Control 4 offers integrated, pre-programmed systems, which fit well with the growing demand for hands-off simplicity – a review in domestic & business settings

In the 1960’s we used to watch TV without a remote control. It never occurred to us how inconvenient it was to get up, walk to the TV and sit down again. When we watched a US program showing someone using a remote control, we would be appalled, saying: ‘How lazy is that?’ 

Times certainly change, and nowadays, with voice activation, remote controls, and linked mobiles, we are masters of our home automation. Through design and innovation, we can control the TV/cinema, music, heating, lighting, curtains, and shades, as well as security and arriving visitors.

Control4 Smart Home Control are established leaders in the home automation field. They recommend using a Control4 dealer, such as Pro Install AV, to design and install a system tailored not just to your home but to your personal use of devices too. This personalisation ensures your whole family can make the best use of their entertainment time at home.

The personalisation for each homeowner has come about because Control4 have always strived for integration and adaptability with their products. For example, Control4 systems can link with more than 7500 home devices from different manufacturers using minimal programming and engineering. This adaptability enables homeowners to keep the brands they have become comfortable with.

People vary enormously in their attitude to technology. However, many people enjoy technology but have limited interest in how devices operate. They enjoy what the devices do but don’t enjoy or don’t have the patience to find out how they work. Once more, this is where the advantages of Control4 integration come into play. With Control4, you have one app that controls and integrates various subsystems, where the interface works with android, iOS, remotes, and on-screen displays.

Once the system is set up, there is little need for adjustment, and the homeowner can control all appliances from any of their setup devices. The flexibility of Control4 home automation enables homeowners to use pre-programmed settings in the software. Everyone is conversant with the idea of a home thermostat switching the heating on and off as the homeowner goes to and from work. In the same way, Control4 home automation and be programmed to carry out any number of tasks at different times of the day.

In addition, these tasks can be concurrent. For example, when you are settling down for a film, the lights can dim simultaneously as the curtains close. It is this hands-off logic that really appeals to homeowners, giving them one less thing to think about.

A hands-off approach to home automation also helps to:

Free your mind.

Time is money at work and this time management sentiment creeps into everyone’s life, even during leisure time. Suddenly the night-time routine of checking the front door and all windows are locked is a tiresome habit. Any device that can eliminate this task allows the homeowner to make better use of time and focus on what matters. With busier lives, people want to make the best use of their leisure time. 

Increased safety and security

When homeowners are quizzed on the importance of safety and security in the home, they are given a high priority. However, consideration is often only given to security cameras and the possibility of intruders. In fact, plenty of other threats lurk within the home.

Most domestic fires are caused by cookers, portable heaters, and candles. Once installed, smart plugs can turn off the electricity supply as soon as the device is finished, negating the chance of a fire. It follows that any system that can quickly alert the homeowner will offer additional peace of mind. 

Wasted time

As our hectic lives get ever busier, making the most of our free time is paramount. The seemingly small tasks of closing the curtains, dimming the lights, turning on the TV, and checking the front door is locked take little time individually. However, the cumulative time taken emphasises this is wasted time. And it is unnecessarily wasted time. 

Guests

It’s great having guests staying over for the weekend, but you don’t want to be at their beck and call every minute of the day. Creating virtual keys for them gives them independent access to the house. You can even limit their accessibility, for example, if you didn’t want them to have access to your study.

Why do customers want hands-off simplicity in their home automation?

One of the strongest advantages of home automation in most people’s minds is to take care of menial tasks in the home. The whole idea of home automation is to simplify the tasks required in the home. If a home automation system isn’t integrated, users will waste time constantly adjusting parameters and adjusting the systems to work on different handheld devices.

This can result in just as much time wasted as without smart automation.

Some homeowners are complete technophobes; they have no interest in how automated systems work. Using a pre-programmed system is their ideal. All systems work, and they are happy to have little or no input themselves.

Pro Install AV are specialists in design, installation and maintenance of bespoke home automation system – personalised to suit your home, corporate office, lifestyle and budget. Call us today to speak to London’s top Control4 dealer on +44(0)2070960078. 

Hands-off Operation in the Commercial Setting

Control4 technology for your business can save time and money. For example, think of time-saving in the average restaurant. Changing the ambience of the restaurant from daytime to evening can easily be handled with business automation. As evening comes, the shades close on the windows, the lights dim, and the music changes something more relaxing. Meanwhile, staff can spend more time attending to customers instead of housekeeping.

Keeping costs down in a business is always a priority, and the capital cost of business automation can be partly recovered by more efficient energy use. Employees tampering with the heating controls and leaving lights on unnecessarily leads to higher fuel bills.

Businesses follow routines during the working week, and these routines are an ideal opportunity to use pre-programmed control systems, such as Control4, to manage the changes.

As Control4 systems can be implemented using pre-programmed software, the capital cost is often lower than some competitors. In the same way, Control4 cost, in the long run, is always more cost-effective when using an installer such as Pro Install AV.