URCs Total Control is a premium automation and control solution ideal for your residential and commercial installations. Control4 is much more expandable, as well. I like the possibility to let the customer customize the system using HE. Please don't get me wrong, Control4's remote is easy to use but does not have the same beautiful design that impresses the user the first time it sees one. URC (Uni. Anyway.. Control4 has been a really good systemand very stable. For example, a Control4 EA controller can also automate the entire AV setup in a room and make it easy to control all your audio equipment. I prefer a combination of touchpanel and hardbuttons. You cannot paste images directly. I would probably recommend Logitech Harmony ;). We can remotely update nearly every part of the system without a truck roll. Things that are important to me: - Features and ease of use for the user. Total Control was released a few years ago pretty much in beta. October 29, 2020 . In doing so, we came up with some interesting conclusions. I've been a software developer for over 10 years (.NET / C# and C++) and have programmed an entire multi-zone house plus I've wrote software for microcontrollers (Arduino, atmega32u4) to create IP-to-USB HID devices, Bluetooth-to-USB, etc. EFFORTLESS ADDITION TOYOUR CONTROL4 SMART HOME. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one. You will find opinions, positive and negative, about all of them. Aquatel D110 Wireless Tank Fluid Monitor Driver for Control4. Theres no possible way we would recommend using the HUH in a multiple room setup, especially one with a centralized equipment area due to the manufacturer limitation of a single remote per hub, but in a single room scenario, it does the job quite well. More Reviews: Savant Smart Series WiSA Surround System. Online, you'll rarely see Control4 compared with RTI, you'll see it compared with Savant and Crestron, the 3 'big boys' in Home Automation. So 2013 would . - Ron Swanson. Ive personally programmed dozens of MX-780, -890, -980 remotes and the like, loving the flexibility of being able to place any programming on any button, with power tracking variables, push/hold programming, and more. View our audio, contact closure, current, light, video and voltage sensors. We found lots of sub $1200 systems comprised of a central processor and remote control. One of the things URC is most known for is handheld remote controls; I mean, its literally right there in the name. Both companies swear by those systems. The Neeo has that in general, but it doesnt have enough hardbuttons. Savant Pro Remote X2. I ripped out a russound CAV6.6 and mx850 system for a custome that lightning killed and insurance cut him a check for. This more than wipes out the cost advantage on the controllers and makes people angry in the process. Composer Pro is available to dealers only and Composer HE is available for purchase. My option are RTI, ISY, and Control4. However, what you really need or at least could immensely benefit from is one control system that ties all of these together. These use either male or female DB-9 connections with standard pin-outs. Have any questions about Crestron, Control4 or URC not addressed in this article? Compared to my usual Triad house-wide amplifier, the HDA-8100 had far more noticeable fan noise. This is what matters to me nowadays. The Achilles heel of TRC is two-fold: Their multi-zone audio equipment is not cheap ($2200 for a 6-powered/2-unpowered zone amplifier) and due to limited input capabilities aside from the proprietary network audio sources sold from URC, its not capacious enough for the vast majority of our systems. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote Control is a well-designed universal remote that offers a lot more features than you might expect for $50. Search the forum for more info. At first glance, the price seems right about $800 to start for a small controller and about $300 for a 2-way zigbee remote. Both Control4 and URC program quickly easily, but are limited to preprogrammed interfaces, and don't give a lot of total customizing options. I have trained and sold Crestron, RTI, Lifeware, Colorado vNet, and URC. to a point i dont know how much more i need other than multiple tv support for one room. macaulaymcculkin1 7 yr. ago. At least we have options for paid drivers.. so that is not too bad. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. And of course im totally fine with that. I'm quite biased, as I'm sure you would guess. iOS or Android apps are $99 from the app stores and run on as many devices in your household as you have with ONE app purchase. URC can save data about the events in your home to IFTTT's daily or weekly email digest. We Offer Control4 Offsite Programming Jan 20, 2020 . You will be amazed upon knowing that a control4 remote allows you to control the home automation systems remarkably. Simply order the Neeo remote from your Pro and, once it arrives, connect it to your home's Wi-Fi and select the primary room where it will be used. Control4 and Crestron offer basic integrations with Amazon Alexa, while URCs Total Control 2.0 platform can be effectively used with Alexa as well as Google Assistant. These include but are not limited to: Our own London-based team includes URC systems integration professionals authorised to install and program Total Control 2.0 on behalf of clients who reside in the UK. Asking which control platform is better is like asking which speakers sound better. It can control up to 15 devices, including both . We look forward to doing this comparison for our clients every time a new system or new capabilities of existing systems are rolled out. For my system Marantz pre-pro, Sony and LG TVs, Dish Hopper, Apple TV, Samsung 4K Blu-ray, HEOS Link, Lutron lighting and HVAC, and Hunter Douglas shades all of the drivers were available. This is not least because Control4 offers a wide selection of compatible smart products for the likes of home cinemas and media rooms. And controllers cost basically the same as Crestron. Our group of technicians are experienced in troubleshooting, design, and creative automation solutions. This decision establishes and potentially differentiates your company in the local market, and determines to some extent the kinds of projects youll install, the sub-systems it can interface with, and the complexity and customization of the programming. When we started our company in 1995, we dabbled in Crestron for a few years, then shifted to ELAN, then moved to Control4 around 2010 (which were still supporting). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I used to hate the remote control, but I got used to it. Most of my TV watching is sports and I watch it delayed to be able to skip through timeouts and commercials so I am continuously using the transport buttons. Of course, the remotes big trick is its built-in microphone with Amazon Alexa integration. I could come with lots of words for what G stands for. Driving my existing house-wide audio system fell to URCs HDA-8100 multi-zone amplifier. I will first ask, are you going to Cedia this year? They even have the holy grail of remotes: a cheap handheld remote with one-button operation. You can post now and register later. Ive long been a fan of their wands, and the new TRC-1480 remote builds on what URC does really well. We install Control4 systems like this all the time. Feel free to mentally insert the Lord of the Rings Boromir, One does not simply meme here about ordering any gear from URCs Total Control line. The Halo, the Halo Touch, and the Control4 SR-260 remotes are the perfect hand-held interfaces to the whole home. I want a centralized home A/V done to my home. Control4 has Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Napster, Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal all native to every Control4 system. Display as a link instead, Displaying posts 1 through 15. URC software works only on PCs, not Mac products. It also directly integrates with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant for voice control (Apple HomeKit integration is on the way; please stay tuned). JavaScript is disabled. Communication is handled with a Gigabit Ethernet connection. Is it viable as a solution versus Control4? I have lived with, in my personal home, C4, Crestron, RTI and URC. In my opinion URC has the largest set of IR codes for TVs and etc. If you have never previously used a home automation platform for controlling more than a few devices, we would certainly encourage you to look at Control4, as its user interface has been exhaustively stripped down to make it easy and simple to use. For most users this isn't a problem, but I am hoping to find a system that can send button presses nearly as fast as a keyboard (~16ms). It is worth noting that using this functionality requires connecting devices to an AVB-compliant switch, such as URCs HDASW5. Lord loves a workin' man; don't trust whitey; see a doctor and get rid of it. When you get into shade control, integrated door locks, & lighting, it's probably time to step up to Control4. While the 1480 has a Home icon in the upper corner for selecting and controlling different rooms in the project, I found myself primarily using it in my family/media room, and turning to the URC Mobile 2.5 app and the TDC-9100 touchscreen for much of the whole-house control as it was just easier to jump to different rooms and select things like lights, shades, and music on the larger screen. Control4 offers a la carte options, so each package varies based on the customer. - Scalability (easy to add/change things around the home) Zastupamo iskljuivo renomirane svetske proizvoae, iji ureaji garantuju odlian odnos kvaliteta i . The screen is super tiny at 1.7 and it doesnt have one touch control. I connected my HEOS Link to the HDA-8100 and installed the two-way module, which provided full access to all of my HEOS functions and services, including album artwork on all of the interfaces. Logitech. Crestron systems havent tended to offer the same breadth of native support, though they can be integrated with third-party streaming solutions. In your property, we can install platforms from any of these brands and add extra hardware to plug any remaining gaps in your smart home setup. Tags Automation Review Total Control URC. My point is just that your statement wasa bit to general IMHO, suggesting that RTI is technically not able to be updated remotely -which is not the case. Redeeming the system somewhat, the TRC-1080 is a 2-way version of one of our favorite remotes, the MX-890. I do ALL of our programming and have been a Crestron certified programmer since 2003, so we NEVER outsource any bit of our installation. Yamaha MTX Universal Driver for Control4. Reply. Your previous content has been restored. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Control4 has better integration when it comes to drivers and Rti is customisable. 2. Also you can use the alarm system to drive many events based on occupancy. sofakngJune 1, 2017 in General Control4 Discussion. Update my browser now, Home It has a 1.5" touchscreen, which is smaller than the others, but it can control up to 48 devices and has four color-coded buttons for quick . CONTROL4 - THE ULTIMATE SMART HOME CONTROL . Most won't change anything, but it is good to offer the option to do it. as of late. Agree 100%. After a visit from my local URC rep, we started chatting about Total Control and how it might fit into our business model. With the combination of TC hardware and DashOS.net modules and software, I can do anything that any other system can do and more. First, for a simple single room solution, the $349 Harmony Ultimate Home remote system does a nice job of controlling simple home theater, lighting, shading, and climate. Here at Synergy Multimedia, we are constantly evaluating the latest trends in home automation. This is the place for all your smart home product. For most families, multiple iOS or Android devices are the norm. The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com: URC vs. RTI vs. Control4 vs. AMX vs. Savant. With Total Control, URC demonstrates its ability to offer far more than just the one-room solution of its CCP line; it brings full control and automation, and the ability to integrate with a variety of popular sub-systems like Lutron lighting and Sonos audio. Want to do the same thing with control4 = login remotely fromthe comfort of anywhere with an internet connection. Play your favorite music anywhere in your home or business with URC's Total Control high resolution, distributed audio system. Which brings us to our next dilemma, the middle market automation system for anything from one to many rooms integrating audio, video, lighting, shading, security and climate controls. Controls audio and video equipment, as well as lights and scenes, media browsing, voice control, and more. Ill be keeping an eye on this company. In summary, we found out that a system that is fully featured, intuitive to operate AND less expensive than Crestron is a unicorn. Many companies now require some formal training before you are authorized to sell their product, followed by many more days/weeks/months of practical, on-the-job training as programmers learn the subtle nuances and tricks of a given programming software. Crestron is another smart home brand that can help you to merge both the hardware and software of your home automation system into a single, cohesive whole. In the right hands, programming is fast and incredibly customizable and looks and operates great. If you have one of the legacy remotes listed below, you may apply for a basic version of the software but URC will not be able to support any of your efforts to reprogram and calling a local dealer would still be your best option. What is Designer-Friendly AV and Automation? Where does it stand these days (I'm getting back into the business after a year's vacation, so forgive me for being a little out of touch)? One of the most popular capabilities in smart home systems is Whole House Music -- the ability to play different streams of music throughout a house in any particular grouping. To get a good idea of a representative whole-house control and audio system, URC sent me a variety of hardware including the MRX-15 advanced processor, TRC-1480 handheld remote with voice control, TDC-9100 10-inch tabletop touchscreen controller, HDA-8100 multi-zone amplifier, and MRX-4IR auxiliary base stations. Which isnt a bad thing; it just highlights that this is a new company just getting on their feet. I don't know what's happening with RTI, I couldn't even find them in any of the slides on CEPro's 2020 Brand Analysis, although I'll admit I only skimmed them, since there are so many categories: https://www.cepro.com/business-support/2020-ce-pro-100-brand-analysis/slideshow/0/. In short, its likely that URC will interface with your preferred subsystems. While URC has a free, basic control driver for Kaleidescape, the Chowmain driver delivered a far richer experience, and was definitely a cooler way to browse my movies on the touchscreen. Also, because you are talking directly into the mic, it does a good job of hearing your request if loud music is playing. Your smart home could comprise a staggeringly wide range of devices and appliances from, Have any questions about Crestron, Control4 or URC not addressed in this article? Switching from a remote company (URC or RTi) to a control systems company (AMX or Savant) is a huge jump, you cant even compare the 2. These cookies do not store any personal information. With this driver I could browse my movie collection by cover art or list, search for a specific film, see synopsis of the movies along with rating, run time, and actors, or select and jump to Kaleidescapes pre-bookmarked scenes, which was great for finding and queueing content before selecting it. We use cookies to customise content and provide a better experience on our website. Everything works inall interfaces and that is nice. Im doing all of my Crestron/RTI-installations remotely. You have an intuitive mapping of functionality to the hardbuttons plus you have the ability to display additional information and added touchbuttons for additional functionality for which you wouldnt find a suitable hardbutton. Tu smo da sasluamo Vae elje i zajedno uz konsultacije odaberemo optimalnu opremu koja se uklapa u Va budet. So for example I could have a watch movie screen with all the transport buttons, and then have a few buttons off the side for raising the lights or changing the screen mask aspect ratio, etc., without having to change to another page. A smart home you cant easily control as and when you like can be much more impressive on paper than in a practical sense. I agree that you should consider integrating the alarm system. Crestron and RTI have remote with lots of buttons plus a touchpanel - thats a perfect combination IMHO. More Reviews: Sense Labs Home Energy Monitor. Now Available: Tech Talk Podcast with Scott Wilkinson, Episode 19 Click here for details. Others in the same boat have said the same. That is why I think the 260 (or even 250) are more suitable for me than the Neeo. The Future's Bright, The Future's Controllable. Also handy is that any macro created by Accelerator can be converted to an Alexa skill, quickly cutting down on some further programming. Check Price. You are absolutely correct. The MC3 processor with an in-built wireless gateway compatible with Crestron remotes, lights, thermostats, door locks, and shades runs $1600. I've been using URC for a few years in my house both with Complete Control and now with Total Control, but I've been thinking about switching over to Control4. It also offers voice control via both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This app allows you to control all your homes from one convenient location, whether they have HomeWorks, Caseta or RA2 Select. The Control4 EA5 controller includes a variety of inputs and outputs to control lights, door locks, and . These products work together to form the technology ecosystem of your custom-programmed smart home or business. Home / Blog / Smart Control / We Offer Control4 Offsite Programming. I didnt say that. Your link has been automatically embedded. home.. All Rights Reserved. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. When installing this platform for a client, we can provide them with: If you want smart lighting, you should investigate whether the brand you are considering can provide the lights rather than just the control system for them. RA3 comes with Lutron's LEAP API which embeds system programming directly in the top control brands' design software, saving hours of programming time. So the best middle market system available today is the entry level system from Crestron, especially when scaled up to several rooms of control or more. We actually bought a demo system and it was so unworkable a few years ago, we put it aside. Also, can dealers provide you the software (or is it available elsewhere?) To that you add the HR150 remote at $349 with each additional remote $349. Hey, careful man, there's a beverage here! A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. First, I'll make sure it's understood that I am a big fan of C4, have been for years. The new module enables users to control their BluOS-enabled devices via URC Total Control or Total Control Flex automation . Thats 5 button presses navigating via a tiny screen that will confuse the old and young alike just to turn on the tv to BluRay and we havent even begun to navigate the BluRay interface itself on the TV (counter intuitively using the same buttons that operate the text menu on the remote itself. As of this writing, Control4 integrates better with the popular DIY products like Nest Thermostat, MyQ Garage Door opener, Amazon Alexa, etc. Along the way, we offered other single-room, remote-only solutions for customers not needing whole-house integration, and one of the brands weve supported for many years is Universal Remote Control, aka URC. Not bad if you are using an LED TV, but think about those of us with video projectors that take a minute or more to start up. Out of the listed options, I feel like this is the company that most gets the market. TechnologyAutomation. This subreddit topics about a wide variety of smart home products and IoT's. Control4 has a built in media player but for music only. Invisible tech around the home can make life easier and more comfortable. This Siri Voice Module Driver Integrate Devices which are configured in Control4 with HomeKit, So you can control all Control4 devices via . Before the refresh of the MRX-10N, I had to reboot my controller every 3 days. Control a Just Add Power HDMI over IP video distribution system with Crestron, RTI, AMX, Elan, Control 4, on Controls. (Or you can go with Flex if you want total programming control.) OK, fair enough. In our family, we probably have 7 of these devices. This video demonstrates the HouseLogix Control4 driver and URC Module that allows you to control the entire Control4 system from a TRC-820, TRC-1080, or TRC . And URC has a very powerful MCS remote accessing tool where you can check on the status of projects, upload programming changes, check system health and history, force a reboot, and more. C4 apologists will say, but you can assign your favorite source to the Watch or Listen buttons. By View our dimmers, switches, modules, and more. This wasnt life-changing, but it was a very welcome bit of added cool that took zero programming or effort on my part to implement. HAAD Certified Dentists in Abu Dhabi. It's just a different class of product. An apples to apples comparison does not favor Savant. So you are probably wondering why we like Crestron. The rechargeable remote control does not experience these lag times, but is expensive ($300 was our quoted replacement cost) Pricing. . Important - this feature is only available for systems that have been registered for URC's Offsite Programming service. The Complete Control systems are specialized for family room entertainment and Home Theater. Through these partnerships, we have co-developed drivers that will allow integration professionals to easily enable control of Russound . Somfy shades usually work well with C4. Control4's remote control is cheaper than Savant's, but users can have a better experience with the touch screen and voice control available in Savant's one. Every platform has them. The Total Control 2.0 suite includes wall-mounted touch-screens, tabletop tablets, remotes and iOS/Android apps for control from anywhere. Also, Accelerator does a really handy job auto-creating many of the macros and power management commands for you, keeping you from having to do some of the menial programming. Soooo intuitive, right? But $599 is expensive for a remote and 2-way remotes are just a dumb idea anyway in this day and age of fabulous, readily handy smartphones and tablets. That may be Crestron, Savant, C4, or AMX. I have a Neeo in my theater and I can dowhat I want without looking at the remote as well. Bad experience - dont trust it anymore. It's also Control4's greatest strength for whole home automation setups. Who says you can't put 61" plasmas up on cantilever mounts using toggle bolts? (Image credit: Control4) URC's Total Control user interfaces and remotes offer attractive GUIs, easy operation, and full control of your home or business. Wow I should have proof read that, Had a few(or many) "Fat Tire" beers tonight (we can't get it here) and I LOVE the stuff! And let me add this: i also find the remote update and management functionality of C4 superior to both Crestron and RTI. Current passions are IT and video security/access control. We evaluated systems from Control4, URC Total Control, RTI, Savant, Clare Controls and Elan. Three of the home automation brands with which our installers are thoroughly experienced are Control4, Crestron and URC. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIYs, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! You cant really ask for a better try it, youll like it! offer. To help alleviate the cost of bringing in a demo system, URC has a provision where a dealer can earn their demo kit by selling two systems during a specified period. Again both systems have their purpose and at the end of the day sometimes its down to the clients preference and budget. Guessing my grammer, and spelling may have been impacted. Wait, a touch screen remote is better than one with buttons for Home Theaters? URC vs. RTI vs. Control4 vs. AMX vs. Savant. With this you can easily do about anything that you can with a normal Alexa device, including setting timers and playing music from the remotes built-in speaker. Can anybody give me some comparisons between the two systems? URC can call your phone number and say a message (for security alarms, smoke alarms and other emergencies). I install both URC & C4 by the way. URC can send push notifications (using pushalot, pushbullet or pushover) Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Nest, etc. Now, RadioRA 3 takes integration to another level. These small (roughly the size of a deck of cards) devices include four IR outputs as well as a blaster, and are a fantastic and economical way to integrate and control those small cable box/streamer/TV systems around the home. What most people dont realize is how many buttons you need to press to get to see, hear or control what you want. *KP-900/MX-900 Editor will work only if . I know there is a Roku driver by a 3rd party company (Extra Vegatables) that will give you full access to the Roku if you put it into a video matrix (like your Altona recommendation). Cost? This driver allows you to integrate UniFi's NVR into the Control4 Navigators. The next generation of smart device control, URC Lighting creates the perfect atmosphere for entertaining or quiet family events with a line of smart dimmers, switches and networking devices. Remote Control), Elan etc. C4 has some well-priced options and they have an extensive list of compatible 3rd party devices. Read more about Versed incredible partnership with Control4 Smart Home Control. View our in-ceiling and outdoor speaker lineup. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Is it attractive enough to make me consider it? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. (URC actually showed this in action at CEDIA 2019 when the remote was launched.) But then its not a limitation of the system. Now Available: Tech Talk Podcast with Scott Wilkinson, Episode 19, http://residentialsystemsinc.com/control4-vs-savant-for-todays-smart-home/. We found lots of sub $1200 systems comprised of a central processor and remote control. My question is.. is the ISY a suitable candidate to control lighting, AV, etc in a 10,000 sq. After a few months of living with the system and working with Accelerator, Im not too proud to say I needed the training. Just contact us by phone on 0203 865 6433, or book a free consultation where we can help you to discern which of the many home automation platforms we offer would work best for your London-based smart home. info@versedautomation.com. Their system controllers are not expensive. These bulbs are designed to save energy and last an estimated 20 . The newest addition to the URC Total Control 2.0 smart automation and control system, URC says the TRC-1480 features endless possibilities for controlling everything - select the source(s) to play in the zones of the home or . The 9100 was especially great for using the third-party Kaleidescape driver I installed from Chowmain (chowmainsoft.com). We figured wed give it another shot with the most current programming software and firmware. The type of system you are talking about is EXACTLY what Control4 does. Clare Controls is the newest company and is doing some interesting stuff. I have huge homes being controlled via control4 and equally rti. We think its our job to provide our clients with the best available system at any given moment in time and not be slavishly devoted to our favorite control system manufacturer. However, if there is some device you are particularly concerned about, you should reach out to inquire. It just so happens that our favorite control systems manufacturer also offers the best overall value in home automation today. It's just a different class of product. or is it completely off limits? On 10/25/2020 at 6:39 PM, Matt Lowe said: 5 minutes ago, Khler Medientechnik said: 7 minutes ago, Khler Medientechnik said: This thread is quite old. One strong suit for URC is its LED lighting offerings, which are part of the company's Total Control home automation system.