I've been using my Ocelot for about 6 months to control lighting and window blinds. I also have a Speakeasy and SECU-16 for making announcements detecting open doors.
Recently I added a Sqeezebox to my A/V system for streaming mp3 music from a PC located in the garage. This all works great but I'd like to add an Airpanel touchscreen monitor to control the Squeezebox in place of the current IR controller. The Squeezebox slimserver has a web browser interface, so controlling it via a touchscreen should be pretty simple.
But, then I started to think "why not also use the touch screen as an interface to the Ocelot". Then I could control lights, check for open doors, close the window bliinds, etc. and my wife will think it's very coooool!
So now the big decision. What backend software do I use to interface to the Ocelot and what frontend software to use for the GUI? Pricewise, Girder ($20) can't be beat and it has support for the Ocelot which is pretty much all I need.
Deciding on the frontend is tough. I like MainLobby, but for $200 and up, I'm not sure it's worth the price when all I'll be doing is controlling X-10 lighting. Homeseer's is getting pricey too (>$150) and I suspect the GUI is very basic compared to MainLobby. I've looked a little at NetRemote ($30), but it requires you to create CCF files (similiar to the Pronto) which is time consuming and I'm a beginner at using Photoshop.
I know many of you started with Homeseer when it's costs was less prohibitive and the choices were few. But if you were to start over from scratch, what would you go with today?
Thanks!
Recently I added a Sqeezebox to my A/V system for streaming mp3 music from a PC located in the garage. This all works great but I'd like to add an Airpanel touchscreen monitor to control the Squeezebox in place of the current IR controller. The Squeezebox slimserver has a web browser interface, so controlling it via a touchscreen should be pretty simple.
But, then I started to think "why not also use the touch screen as an interface to the Ocelot". Then I could control lights, check for open doors, close the window bliinds, etc. and my wife will think it's very coooool!
So now the big decision. What backend software do I use to interface to the Ocelot and what frontend software to use for the GUI? Pricewise, Girder ($20) can't be beat and it has support for the Ocelot which is pretty much all I need.
Deciding on the frontend is tough. I like MainLobby, but for $200 and up, I'm not sure it's worth the price when all I'll be doing is controlling X-10 lighting. Homeseer's is getting pricey too (>$150) and I suspect the GUI is very basic compared to MainLobby. I've looked a little at NetRemote ($30), but it requires you to create CCF files (similiar to the Pronto) which is time consuming and I'm a beginner at using Photoshop.
I know many of you started with Homeseer when it's costs was less prohibitive and the choices were few. But if you were to start over from scratch, what would you go with today?
Thanks!