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Well I have taken a week or so to process everything I saw on my visit to CEDIA ad I wanted to distill my impressions for you. The thing that surprised me the most is that I didn’t see a lot of home theater/audio type stuff. The one theme I DID see over and over again was the theme of making the home a place where technology and human beings can live in peace.
I think it is safe to say that we as a society have an expectation for things to happen quickly and easily. Every time a new phone, computer or tablet comes out it is faster and more intuitive. On the other hand home theater and integration systems just seem to become harder to use and more esoteric. Remotes have more buttons, every device tries to handle all tasks and most hardware is always looking for the latest firmware. Even as a professional I well sometimes scratch my head when a new piece of gear comes in and I see the remote or user interface for the first time!
The theme that I saw repeated over and over at CEDIA was that manufactures are stream lining interfaces and interaction with complex integration systems. Ease of use seemed to be high on everyone’s priority list. Now call me a cynic but I have heard this song before and usually the results range from tepid improvements to full blown epic fails. This year at CEDIA is saw several things that make me think that the tide is turning and I would like share three of them with you….
The first thing I saw that swayed my thinking is a partnership between Sony and Control4. You can now get a Sony ES receiver with Control4 built in. Are you going to be able to run a full house on this system, no, but it is a great way to get into the integration world at a reasonable level and you can do enough to control the lights in your home theater and sound in another area. More importantly you get intuitive, easy control over the home theater you just invested in! In addition it offers you the opportunity to use the Control4 interface and go through the learning curve in a gentle manner. If you are thinking about integrating your home this looks to be a great way to get your feet wet! This partnership actually solves real problems AND offers a fantastic value! I can’t wait to get my hands on one and get you the full report.
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At the Control4 booth I came across a device that allows voice command of the Control4 system. I have noticed that voice command on some items, namely the iPhone and the Xbox360 seems to be hit or miss. Not to mention I feel weird talking to inanimate objects, but there are times when being able to issue voice commands to your house would be ideal. For example your hands are full or dirty, or you need to do something and there isn’t a touch pad or remote nearby. I also have clients that would greatly benefit from being able to issue voice commands. But it has to work. However, even on a busy convention floor the interaction between the demonstrator and the control4 system was flawless. I am anxious to see if it works as well in a real world beta testing environment, if it does, it could be a game changer for clients that either can’t physically manipulate a controller or simply don’t understand how to use a touchpad or hard button remote.
Finally at Universal Remote Control’s booth we got to see some of the new Total Control hardware and interface that will be available this year. Universal has been doing one touch remotes and RF for years and took their time coming to market with an integration system. I have always liked their remotes and will be upgrading to their Total Control System shortly. As with the remotes the interface that they developed for Total Control are elegant, logical and uniform. After I have lived with the new system for a few weeks I plan on doing a detailed blog post on how the Total Control system performs compared to a tradition hard button remote from URC, and also to see how my wife adjusts to being able to control some lights, the thermostat, the home theater and music in another area of the house from one iPad app or hard button remote.
All in all it was an enjoyable show and it appears that we are finally at the point when there is something for everyone in the home integration market. Controlling a home used to be something that only a privileged few could have access to, it appears that we are entering an era when doing so will not only be affordable but also easier to use, and able to do more for you, your family and your home.
And always remember; the proof is in the listening!
Do you have questions, ideas, or products you would like to see reviewed? Let me know what you want to see in this blog in the future! Contact me at JHeld@hifihousegroup.com