Multiple apps for multiple systems

I'm planning on using HomeSeer to do this. You either need a Windows box running the software 24/7 or use one of their appliances (which basically has a embedded Windows XP install running their software).

With HSTouch you can design your own iPhone/iPad interfaces and control anything HomeSeer has a plugin for (in my case: security, lights, audio, HVAC, sprinklers, garage doors, and locks).

There are other competitors to HomeSeer such as Vera.

On another thread you asked a completely different question that contradicts your question here. You sound confused.
You want everything "the cheapest" and it all to be controlled from a single app. Plus you'd like an A/V consultant, do you plan to pay this consultant then install his design yourself?

Read below.



You wrote this below, no where have you mentioned paying a consultant.



Listen horse! I may be miserable but I'm not wasting time. I guess I should be a little nicer when members post non-sense but it's frustrating when I try to help you and in return you post ignorant questions in reply. This is your post from another thread.



You don't mount interface on a wall horse, you load interface on a device in the form of code. But that information is difficult for folks who don't take the time to learn about home systems.

Thank you for loving me, I wish I could say the same.

Well, hey, I gave you some ideas for somewhat cheap solutions and you didn't respond to them ... So.....

Take a look at MainLobby too... They have a great iPad interface and I have been using it for several years now... Switched from HomeSeer...

I dropped many hundreds of dollars on the MainLobby suite and more time than I care to remember - I was able to achieve more in a few hours using Roomie than I ever did with ML. But to be fair, I haven't looked at the MainLobby iOS offerings for a while.

Cheap and home automation do not belong in the same discussion.

First you have the cost of the hardware. Is all of your equipment controllable (and just because it has a dedicated app doesn't mean that a centralized automation system will be able to control it)?

Then you have the cost of the automation system. Going DIY limits your choices, but allows the end user to control and modify their system instead of having a service tech come out ($$$) to make a change in the system. You've gotten a couple of suggestions already. I personally use Charmed Quark Controller (otherwise known as CQC) as the core of my system. I like their pricing structure much better than some of the alternatives. With CQC, you pay for a license based on the total number of devices you want to control. It doesn't matter what the devices are, and you can change the devices at any time. With most other options, you get charged for each specific device. If you end up changing brands (ie going from a Sony TV to a LG TV), then you have to pay more money to control the new device. With CQC, you can simply unload the old device and load in a new device without having to pay more money because the total number of devices hasn't changed.

Then you have installation costs. If you are going DIY, this may not require a lot of $$$, but it will certainly require a lot of time. The Professionally installed systems certainly cost more, but they are done in a stated time frame without a lot of grief. DIYing an automation system has been fun, but I'm a geek and enjoyed it. Unless you enjoy tinkering (and getting yelled at from the family because something went wrong), you shouldn't attempt to DIY this.