Most / Least Useful elements of Home automation?

I find everything useful but multi-room audio. Our kids and my wife have their own music (and taste) they listen to and during parties, I just play music in our living room from the media center PC and that is it. I also didn't want to stick speaker grills everywhere (although these cool invisible speakers we install with special DSP audio processing solve that problem: http://www.aminatechnologies.com/)

That said, I think I am the only one I have ever run into that feels this way about distributed audio as that is the first thing our customers ask for. So don't go by what I am saying .

Everything is useful. One thing to think about is that you will have control of these devices remotely. So when you are on vacation a million miles away you can make sure that the HVAC system is set to the correct temperature. You can monitor your security system including things like water sensors. We have a client with a front gate and CCTV cameras. If he needs to allow someone access to his property temporarily he can view the camera, open the gate and then close it when they are done.

You are not alone. I don't have large parties at my place and i can usually get by with an iPod dock or a laptop. But.. if you are doing distributed video you might as well distribute the audio and have good sound everywhere.

It is not Crestrons fault this won't work...blame your wireless carrier.

I love the RadioTime function of my Nuvo MPS4 Media Server, used as 4 sources to my Nuvo whole-house audio system. It allows me to listen to radio stations that stream online, from all over the world. And, each family member can have their own set of RadioTime preset stations, labelled with his or her name. And it does Pandora, Sirius/XM, and plays digital music files from networked PCs. iPad app available, haven't done that yet, though.

The Nuvo MPS4 is a rebranded Autonomic Controls Mirage Media Server, so either would be great.

I'm retrofitting lighting control in my house, to some areas, using RadioRa2. I'm most eager to have better control of the exterior lights, tied into motion sensors, timer, and the alarm system.

I'm excited to install flood sensors in critical areas, tied into an electric water main valve. My house is 16 years old, and there have been 3 serious floods so far, that I'm aware of. Water heater burst requiring a basement renovation, under-sink water filter burst and damaged hardwood in the kitchen (tile coming with kitchen remodel soon), and I can see the garage ceiling drywall has been repaired, under the laundry room. I've had the house 3 years.

Tighter control of the HVAC is something I aspire to. Will require a well-designed interface, to be useful.

That's why you have to use a special Crestron-approved wifi router!

My irrigation controller does a good job on its own, mostly because it's pretty easy to 'program'. No huge need for an elaborate control system, it's on a timer, and has a rain sensor. I don't need tighter control of it, in our climate. But, I will do this some day. It's near the bottom of the list.

I think security cameras are really good, but I don't know how useful they are to be tied into the control system. Sure, nice to see who's at the front door, but not many salesmen in my area. Cameras at my home would be mostly for security. Tight integration of the cameras, I think, would be pricey - for programming and such. Adding security cameras is on my list of future projects.

Lighting control is at the top of my wish list (in process), but one could limit it to certain areas/zones to save some money. Lutron HomeWorks QS, I believe, is a combination hard wired and wireless sytem. So, if you install a limited system now, it would be pretty easy to retrofit more later with the QS wireless offerings.

If you don't have many TVs, then you could save a lot of money and skip the distributed video.

You should wire for things that you don't get installed initially, e.g., wire for distributed video even if you don't have immediate plans for it. Overwire, to futureproof.

We only really use 1 TV currently, but that will change when the 3 little ones get older.

I think that question has different answers depending on what each homeowner finds important. To me distributed audio and lighting control would be most important, I like to have music where ever I go in my house. To someone else it could be remote home security control. I don't see the big deal with iPad/iPhone control, I see it as a fad, to others it's critical. Maybe good advice would be to find a system that will allow ease of expansion and add ons at a later time.

While my "favorite" stuff has a tendency to very over time, the one thing that consistently impresses me most (no matter what integrated subsystem) is the truly automated (vs. controlled) routines. While control (give the system input and it responds accordingly) is both cool and important, I have the desire for the house to autonomously make decisions and run itself. Lighting that responds to occupancy, HVAC that adjusts itself based on multiple conditions, irrigation that isn't dumb and the like. Lately, I've also been taking a more commercial approach to HVAC. Using "proof" via current and pressure switches, supply vs. return air temps, reading pressure differential across the filter, logging temperatures throughout the house and outside. Geeky stuff like that.

I have seen a few studies where whole house audio is pretty low on the list of automation so you are far from alone. I personally like a house with music playing throughout, it seems to brighten the mood... But that is just me.

It is all personal taste and what is most important to the user/buyer...

If you have an open home where your great room, kitchen and breakfast area are one big open area, distributed audio is very nice. We often have the TV on in our family room which we can see from our kitchen and kitchen table. In addition to have the audio come out of the 5.1 speakers in the family room we can also have stereo sound come out of the kitchen speakers. This is great when cooking or eating at the table. This way we don't have to turn up the audio in the family room all the way up.

We can also change the channel in the family room or turn it off from our kitchen touchpanel which is useful.

One of the things that gets oohs and aaahs around my house is when our shades quietly and gently come down when it gets dark. The astronomical clock in my Crestron system triggers an action where 30 minutes after sunset it will instruct the shades to close. What makes it work great is the quietness of the Lutron QED shades so you are not startled when it does its thing.

Before our extensive remodel 2-3 years ago, I had similar questions. I spent a lot of time reading the various forums, which have a fantastic wealth of information disseminated by very knowledgeable folks. After a while, it came down to me figuring out the answers to 2 questions, which you are asking as well:

1) What do I want to automate/distribute/control ?

and most importantly,

2) Why ?

The "why" part, for me, was for aesthetic reasons, convenience/ease of use, and features. The "what" proved to be a little more difficult, as I started with a list of everything you have in your initial post. I quickly saw that I had to do it in phases, as all my money, and more, was going into the remodel. The key to it was getting the proper wiring in place when the walls were down.

What I wanted to do was lighting, security, whole house audio, and possibly HVAC.

We have lived in the remodeled house for just over a year now, and I have barely gotten into the "home automation" part! I must say, I don't have a home automation controller/system yet, but the sub-parts are controllable.

1) WIRING: I spent a lot of time reading on what wires to run where, and got that in place. I got a security company to run the wires for a whole house alarm system, and I chose Lutron for lighting, so had the Lutron person run the wires for the lighting system (HomeWorks4). I ran a whole bunch of cat6, RG6 and speaker wire so I could distribute audio/video/data at a later point.

2) LIGHTING: This was at the top of my list. Our house is not huge (about 2700+ sq ft), but I felt that the convenience a system like Lutron would provide was worth the money. Some examples of what I can do with the system:

* Hook it up to the security system so all lights can come on inside, and outside lights can flash in case of an event.
* The guest room doesn't have an attached bath - so there is a button in there that will turn on the lights in the foyer, living room (at half brightness) and guest bath to illuminate a "path" to the bathroom, so when my mom visits, she doesn't have to stumble in the dark, or worse yet, step on my kids toys that are strewn about.
* When we go out of town, I can set a "vacation" mode, so lights turn on/off in our house just like when we are at home.
* I haven't created "scenes" yet, because we wanted to live with the system in our house for a little while to figure out what we really wanted. But that is another convenience.
* When I am in bed upstairs, I can see that I left the light on in the kitchen, and turn it off without getting out of bed.
* I have keypads instead of multiple light switches in a row - much more aesthetically pleasing.

To answer your question, this part - Lighting - I find truly useful, and I am glad I invested the money in it.

3) SECURITY: I have wires run to every door and window. I have wires for motion sensors in a few rooms. I haven't done anything more with it yet (which is why, I say "I can hook up the lighting to the security system" :-)). I still think this is truly useful to have as part of a whole house control system.

4) WHOLE HOUSE AUDIO: I ran speaker wires everywhere. I did not run any cat6 wires to possible keypad locations, or loop speaker wire through there.

On really thinking about how I wanted to control different aspects of my house, including the music, one thing I did not want was touchscreens/keypads/volume controls/etc fixed in the wall (exceptions would be light switches, and 3 security keypads). I would rather use a good remote, iPhone, iPad, my laptop, etc. That was my personal preference, which is reflected in the wires I ran.

Finally, I just bought a Sonos bundle, and will be adding to it. I have someone coming in to install a 5.1 system in the family room (our primary TV viewing room), and they are also going to install speakers in the kitchen, and patio - I already have some speakers in the living room. I am planning on getting a Sonos S5 for our master bedroom.

I can't really say if I will find it truly useful without using it, but I am sure in a couple of weeks I will be saying it, given the number of occassions I had wished we had it.

5) WHOLE HOUSE VIDEO: To me, this means centralizing sources and controlling them from anywhere in the house. This was not on my list at all - simply a personal preference. I found it easier to have a BluRay player and a box for cable/satellite/etc at the TV location. I only have 2 TVs in the house, so this approach worked fine, and I did not have to worry about matrix switches and ways to control it. I do have enough wires run to a central location, so I could do this later if I really wanted to for some reason.

6) HVAC: I ran cat6 wires to each thermostat location (I have 3 locations, 2 units, 3 zones). Can be controlled in the future if I want to.

7) IRRIGATION: We don't have a huge back yard, so this is not on the list to bring under the umbrella of "automation/control".

8) CAMERAS: I ran some cat6 and RG6 wires to possible camera locations, but I am not sure if I am ever going to use them.

All this and I haven't even gotten to the control part yet.The reason for getting a control system for me is this - right now, I can control the lighting through my iPhone, and computer (apart from the switches themselves). Sonos has it's own really nice remote. To control the thermostats, I have to walk to 3 different locations on two different floors (although I don't do it very often, if I have a control system, I might as well put this on there and enjoy the benefits). For my home theater I have a remote for the TV, BluRay player, receiver, UVerse (sure, these can be consolidated into one remote).

It would be great to get a single, *consistent*, easy to use interface for all these different systems, so everyone in the house can control anything easily. I am still contemplating the price to convenience ratio for this. There is always the cool factor of hitting the "movie" button, and having the right components come on with the right settings, the shades coming down and the lights adjusting to the perfect setting!

I apologize for this long-winded post that probably doesn't answer your questions about the control of these sub-systems themselves, but it's just another perspective.

This may be my favorite question asked in the forum. Kudos.

IMHO - I don't think tying security into the automation system is a huge benefit. Most security systems can send you an email if there is some sort of trouble/alert/alarm and you rarely use it unless your security keypad is hiding somewhere you wont use it. example if you mostly enter through the garage then I dont see why you'd hide it... it's a garage.

I don't think irrigation is at all useful

HVAC - depends on how many zones of HVAC there are for it to be useful. If you have one or 2 only, will the aesthetics displease you that much? once you go beyond 2 though I do see it useful to have tied into the control system. Most people don't even adjust the HVAC they have it set to auto and it runs year round maybe getting changed twice(I'm in California so this may be different in your neck of the woods)

I do find useful Distributed Video. It's so convenient to have less receivers/cable boxes and also to have them out of the way. I know Directv and others now offer streaming between boxes but I prefer to not use my bandwidth to stream TV around the place.

I also like Distributed audio but would really be ok with 2-3 sources. Most people do more than this "just because they can" but I rarely see them used.
and my favorite source for this is the mac mini. Used for both distributed audio and video. All the music from my ipod comes from my mac mini. My son has an apple TV and he can stream everything from there. So he doesn't need speakers in his room (his TV is good enough for him)

My favorite setup is ML600's/any of the universal remotes(works well with crestron) and inwall touch panels/Ipads. I prefer very simple remotes. I do not require feedback on a handheld remote. And honestly, I dont care for having feedback on a handheld remote. I just want to pop on the tv and change channels I dont need much else out of that thing but to change a little bit of video. in the same token I also appreciate that when I am going to use audio I just go to my in wall touch panel/ipad and start up the tunes.

It's my favorite setup people seem to love it because it's not way over the top but still has a wow factor. (Let's face it, controlling your house from an inwall touchpanel/ipad is going to give the wow factor)

And that's my take. Thanks for the great post.

I agree - great question!

It is interesting to read the different viewpoints, because I think the perceived benefits of automation/control is very subjective, and depends on a lot of factors, for example, personal preference, the size of the house, the number of components that need to be controlled, etc.

I have read about people who have a dozen TVs in their house, with 3-4 viewers. In that case, having a cable box at each TV seems excessive, so centralizing 4 boxes and distributing video would make sense. Some people do it for purely aesthetic reasons - they just want a TV on the wall, and nothing else - very neat and clean. Some people even centralize things like BluRay players - if I wanted to watch a movie in my bedroom, I would hate to have to come down to my central location, pop in a disc, and trudge back up.

If I had a huge house, I would like to have one interface where, as I am going to bed, see at a glance that I left a window or garage door open, and a light in the kitchen on, and the heat in the kids rooms not turned up enough.

I don't have a huge house, and I want to keep things as simple as possible. I have the lighting taken care of pretty much (apart from reprogramming some buttons as we see fit) - I am doing just fine using the keypads for lighting control. I am getting my family room setup for HT, and putting in a few zones of audio. Once that is done, I will program a Harmony remote to handle all the HT components, and use the Sonos controllers for music. I will have to live with that setup for some time to see how it works - I may not need much more control than that.

True there are a lot of variables that tie into what would be more beneficial for automating a system. As for the BluRay I use a PS3 if and when I need to (which is rare) I do everything through the mac mini/appletv's I'm trying to not have to deal with discs/single use media at all if I can help it.

Can't believe I forgot lighting. Lighting is another very important one to me in Automating. I would include that in my system no matter what the size of the system/house.

Well, "automating" it might not be useful but a web based irrigation system is a joy to program compared to messing with a tiny LCD in the garage . And they are pretty reasonably priced these days. I bought this unit last year and did a review of it here: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showth...ight=sprinkler

The best thing from my point of view is nearly always mood lighting. Being able to set up complicated lighting scenes and recall them by pressing one button is very cool. It also shows the home off at it's best whilst aiding security and convenience. Easily the best element of home automation to my mind.

Look at Insteon lighting, very inexpensive compared to lutron and I believe comparable. Couple insteon lighting with an ISY 99 controller and you'll be able to integrate hvac as well, I think irrigation and security as well. I don't have any security system set up, but when we go away, I just have to press a single button to activate a programmed timer sequence, that also signals the controller to send me an email if any lights are switched on, a motion detector could also easily trigger the same, though I don't have one. Whole home A/V is nice to have, and if you go with an ir repeater system, you can even integrate these controls into the ISY controller. I have an ALL OFF button at the front door that shuts off all lights as well as A/V. I highly recommend the ISY controller and insteon lighting. For a little more sophisticated control you could add an iPod touch or iPad as a whole home remote with the iRule app, it takes a little time to set up, but it's a custom GUI that allows for a ton of integration, it controls lights and A/V in my house, could easily control more if I had the money for security, irrigation, HVAC etc.

Research what I've mentioned, and let us all know what you ultimately decide on.

Insteon was plagued by QA probs a few years ago. Most people say they don't have problems anymore, though some former users say 'never again'.

http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/ind...dpost&p=143212

I'm surprised Insteon hasn't changed their name.

Crestron/Lutron lighting wiring would be different. And, you won't be able to remove banks of ganged switches in a retrofit install.

I suggest you sit down with a Lutron HomeWorks salesman before you decide on lighting. That would be the premium solution, IMO. Vantage and Crestron offer comparable solutions, but IMO, Lutron wins on their reputation of quality.

Removing banks of switches means that conventional lighting, using $1 switches, is no longer an option, 20 years down the road. Most people don't worry about that, and probably shouldn't, because the major automated lighting manufacturers offer devices that use the same wiring configuration ('home-run' loads), and you can replace one company's system with another's.

Lutron has a new product called HomeWorks QS, take a close look. You could remove the banks of switches in a few key locations at construction, and then retrofit other switches later on - HW QS, I've heard, is good for new construction OR retrofit.

If you decide that you want to remove banks of switches, then you need to decide on a manufacturer now. Once that's decided, you're better off installing everything up front - no reason to drag your feet. But, since QS is good for retrofit, you could add later as needed.

Lutron makes 2 whole house lighting control systems, RadioRA2 and HomeWorks. HomeWorks QS is the new version of HW, replacing HW4 and HW8.

RadioRA2 is all RF-based, good for a retrofit. HW QS is hardwired and/or RF.

HW QS is the more exclusive solution, with certain features not available in RA2.

FWIW, Lutron also offers the best residential shades. Pricey, though.

Why I like Lutron:
1. Lutron products that are sold in the U.S. are made in U.S.A.
2. QC. All dimmers and keypads tested before they leave the factory.
3. Private company, don't cater to stockholders.
4. Company started in 1961, by an engineer. Still owned and run by same guy.
5. Founder patented the first solid-state dimmer.
6. Local Lutron rep is very tolerant of my annoying questions, and quite helpful.
7. Innovative R&D.
8. 24/7 phone support, from Coopersburg, PA.

I saw a demo of their Sivoia roller shade. Extraordinarily quiet.

Uh, no, you don't have it correct.

Two ways of wiring lights
1. Conventional
2. Home run loads

There are a number of automated lighting manufacturers that offer systems that work with a conventionally wired home. A few of the big manufacturers offer systems that work with 'home-runned' loads. Lutron offers both - RadioRA2 for conventionally wired homes, and HomeWorks for those homes with 'home-runned' loads.

Automated lighting systems can use a few different ways to communicate. The dimmers and keypads can talk to each other over the powerlines, using RF, or using low voltage cables. Some manufacturers offer mixed systems.

Systems that communicate over the powerlines include UPB (from various manufacturers) , X10 (old, don't use it), and Insteon.

Systems that communicate using RF include Z-wave (from various manufacturers), Lutron RadioRA2, Vantage Enspire, Insteon, and CentraLite JetStream.

Systems with 'home-runned' loads include CentraLite Elegance/XL, Lutron HomeWorks, and Vantage Q. Both Lutron HomeWorks and Vantage systems also offer mixed 'home-runned' loads and RF installs. I'm unsure if CentraLite Elegance/XL also offer mixed installs. These are 3 manufacturers that offer systems with 'home runned' loads. I don't know how easy it would be to swap one for another - I've never read of that being done, honestly. Maybe someone else can chime in to say how easy it would be. I don't think you could go wrong with Vantage or HomeWorks; I am not very familiar with CentraLite.

I really don't know much about Vantage, other than it's very high quality stuff, like Lutron HomeWorks. If you're nervous about a company folding 10 years from now, I'd go with Lutron. Lutron has been around for 50 years, and Vantage for 20. Both are reputable companies.

I think the most important thing would be to find an experienced high-end installation company, that offers Vantage and/or Lutron HomeWorks QS. Unfortunately, they charge the most, but for some people, it's worth it.

Again, if you want to remove gangs of switches, you can't use conventional wiring.

Edit - Someone please correct me if I have ANY of this incorrect. I did a lot of research/reading when deciding on my system, but I'm honestly still an automated lighting noob.