Control4 is one of the world’s leading complete home automation systems, allowing you to take total control of a huge variety of electronic devices with a single touch, swipe or voice command.
Described as an ‘operating system for the home’ by some, it seamlessly connects TV, lighting, security, communications, and entertainment systems not only in the home, but for retail and business premises too. It’s the unified Smart Home system which enhances the experience of all its users by being easy to use, and energy efficient. Control4 integrates and operates with more than 13,000 different third party electronic devices made by a huge range of household name manufacturers of a multitude of diverse durables and services, including Sonos, Nest, Lutron, Hulu, Napster, Apple Macintosh, Pioneer, Bose, Mitsubishi, and Toshiba. All these companies make devices which can easily be added to the Control4 environment, all working together and making use ever easier.
Control4 features their own Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP) which makes it incredibly easy for devices to find and connect with one another over your Home Network. This protocol is licensed out to other manufacturers and vendors which they build into their equipment, ensuring universal connectivity. Currently SDDP is featured in many hundreds of products and electronics, including many Smart Home devices and many more that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as being Smart, including swimming pools, sun shades and awnings, and air conditioners. Bluestream (as featured in the product photo from one of our most recent installations) is an HDMI distribution technology which brings the most advanced AV integration to the home.
Control The Home Through Apps, Touchpads, Or Even The TV Remote
As well being controllable via app and voice, Control4 has a universal remote control. This handset looks exactly like any other TV remote, except it controls everything, so no need for a raft of handsets on the coffee table, each controlling a different machine. And because it’s universal, you can use the handset in any room, and if you lose it, it can tell you where it is. The handset is your interface with your Smart system, so it makes sense that it is programmable too, use the customisable buttons to carry out your most frequent requests and a whole sequence of events can be triggered with the press of a single button.
And when you go out or go to bed, you can turn the house off. All of your home automation connected devices will go into standby, your doors lock, lights go out and alarms arm, making your property as safe as possible.
All of the controls you get through the handset are also available via an app which can be downloaded to your phone or tablet, meaning that no matter how you choose to interface with your devices, you’ll always have your preferred method of control right there in your hand.
Ditch Superfluous Devices
Because Control4 connects all of your devices you’ll find that there’s no need for many of the old devices which used to cause so much clutter and complicated wiring. Your entire movie collection, music library and satellite TV channels can be shared between devices without the need for a DVD player or set-top box for every TV and hi-fi in the home. Instead you can now use a single digital audio visual player tucked out of the way in a cupboard.
Control4 runs on a platform called Pakedge so while other Smart Home Solutions use more and more of your wifi network the more you add, the Control4 uses a different networking protocol, meaning that you can watch HD movies in one room, listen to streaming music in another and still have no impact on the speed your internet runs at, so no buffering, dropping out or freezing in the middle of an action scene or just as you get to a crucial point in an online game against other players.
No interruption to wifi means that there is no chance of your security and emergency cameras and alarms facing any difficulties, meaning that Control4 is one of the most secure Smart Home Automation systems you can buy.
If you’re interested in a completely unified automated home which is specifically designed to integrate the best products available on the high street then get in touch. Briant Communications have been installing Control4 technology for several years, setting up and synchronising the technology throughout homes and offices all over the southeast of England.