I'm going to begin building a new home in the next few weeks and have only recently stumbled on to the concept of home automation ..... and after reading this forum I realize that there's a myriad of options that I can't possibly begin to understand without some help. Unfortunately I live in a rural community in northern British Columbia so I have no real access to a professional solution. Truth be told I'd like to learn more about HA as it seems an addictive and fun hobby, so lack of a pro may be a blessing in disguise! So, short story long I need some help to identify my needs and then products that will meet same. I'm willing to send my house plans out to anyone who wants to give me some more specific direction. In any event I'll provide a list of what I'd like to do, and my understanding of how some of the products out there might satisfy my requirements. Disclaimer ... I have no idea what type of wiring does what, and if possible please refrain from using acronyms or abbreviations for tech jargon!
Three basic wants:
1) Home Automation (lighting, sprinklers, home security)
2) Audio/Video Distribution
3) Integration of the two in a package that is easily used by the wife and has a high SAF (the only acronym I know!)
More specific wants
Security/Safety/Lights
1) Young children have bedrooms upstairs, so we'd like to have motion sensor and camera for late night sleepwalking! Ideally, if the motion sensor was triggered we would be alerted on any active video source or alarm in the bedroom.
2) Front door camera and motion sensor same idea as kids area. (are the logitech security systems any good?)
3) Window sensors
4) Smoke Detectors
5) Complete control of lighting.
6) Touch screen panelin kitchen that would allow my wife to see all the above plus pull up recipes from the internet.
7) Irrigation control in our greenhouse/on our lawn.
7) Online schematic to easily control any of the above which would be accessible to us over any tv's and through an Iphone.
Audio/Video/Gaming
1) I'd like to be able to listen to internet radio/ripped music in multiple zones at the same time (wife and I like different music!)
2) Stream ripped movies/sat tv/blu-ray/gaming to multiple zones at the same time (different sources at the same time, or in the case of the ripped movies different movies to different sources at the same time)
3) My sat tv receiver is a bell express-vu hd/PVR. I'm open to a different PVR solution if it allows us access to multiple recordings at the same time on different tv's/projectors. Would I need multiple sat boxes to output multiple hd at the same time?
I'd like to use a solution that minimizes the need for multiple remotes. Case in point is I like the looks of the Sonos solution, but I don't think their remote will control anything else. If I have a wall panel solution can I control audio/lighting all from one panel? Can I control other zones? Is there some touchscreen wall panels (high SAF).
With all the above in mind I've determined I need the following:
1)A front end software solution like CQC or Mainlobby (they seem to have really nice GUI's)
2)A hardware solution like ELK or HAI.
3)Something to distribute my video and audio. Would these tie into the elk or a computer running CQC/Mainlobby?
4)Some kind of remote controls.
5)A pile of wiring of differing types.
Sorry if I'm all over the map, but the more I read the more confusing it becomes.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Steve
Three basic wants:
1) Home Automation (lighting, sprinklers, home security)
2) Audio/Video Distribution
3) Integration of the two in a package that is easily used by the wife and has a high SAF (the only acronym I know!)
More specific wants
Security/Safety/Lights
1) Young children have bedrooms upstairs, so we'd like to have motion sensor and camera for late night sleepwalking! Ideally, if the motion sensor was triggered we would be alerted on any active video source or alarm in the bedroom.
2) Front door camera and motion sensor same idea as kids area. (are the logitech security systems any good?)
3) Window sensors
4) Smoke Detectors
5) Complete control of lighting.
6) Touch screen panelin kitchen that would allow my wife to see all the above plus pull up recipes from the internet.
7) Irrigation control in our greenhouse/on our lawn.
7) Online schematic to easily control any of the above which would be accessible to us over any tv's and through an Iphone.
Audio/Video/Gaming
1) I'd like to be able to listen to internet radio/ripped music in multiple zones at the same time (wife and I like different music!)
2) Stream ripped movies/sat tv/blu-ray/gaming to multiple zones at the same time (different sources at the same time, or in the case of the ripped movies different movies to different sources at the same time)
3) My sat tv receiver is a bell express-vu hd/PVR. I'm open to a different PVR solution if it allows us access to multiple recordings at the same time on different tv's/projectors. Would I need multiple sat boxes to output multiple hd at the same time?
I'd like to use a solution that minimizes the need for multiple remotes. Case in point is I like the looks of the Sonos solution, but I don't think their remote will control anything else. If I have a wall panel solution can I control audio/lighting all from one panel? Can I control other zones? Is there some touchscreen wall panels (high SAF).
With all the above in mind I've determined I need the following:
1)A front end software solution like CQC or Mainlobby (they seem to have really nice GUI's)
2)A hardware solution like ELK or HAI.
3)Something to distribute my video and audio. Would these tie into the elk or a computer running CQC/Mainlobby?
4)Some kind of remote controls.
5)A pile of wiring of differing types.
Sorry if I'm all over the map, but the more I read the more confusing it becomes.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Steve
It sounds like you got some of it figured out already, so I would probably start new threads with more specific questions. You'll get better and more detailed answers.
