Hierarchy of components to HA & Whole Hse AV

[BraveSirRobbin]

tanstaaf1;

You do realize that none of the staff here at CocoonTech, or any of it's members get PAID to provide information on this site?

Reason I ask is what you request would be a major research project that would take up a LOT of time!

 

[justonemore]

I'm not volunteering

 

[IVB]

I have some basic HA, more advanced HT stuff. Check out either my Showcase thread, or to see vision/technical path/hardware software list like the screens below, my personal website, www.myhometheaterpc.com

I'd copy it here but it's a serious amount of info, and not in a format that easily allows that.

 

[tanstaaf1]

tanstaaf1;

You do realize that none of the staff here at CocoonTech, or any of it's members get PAID to provide information on this site?

Reason I ask is what you request would be a major research project that would take up a LOT of time!

Yes, of course I realize that. I hope you didn't take any of my comments as disrespectful of the awesome forum you folks host for our benefit.

I'm not suggesting the administrators of Cocoontech undertake this vast organizational effort ... I thought I was sounding out the forum members about how we, as a group, might approach that effort ... on the presumption that it can be done and that there might be sufficient interest. Maybe it could even be agreed that if the end product was sufficiently impressive and unique, that Cocoontech might see about gettting it published into a book, with proceeds to pay Cocoontech's server bill or buy teeshirts for all or something. ;-)

(In all seriousness, I am intimately familiar with some of the workload and underappreciation suffered by some forum hosts because I carried a custom-written, multiuser, BBS/ Unix system for most of a decade in the years before the internet really took off.)

Are you familiar with the term "efficiency" with respect to knowledge in financial markets? For those who may not be familiar, when a market is "inefficient" there are ongoing large opportunities to make a lot of money buying and selling. This is because you can find things which are underpriced due to lack of dissemination of knowledge of availability and the highest use of the asset (on the flip side, you may also be able to sell something for more than it is worth because facts about the downside of an asset are not generally available). Anyway, I would say that HA knowledge is EXTREMELY inefficient at this point. I was involved in microcomputers in 1980, when knowledge was frustratingly unavailable in that field (and there wasn't even internet to help!); but HA at the present time is much more frustrating for a novice, imo, than I recall microcomputers as being.

When I find fields which are seriously inefficient, especially when I am personally interested in them, I find myself compelled to seek resolution of the inefficiency. That is just the way my mind works...I am a mismatcher (I tend to see "what is wrong with this picture?" as an automatic organizing response).

 

[electron]

There are a lot of big plans for new content, including several 'articles' which will kind of offer what you are looking for. I started such a document a while ago, and it grew pretty big, and it's outdated already. I will eventually publish it, probably after CES/EHexpo (where most of the new technologies are announced).

 

[Guy Lavoie]

Another problem with any kind of "top down" presentation of any specific installation is that every installation is unique, especially with hobbyists like us who leep tinkering with our systems and have built it up over time (and we often have more fun putting it together then actually using it once its finished). There is just no "typical" system. What more, "home automation" itself is kind of vague, since some people will want to emphasize lighting control, others A/V control, and others still will be security. The best "main controller" will vary with each one of these applications and the resulting system will usually be a compromise in order to satisfy all these (or yet other) desires.

The best way to start is by specifying what you want to do first, and then what you think you will want to add later. A ballpark figure on what you're willing to spend also helps. Then we will be able to make suggestions and relate personal experiences.

 

[Steve]

I think you can easily become overwhelmed if you try to look at everything and design the entire system up front. Sure you need to have a big picture of what you want but then compartmentalize things. First should be what is the most important to you, what are you looking to accomplish. That will probably lead you to a 'core' system, like an M1 or Stargate or Omni or of course a Crestron type system (or Pluto or Cortexa). Once you have your core, build around it. You can usually go with best of breed in each category as long as your core supports it. Kind of like a car, you get the core car you know you like and then customize to put in all the features and options you want. You can go straight for the high end Jaguar (Crestron like) which will have little to customize, or you can go for the Mustang or PT Cruiser where you have a zillion options.

As a brief example, I looked at the whole thing and settled on an M1 for my core. It replaced an old AT&T alarm system and allowed for expansion. Next, I wanted lighting control so researched that. The M1 supports x10, UPB, Lutron, etc. So I evaled all of that and chose, in my case UPB although there is nothing to stop me from adding another lighting layer such as Insteon/Icon if I desire. My next thing I wanted was a nice control interface. Ok so then I looked at things like Mainlobby and CQC, software tools that have nice graphics capability and drivers for the M1. I'm leaning toward CQC for the interface design plus it gives me a little extra fluff for non critical stuff like TTS, etc. Next I will want a basic wireless system only for impossible to wire locations such as a shed out back, mailbox, etc. So I will look at the Caddx wireless, W800 maybe even Zwave and choose the one that meets my needs the best. Then say I want audio, I will look at things like Russound, Nuvo or simple stuff like multiple amps, the AB8SS, etc and choose from there.

I think you get the picture. Start with the core and build around it. Research each piece independently as it fits into your core. I know that with the M1 and CQC I will be able to get into almost any area and find a few options to choose from that will work and it won't drive you crazy all at once.