Home automation - still a Tower of Babel?

[njp]

Every year or so, I have a quick look around to see if there is some reasonably-priced, reasonably future-proof technology I might like to start installing in my home. And every year or so, I return to my motley collection of IR and RF remote controls and stand-alone switches, convinced that the time has not yet arrived. Too many incompatible, proprietary systems lacking a clear vision and with no assured future.

Am I right or am I wrong? Is z-wave poised to rescue us, or is the present situation likely to continue for the foreseeable future?

[raykelly]

Not sure what you mean, but you do need to start from somewhere.
HA is actually still in its infancy, and there is a not a single system that does it all - there never will be.
Think about it in 2 sections. Infrastructure - lights and climate/mains controlled stuff and then the whole entertainment/AV thing. This should be cabled and run on a solid state box - not a PC!!

Pick a system that does the infrastructure, and then do cabling for the infrastructure as well as the entertainment/AV.

Don't assume that wireless is the way to go. Transmitting HDTV over wireless will never be reliable enough to watch in real time

[SuperG1135]

I agree with ray. But, I'd love to see everything integrated in the near future. I went to CES this year and saw some very promising developments. E.G. Control 4, Lifeware etc..

Have you had a look at any of the above systems recently njp?

[101music]

I recommend Control 4. Have a small sC4 ystem at home and have installed about 12 setups so far..

[charris cy]

Originally Posted by njp

And every year or so, I return to my motley collection of IR and RF remote controls and stand-alone switches, convinced that the time has not yet arrived. Too many incompatible, proprietary systems lacking a clear vision and with no assured future.

HA is actually still in its infancy, and there is a not a single system that does it all - there never will be.

I am sorry but I completely disagree with the above comments. Visit a good Cedia pro and see some of his work. There is no specific subsystem that can not be integrated. We can do lighting, heating, air conditioning, audio, video, intercom, security, cctv, RFID and maybe more that I can not think at the moment. All these systems if chosen correctly can talk to each other and be controlled form a single interface which is usually a touchscreen. All of these systems can also be accessed from the internet and commands can also be triggered using text messages.

If the programmer is good you can do things that are quite complex: give the user the privelege to save his own favorites channel icons on a touchscreen and be able to change them whenever he wants (with a few clicks on the touchscreeen). The user can also change his daily or other timers on the fly on the touchscreen. For example: he can change what time the curtains go down or up daily, the timers of the garden lighting, all the houses wakeup alarms, or program specific timers for a party (e.g 8pm rock music, 9pm lights dim, 10pm 23 Celsius temp e.t.c)

[crestron boy]

i completely agree with charris

I've done some pretty stellar stuff with programming automation systems over the years it all really comes down to how much you want to spend and the quality of the intergrator

what there isnt at the moment is a cheap soloution off the shelf soloution which mr jones can buy from currys and do everything in his house. All the big tech companies have tried and failed microsoft/intel/amd for the simple fact is that CE kit all has different commands and protocols there isnt a universal standard they all talk in which is why you wont get a plug and play off the shelf control system for the forseeable future. You'd need a crestron or a amx with a capable programmer who understands how the equipment functions and its quirks to get the best system

sure you could use a pronto and control your home cinema and get some good results but you couldnt control your whole house with it

[andykn]

I completely agree with njp.

Whilst some systems, like Crestron, AMX and Barix are higly customisable, the hardware is woefully behind.

From the fairly extensive research I have done, no one at all does a drop in replacement wireless control thermostat.

They all require either power (won't run off batteries) more than the two wires my existing thermostat uses or a separate heating switch.

And even if I compromise and get a system with a separate switch, then the only system that has a web interface (so I can switch it on and off when i'm out) is a custom made one from Sensible Heat, which is just a bit expensive for my modest flat.

[andykn]

And after further research it appears that the new Z-Wave products rarely interoperate between manufacturers unless specifically programmed to do so.

[njp]

Originally Posted by andykn

And after further research it appears that the new Z-Wave products rarely interoperate between manufacturers unless specifically programmed to do so.

How depressing. Anyhow, I've decided I can do most of what I want fairly inexpensively using the HomeEasy range from B&Q!

If the range expands, so much the better. If not, at least I haven't made a major investment in the wrong direction.