Here's my question, asked many times before, but with slightly different parameters: which whole house automation system is best for me? It is a brand new house, 6500 sq ft, already installed insteon light switches (approx. 125 of them), & GE concorde Ultra Security system (don't think the Insteon light switches were my best option but they were recommended by the Lifeware company.) All wires are already pulled to a central location. I am ready to build this system to do everything. Here's what I'd like it to do:
*control all my lighting ( all switches in the house are insteon)
*control irrigation system
*control security system (all contact closures on doors/windows installed, glass break monitors installed, motion sensors installed, smoke detectors installed)
*HVAC complete system control
*control ip cameras at front door & back door with security system (or attached to some other system)
*control whole house audio system & intercom system (11 different zones, all speakers already installed & wired). I want to have intercom system integrated with audio system, so intercom uses audio system speakers (have investigated Russound & Nuvo). Intercom system will also be front/back door bells.
*control distributed video system (I want cable boxes in central rack & be able to pull up on any of the 4 tv's)
*other misc things like: knowing if my garage doors are open & being able to close them; be able to control door locks
*future expansion
I prefer a system that is software based, i.e. one that can be installed (or preinstalled) on a dedicated PC on my rack & accessible via any computer on my home network, via any touch-screen pc, via i-phone or pda, & via any computer through the web. A software option allows me to use cheaper, off-the-shelf hardware. I want a system that can control ALL these sub-systems via one software interface, and allows future expansion. Everything integrated, i.e. home network, HA system, etc.!
That's the short story, many more details once I hear some responses. I have looked seriously at Cortexa, tried to look at CQC but don't understand it yet, and a few cursory looks at others. I have considered & gotten quotes from Control4, Lifeware, Vantage, & a few others but they don't interest me as much because a) they cost too much, & B) they seem too proprietary & limit my options for sub-systems. Plus I think I can do a better, more thorough job than the "professionals", at a far cheaper price, via choosing the best, simplest, most capable system out there for the price.
Please help, let the food fight begin!
Crisco
*control all my lighting ( all switches in the house are insteon)
*control irrigation system
*control security system (all contact closures on doors/windows installed, glass break monitors installed, motion sensors installed, smoke detectors installed)
*HVAC complete system control
*control ip cameras at front door & back door with security system (or attached to some other system)
*control whole house audio system & intercom system (11 different zones, all speakers already installed & wired). I want to have intercom system integrated with audio system, so intercom uses audio system speakers (have investigated Russound & Nuvo). Intercom system will also be front/back door bells.
*control distributed video system (I want cable boxes in central rack & be able to pull up on any of the 4 tv's)
*other misc things like: knowing if my garage doors are open & being able to close them; be able to control door locks
*future expansion
I prefer a system that is software based, i.e. one that can be installed (or preinstalled) on a dedicated PC on my rack & accessible via any computer on my home network, via any touch-screen pc, via i-phone or pda, & via any computer through the web. A software option allows me to use cheaper, off-the-shelf hardware. I want a system that can control ALL these sub-systems via one software interface, and allows future expansion. Everything integrated, i.e. home network, HA system, etc.!
That's the short story, many more details once I hear some responses. I have looked seriously at Cortexa, tried to look at CQC but don't understand it yet, and a few cursory looks at others. I have considered & gotten quotes from Control4, Lifeware, Vantage, & a few others but they don't interest me as much because a) they cost too much, & B) they seem too proprietary & limit my options for sub-systems. Plus I think I can do a better, more thorough job than the "professionals", at a far cheaper price, via choosing the best, simplest, most capable system out there for the price.
Please help, let the food fight begin!
Crisco