the same as the S86A but without the 12-channel amp. Assuming you don't need to distribute composite video, you could wait for the new Elan M86A which basically eliminates the video switching. The M86A also has a built in 12 channel amp.

In term of music sources, the new g! controllers (which are just starting to ship) are called the HC6 and HC12 and the have the ability to stream Pandora and Rhapsody via two independent audio outputs. You have to pay for the Online Content App for these services. The HC12 has a built-in hard drive to store you digital music collection. Elan has a DT22 dual AM/FM/Sirius tuner. So you can take the HC6/12 and DT22 audio outputs (total of 4 outputs) into the M86A/S86A/S86P.

Integrating Niles and having different interfaces is a very bad idea IMHO. The g! system with Elan M86A can do it all with a common interface on all devices (in-wall touchscreens, iPad, iPhone, and the new HR2 remote). It sounds like the installer has some Niles product in inventory that they are trying to offload on you. Furthermore from a programming standpoint, it's much easier to stay all within the Elan umbrella and will probably be easier to troubleshoot with Elan tech support if necessary.

Finally, RA2 is pretty awesome. I haven't installed it yet but I will by 1st quarter next year. I have the original RA in my house and it is rock solid. RA2 basically gives you more functionality for the same $ as the original RA and its very easy to program by the custom installer. The original RA had to be programmed manually by physically pressing each dimmer. With RA2, the electrical contractor can wire the house in conventional manner (versus home-run wiring to a lighting panel). You can even add RA2 anytime after the build and just update the g! programming to control it.

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you want more info/advice.

I agree with Snooktarpon. Use Elan for the audio distribution as well. They offer everything Niles does and more. Elans new system works great and IMHO is the best control system in it's price category. C4 has too many issues with latency (new 2.0 interface is Slow), is buggy, and you can't customize. Élan g! is very fast and offers some customization. I also like the fact that Elans strategy is focusing on control and not offering every subsystem under one brand (lighting,hvac,etc).
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 99
11/3/10 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
Well I've looked into the Elan distributed audio system some more and I think it's something that would work well for us. Fortunately my integrator is out in California for a few days and meeting with some of the Elan, Home Logic, and Niles people for updates on their products. I particularly like the streamlined setup of the HC-12, M86A, and D22 that snooktarpon suggested. This should easily handle 6 zones, and can be readily expanded for more zones or amplification. I spoke with the integrator today and he said he had some hardware or audio quality issues with one of the older Elan products and he's shied away from using them in favor of Niles since then.

I added up the cost of the Niles touchpanels and the cards that would go into the GRX2, and holy crap! Maybe if we can save a little or break even by going with the Elan audio receiver/amp, we could just get a few of the TS7 panels, maybe a few TS2 screens as well if the iPhone control isn't adequate. Like cnacht, we have our phones with us all the time anyway. That way, these panels could just control everything rather than just music.

As for remotes, I'd like to see how responsive a Wi-Fi remote is for controlling AV equipment. The original proposal was for MX-980 remotes for the great room and theater, which seem very robust and intuitive when programmed well. But if the new HR-2 is up to snuff, I see no reason to forgo all the additional control it offers for the rest of the systems.

I'll keep everyone posted, and thanks again for all the feedback.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 99
2/14/11 at 8:02pm
any news as to your progress?
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 99
2/17/11 at 5:18am
Thread Starter 
Still hashing it out. Home construction is progressing nicely, and all the structured wiring is going in. As far as distributed audio, pricing for Niles and Elan was very similar. The CI has been out to California talking with G! and Niles reps and is confident that the systems will merge seamlessly. We shall see.... Plan for now is to use TS7 screens in our bedroom and kitchen, and a wall-mounted iPad in the basement (which will see less use). We'll probably have simple Niles touchpads for the other zones to get the system on with one-touch hot-buttons, but use iOS devices for any browsing.

The bummer with iOS devices is that no matter what, you have to log-in to the system. That's why we went with Elan's panels in the 2 locations that would see the heaviest use. If someone knows of a hack to keep your iPod/Pad/Phone logged in, I'm all ears!

As far as remotes, my wife and I played around with the MX-980 and it's very easy to use and well laid out. My kid played with it and it survived drops and smashing tables without a hitch. The Elan HR-2 seems nice as well, but I like the MX better and the CI has programmed a bunch of them and knows the ins and outs better. We're going to use one for our great room area, and a second for the theater room. If we like them after several months, we may put another one in our bedroom.

I'll keep everyone updated as things progress, but my opinion won't mean much until everything is installed and we've lived with it for awhile.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 99
2/17/11 at 9:56am
I'm a rep for Niles and Elan, since both companies are now part of the AVC Group you are going to see a lot of technology sharing. I heard that Niles is not going to develop new UI's but suggest to dealers to use the Elan touch screens. As far as the robustness of the g! platform goes, I think the processor exceeds anything that AMX and Crestron offer and with out all the apologies that C4 dealers are geting from HQ. We currently have a project that has 28 TS7's in it, only 1 HC12 is required to process all this info. I know with AMX multiple processors are needed.
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 99
2/18/11 at 7:30pm
[quote="uscmatt99"]Still hashing it out. Home construction is progressing nicely, and all the structured wiring is going in. As far as distributed audio, pricing for Niles and Elan was very similar. The CI has been out to California talking with G! and Niles reps and is confident that the systems will merge seamlessly. We shall see.... Plan for now is to use TS7 screens in our bedroom and kitchen, and a wall-mounted iPad in the basement (which will see less use). We'll probably have simple Niles touchpads for the other zones to get the system on with one-touch hot-buttons, but use iOS devices for any browsing.

The bummer with iOS devices is that no matter what, you have to log-in to the system. That's why we went with Elan's panels in the 2 locations that would see the heaviest use. If someone knows of a hack to keep your iPod/Pad/Phone logged in, I'm all ears!

As far as remotes, my wife and I played around with the MX-980 and it's very easy to use and well laid out. My kid played with it and it survived drops and smashing tables without a hitch. The Elan HR-2 seems nice as well, but I like the MX better and the CI has programmed a bunch of them and knows the ins and outs better. We're going to use one for our great room area, and a second for the theater room. If we like them after several months, we may put another one in our bedroom.

So it seems you like the mx better than their new remote. Have you tried both? I haven't seen the new one but everyone is saying they are better. Just wondering if you have experienced both.
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 99
2/19/11 at 1:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by uscmatt99 View Post

Still hashing it out. Home construction is progressing nicely, and all the structured wiring is going in. As far as distributed audio, pricing for Niles and Elan was very similar. The CI has been out to California talking with G! and Niles reps and is confident that the systems will merge seamlessly. We shall see.... Plan for now is to use TS7 screens in our bedroom and kitchen, and a wall-mounted iPad in the basement (which will see less use). We'll probably have simple Niles touchpads for the other zones to get the system on with one-touch hot-buttons, but use iOS devices for any browsing.

The bummer with iOS devices is that no matter what, you have to log-in to the system. That's why we went with Elan's panels in the 2 locations that would see the heaviest use. If someone knows of a hack to keep your iPod/Pad/Phone logged in, I'm all ears!

As far as remotes, my wife and I played around with the MX-980 and it's very easy to use and well laid out. My kid played with it and it survived drops and smashing tables without a hitch. The Elan HR-2 seems nice as well, but I like the MX better and the CI has programmed a bunch of them and knows the ins and outs better. We're going to use one for our great room area, and a second for the theater room. If we like them after several months, we may put another one in our bedroom.

I'll keep everyone updated as things progress, but my opinion won't mean much until everything is installed and we've lived with it for awhile.

The HR2 will not be released until late March / early April. It's currently in beta testing right now as I am one of the beta testers. While I can't say too much due to the NDA, all I will say is that it WILL be worth the wait.
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 99
2/19/11 at 8:26am
I have the older system from HomeLogic (now the Elan system).

In a couple of rooms I have A/V equipment tied into the system.

I configured the system to allow me to use both an IR based remote (MX-950) and a Wi-Fi based remote (an iPad running the HomeLogic client app) to control this A/V gear.

The iPad setup is much more responsive and reliable but the form factor is not ideal.

I think that a Wi-Fi based "stick" remote like the HR2 would be the best of both worlds.

In any case I am going to wait until I have a chance to test an HR2 before I expand my system any further.

-

Also I would go with the Elan audio setup rather then the Niles.
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 99
2/21/11 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Airric View Post

The HR2 will not be released until late March / early April. It's currently in beta testing right now as I am one of the beta testers. While I can't say too much due to the NDA, all I will say is that it WILL be worth the wait.

Airric,

I got to handle and use the MX-980 and really liked the button layout and feel. It seems to be a well-established and reliable remote as well. I obviously haven't handled an HR-2, but based on the button layout and what I could discern ergonomically from photos, I don't like it as much. What are the advantages to the HR-2 if I want a remote for a theater room, but don't need control over the HVAC, security, distributed audio, etc.? All that I want to control is the theater equipment, some lighting scenes with a graphic eye, and a minisplit air conditioner (separate from house HVAC) if possible. What is the advantage of the Wi-Fi capabilities in this scenario?

The application of the MX-980 would be similar in the family room. Again, though, I don't see the need to monitor most of G!'s control systems from the remote up there either. The only exception would be the distributed audio system which is independent of the speakers for the TV there, as well as lighting.

Of note, lighting will be tied together with Lutron's RA2 for both the theater and family room.

I guess that if I could be convinced that there are conveniences to be gained by using the HR-2 vs. the MX-980, it would be worth giving up the ergonomic advantages of the MX-980. Remember that my wife must be happy with an easy to use and intuitive system, and that I have a sneaky toddler running around that says "uh-oh" a lot and durability is important as well. I appreciate everyone's comments
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 99
2/21/11 at 2:01pm
I don't know exactly how they are intending to tie in a MX-980 into the new Elan hardware but with the older HomeLogic system it was a bit round-about.

The A/V equipment was controlled via the HomeLogic system using a combination of IR emitters (for equipment that did not support any other form of control) and Serial or Network connections for the rest of the gear.

When controlling from a HomeLogic touch screen (or iPod/iPad) the response and reliability was first rate.

To support an IR remote (like the MX-980) a IR receiver was added which, upon recognizing a valid IR sequence, triggered events in the HomeLogic system and in turn control signals were sent to the A/V equipment - the same signals that would be sent if using the touch screens, etc.

Since the HomeLogic system was responsible for receiving, decoding and recognizing the IR sequences there was a noticeable lag. There was also some problems with improper recognition.

Hopefully with the newer system they have something better.

Of course you can always have the IR remote control the A/V equipment directly bypassing the Elan system entirely.
Reply
Reply
post #29 of 99
2/21/11 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Frederick,

I think the intention is to leave the display equipment and associated dedicated audio equipment completely out of the Elan loop. For the theater room an IR extender will be used to communicate with the receiver and all connected components. RF from the remote should be able to communicate with the Lutron Ra2, and hopefully the minisplit. Same concept in the family room. I opted against any distributed video in our home to save some money, and it seems like there are a lot of issues with the ever-changing HDMI standards.
Reply
Reply
post #30 of 99
2/21/11 at 2:46pm
What you describe would work.

I have a batch of URC MX-950 remotes (now the MX-980 more or less). I tried to use the RF feature to eliminate the line-of-site nature of IR remotes. However next to the home theater is the game room with video, pinball and other arcade games. They put out so much RF interference that I never could get the remote to work. Sigh...

I do like having the A/V gear controlled by my HomeLogic system - when the kids leave the gear on in the home theater (or wherever) I can turn if off from anywhere.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Home Automation

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › A/V Control & Automation › Home Automation › Any Elan G! Users or Installs?