AVNation TV

Tag: home control automation

  • SnapAV launches Neeo Remote for Control4

    The touchscreen remote works in tandem with Control4’s Smart Home OS 3 platform. 

    Charlotte, NC — SnapAV has launched the Neeo Remote for Control4. Neeo is a touchscreen remote that delivers highly refined control of home entertainment experiences through the powerful Control4 Smart Home OS 3 platform. 

    Neeo is a sleek, intuitive remote control for the Control4 Smart Home OS, giving homeowners fast access to the things they use most — their favorite streaming services, most-watched TV stations, playlists, room-level or household-level smart home scenes, and much more. Neeo is the first Control4 handheld remote to combine the benefits of hard buttons and a touchscreen, providing an elegant smart home interface fully personalized to meet the unique interests and devices for any home. 

    “The modern smart home needs simple interfaces to start a movie, select a playlist, or lock a door. Neeo was expertly designed to be beautiful, and with Control4 OS 3, it’s also the easiest way for a family to enjoy entertainment in their homes,” said Charlie Kindel, SnapAV chief product & technology officer. “Neeo is a reflection of our obsession for creating the most elegant and simple interfaces for the refined smart home.” 

    Thoughtfully-Engineered Design Reflective of Discerning Homeowners
    Powerful, beautiful, and simple, the Neeo was meticulously designed by Swiss engineers to set a new standard for luxury smart home interfaces. Neeo is built from machined aluminum designed to protect the edge-to-edge touchscreen making the device incredibly durable. Neeo balances perfectly in the hand, embodying the sophistication found in high-end consumer electronic products. Images and icons on the three-inch, high-resolution, LCD touchscreen are crisp and bright to enable quick one-touch navigation. Neeo is available in either silver or black finishes and ships with an elegant charging station. Neeo lasts up to five days on a charge and the low-profile, weighted charging station gives it a stylish home when not in use.

    Built for The Operating System for The Smart Home
    Neeo was built to harness powerful software designed specifically to orchestrate and manage the modern smart home. Control4 Smart Home OS 3 unifies connected devices from major brands, weaves them together for simplicity, and provides a singular voice, touch, and hand-held interface for the whole home. Family members in a Control4 OS 3 powered home have one-touch control and at-a-glance views of virtually every device through voice with Alexa and Google Assistant, the Control4 App, a Control4 Touchscreen, a TV on-screen display and with the Neeo Remote.

    Powerful Automation and Entertainment Control 
    Control4 OS 3 personalization automatically extends through to Neeo. Swiping right on Neeo shows video sources such as a Blu-ray player, video game system, Dish Network, and more. Favoring simplicity, Neeo gives homeowners one-touch icons for the channels they watch most and an on-screen keypad to type in a channel number directly. The touchscreen reduces the number of buttons on the Neeo Remote, making it easier to learn and use. This combination of touchscreen and buttons makes Neeo an ideal universal remote control for entertainment because anyone in the home can intuitively use an icon-driven touchscreen. By including only the most common buttons such as power, mute, volume, and home, Neeo offers easy control without taking eyes off the movie.

    “Neeo is as easy to use as it is beautiful. It’s nice to have all our favorite stations just right there on the main screen and easily accessible. And, unlike the pile of remotes we’ve accumulated, it’s certainly not an eyesore — it’s actually a piece of technology that I don’t mind lying around for guests to see. I’m sure it will even be a conversation starter for many of our friends and family when they come to visit,” said Jennifer Reed, Control4 beta customer.

    Neeo was designed to strike a balance between professional installation and homeowner flexibility. Control4 Pros deliver stronger, safer, and easier-to-use smart home experiences to meet consumers’ needs. New customers can find a local Control4 Pro by visiting a Control4 showroom. Control4 Certified Showrooms will have the new Neeo Remote on display and available to demo on #C4Yourself Day on Thursday, November 21, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Customers who have Control4 systems running OS 3 can order their Neeo from their Control4 Pro and self-install without a visit from the Pro. 

    Neeo is available exclusively through Control4 Smart Home Pros. The Neeo Remote for Control4 is $600 U.S. MSRP and is ideal for consumers who self-describe as video streamers, music enthusiasts, and smart home scene users who prioritize elegance and premium products; the popular Control4 SR-260 Remote continues to be available for $330 U.S. MSRP.

  • Control4 and SnapAV kick CEDIA Expo off with major announcements, upgrades

    SnapAV Heyman and Kindel lay out vision for dealers

    Denver, CO — —SnapAV, a leading provider of A/V, surveillance, networking, automation, and remote management products for professionals, announces Control4® Smart Home OS 3. This release includes expanded voice control capability through the Google Assistant, integration with third-party smart doorbells through Intercom Anywhere, and a new high-availability automation controller to power large homes.

    “Control4 Smart Home OS 3 was designed as the ultimate solution for today’s smart home, giving each homeowner a unique and personalized experience that unifies all connected devices for control in a single platform,” said SnapAV Chief Product & Technology Officer Charlie Kindel. “But Control4 OS 3 is also designed to evolve with the needs of homeowners and the industry. We’re setting the bar even higher with new personalization features and integrations with tens of thousands of devices, which now includes voice control using Google Assistant.”

    Google Assistant Integration

    With Control4 OS 3, homeowners can choose from tens of thousands of devices to create a system that suits their lifestyle and preferences. Integration with Google Assistant adds to the variety of capabilities that Control4 supports for natural control interfaces, including the Control4 App, handheld remote, wall keypads, touch screens, and more. Google Assistant integration enables homeowners to use an “OK Google” voice command to adjust lights, scenes, blinds, locks, thermostats, fans, and more in their Control4 system. The integration is compatible with any Google Assistant-powered speaker or smart display, such as a Google Home Hub, or any smartphone with the Assistant. Homeowners can add Google Assistant to their system on their own and can customize their voice experience via customer.control4.com.

    Intercom Anywhere Now Supports More Video Doorbells

    Connecting homeowners with both welcome and unwelcome guests on their front porch via audio and video calls is quickly becoming a staple in smart homes. With the latest release of OS 3, Control4 Intercom Anywhere expands support for popular third-party doorbells. Smart home professionals can integrate support IP-based video doorbells into a Control4 system and use Intercom Anywhere to make and receive calls from Control4 touch screens, mobile devices and more. Intercom Anywhere now also supports multi-family installations, where a centralized doorbell can be used by multiple housing units, to direct a call to the appropriate tenant.

    A Control4 smart home keeps homeowners in the know, and with more than 35,000 different  connected devices managed by Control4 systems running OS 3, homeowners aren’t plagued by limited walled systems. With the addition of new smart doorbells, the ecosystem continues to grow, giving homeowners the opportunity to receive a notification the moment their child arrives home from school, see who’s at the door, tell a delivery driver to leave a package in the entryway, and lock the door as they depart. Control4 OS 3 and Control4 controllers, coupled with the largest third-party smart home ecosystem, empower users with full control and management of everything happening in and around the home – whether it’s an apartment, 2,000 square foot one-level ranch, or 80,000 square foot luxury vacation home.

    CA-10 Controller Powers High-Availability Smart Homes

    Designed for large installations where redundancy and high-availability are required to meet customer expectations, the CA-10 controller delivers four times the processing power and memory of the EA-5 controller for consistent performance, even when controlling thousands of devices. The CA-10 includes redundant power supplies, network ports, sold state drives, and fans, ensuring continuous operation even in the rare case of a hardware failure. When a pre-programmed fail-over event occurs, the dealer is automatically notified, allowing them to immediately troubleshoot the issue. The Control4 CA-10 is available now through Control4 Authorized Dealers at $4,000 U.S. MSRP and includes a five-year warranty.

    “Whether a customer wants to start small or fully automate a huge mansion, OS 3 scales elegantly. The CA-10 controller sits firmly at the high-end of our controller line ensuring there is no job too big for Control4.” said Charlie.

    Other Control4 OS 3 enhancements now available include:

    • Push notifications with camera snapshot: For enhanced security, homeowners can now receive push notifications with a snapshot from security cameras on their smartphone in systems using Control4 OS 3 and 4Sight along with Luma and Visualint cameras.
    • More powerful Media Sessions: Music control is enhanced with new capabilities on the Media Sessions screen including room-level volume control, mute, and transport controls. 
    • On-screen lighting control: Homeowners can now control their lights and lighting scenes from the TV on-screen interface, quickly switching from a single room view to viewing all lighting devices in the system.
    • Pinch, zoom, and pan camera view: Pinch and zoom camera control is now available on the T3 Touch Screen, Android and iOS mobile devices, and panning the image can be done with a single finger swipe.
    • Composer Pro version independence: Composer Pro 3.1 is the one version needed to manage all projects 3.0 and higher, replacing Composer 3.0.

    More information about Control4 Smart Home OS 3 and the CA-10 can be found at www.control4.com.

  • Global Cache` helps CIWare develop new control platform

    CIWare’s new open systems platform announced

    Denver, CO USA – (CEDIA Expo Booths 1223 and 3457) Global Caché, the leading independent manufacturer of IP, WiFi, and HTTP enabling connectivity products for the control and automation market, announced today they have partnered withCIWare Labs, an open systems software company debuting at CEDIA in Innovation Alley.

    Global Caché’s products connect any IR, serial, and contact closure device to a WiFi and/or IP network so it can be controlled, automated, and maintained by network-based software. The company offers other connectivity products and capabilities, including a networked HDMI switch, sensor input, IR learning, HTTP communication, and the award-winning Control Tower IR database, available for free in the cloud (www.globalcache.com/controltower). 

    CIWare Labs, a pure software company, is showing their new product Inprem™ Studio, a control/automation back-end server (Inprem Server) and software toolset designed for professional system integrators, in their Innovation Alley booth (3457) at CEDIA Expo. Inprem Studio is designed to enable creation of custom solutions by custom installers (CIs) who are interested in adding standards-based software/web development to their repertoires, for example, to create control-enabled dashboards and UIs that can run on any browser-equipped device. Inspired by Global Caché’s incorporation of the powerful Raspberry Pi as a programmable control host in its customizable Global Connect products, the Pi was chosen as the initial standard host for Inprem Server which runs on Linux.  

    Inprem Studio includes a new technology, LAIR™, that works with new Global Caché’s IR receiver technology in development. With LAIR and Global Caché, any IR remote can be configured as a general purpose input device, enabling it to control any device(s) in an IoT system This technology is being demonstrated live at CEDIA Expo in the CIWare Labs booth, which combines LAIR™ with a Global Connect and multiple IR receivers.

    “We started our company 17 years ago based on the belief that control and automation would migrate to open systems offering the choice of different components to build a true custom solution based on a customers needs. With a company like CIWare emerging and thriving we are seeing that all come to fruition,” said Global Caché VP Robin Ford. “With the ability to build your own software control and user interface using a platform like Inprem and with acess to any networked device, we are finally here. Of course we’re excited to partner with CIWare Labs and welcome them to our exciting and dynamic market.”

    Stephen Rogers, CIWare CEO and founder said, “We’ve been developing our Inprem product for a while and are excited to be unveiling some of the early fruits of our work at CEDIA.  We are fortunate that we hit it off with Global Caché in so many ways when we first met face to face at CEDIA Expo last year. Combining Inprem software and Global Caché hardware is a compelling solution, and we look forward to offering it to software companies and custom installers for their additional value add.”

    Rogers concludes,  “Many years ago at a CES show I bought a Global Caché GC-100, and I still use it. With regard to control and automation, Global Caché had the vision, the needed products, and the patience. They paved the way for folks like us. I look forward innovating together with them on behalf of CIs and the channel, for years to come.”                               


  • Josh.ai focuses on security, functionality at CEDIA Expo

    CEDIA Expo brings out Josh.ai security chops

    DENVER – Josh.ai, the fast-growing choice for voice and AI in the custom
    channel, has introduced new features at CEDIA 2019 designed to protect end-client user data
    and enhance user security. New partner integrations, including Ketra, Comcast, and Samsung,
    continue to extend Josh.ai’s vision of a natural and elegant control experience in the home.

    “Our powerful intuitive interface and elegant experience have always been, and will continue to
    be, big selling points for Josh. With the rise of big tech AIs listening and gathering data, concern
    around data privacy has now become one of the biggest issues on clients’ minds. This has also
    become one of Josh’s greatest strengths, and a huge selling point for our integrators. Our
    continued focus on privacy, along with new exciting integrations and features, demonstrates our
    commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to the custom channel.” – CEO Josh.ai, Alex
    Capecelatro.

    Josh.ai Goes All-In With Data Privacy and User Security

    With its emphasis on local processing, Josh.ai has always been a company focused on a
    secure user experience. The company does not gather data for marketing purposes, and will
    never sell data to third-parties for advertising; all the data that Josh.ai gathers is used to make
    the user experience better. That said, users have the option to disable all data gathering and /
    or delete specific logs if they choose. Josh.ai has also announced new features around
    permissioning, allowing clients and integrators to specify more granular user roles throughout
    the Josh environment.

    New Josh Features – iOS TV Remote, Concise Mode

    Josh takes one more big step forward into AV control with the announcement of a TV remote
    built directly into the iPhone and iPad apps. Clients will now be able to control their TV via the
    Josh UI thanks to a new update with the Josh app. New TV features in the app, such as channel
    control and source selection, offer the client a natural and intuitive touch experience for control.

    Josh is also happy to announce a new feature called concise mode. When activated, Josh will
    respond with shorter (one-word) confirmations when controlling certain devices in the home. For
    example, if you’re in the living room and ask for the lights to go on, instead of the response,
    “Your living room lights are now on,” Josh will simply reply “Ok.”

    New AV Integrations & Features – Comcast, Samsung

    In addition to existing integrations such as Sony, Dish, and LG, Josh has partnered with
    Comcast and Samsung on new native control. The Comcast integration offers control of live TV
    using both voice and the Josh app. Clients can ask for channels by name or number, which,
    when combined with Josh’s ability to do compound commands, offers an unparalleled
    experience. For example, Josh clients with Comcast can now say, “OK Josh, stop the music,
    close the shades halfway, dim the lights, and watch ESPN.” Functionality also includes the
    ability to navigate the Comcast guide and menu, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, and select
    television content. Josh also now integrates with Samsung IP TVs, offering the ability to toggle
    power, control volume, and change sources.

    New Lighting Integration – Ketra

    Josh.ai is announcing native integration with Lutron’s innovative Ketra lighting system. In
    addition to on / off commands and adjusting brightness, clients will be able to adjust the color
    temperature and the hue of the lights via voice commands or the Josh app.

    Enhanced Integrations & Features – Crestron SIMPL Thermostats, Sonos Favorites

    Josh.ai has also released enhanced functionality with established partners. While Josh was
    already controlling Pyng/OS 3 thermostats, a new module now allows integrators to program
    Crestron thermostats into Josh via SIMPL as well. Additionally, Josh now auto-discovers and
    controls favorites from Sonos, making it easier than ever to voice command or tap to run your
    pre-defined playlists.

    Learn More About Josh at CEDIA 2019

    1. Visit Josh.ai at booth #4319
    2. Josh Manufacturer Training | Josh.ai – Integrating Voice Control for Luxury Projects |
      Wednesday, September 11th | 3-4:30pm | Room 4C | 0.75 CEU Credits
    3. CEDIA Training | Integrating Custom Voice Control for the Whole Home | Wednesday,
      September 11th | 10:30–12pm | Room 110 | 1.5 CEU Credits
    4. Panel Discussion | Smart Home for Good: Technology Benefits at Every Stage of Life |
      Thursday, September 12th | 1-2pm | Room 712
    5. CEDIA Tech Talk | Designing with Tech | Saturday, September 14th | 11:30-12pm |
      Smart Stage

  • HDTV offers drivers for Control4 dealers

    Control4 systems get one-way control

    Los Angeles, CA, — HDTV Supply, one of the nation’s top Internet providers of consumer electronics devices and related products, announced their new HDTV Supplys WolfPack™ Control4 Drivers are now available for WolfPack Modular Matrix Systems. HDTV Supply is pleased to announce that we have recently added Control4 RS232 Drivers to support our WolfPack™ family of Modular Matrix Systems that uses the RS232 port as the control method. The Control4 drivers will work with any Control4 hardware that supports OS version 2.51 and higher and is backwards compatible for about 3 to 4 years as most systems are now running OS 3.0.

    Most of HDTV Supplys modular matrix systems are controllable directly through a Control4 SR-250 handheld remote or their Touchpad. The equipment we used to write and test the one-way drivers were the Control4 EA-1 Controller and the Control4 SR-250 remote control. Talk to your Control4 installer about their free iOS/Android control app that essentially mimics the layout of the onscreen interface and higher-priced touch-pad controllers. If your Control4 control box is connected to your home network then you can launch the app, sign into your Control4 account and get all the system and automation control right there on your phone or tablet, from anywhere in the house for a fee. Setting up a Control4 system is usually not a DIY job and requires that you go through an authorized Control4 dealer so contact Control4 for one in your area.

    HDTV Supply has two different Control4 drivers, Basic and Advanced…

    Basic: The free Basic drivers control only the Ins and Outs of the matrix and is what most users buy. It does not give feedback to the controller of the command being accepted. It is switching control only. It is very simple, has been tested thoroughly with a Control4 C4-HC250 Automation Controller and our matrices operate flawlessly.

    Advanced: The optional Advanced drivers control not only operate the Ins and Outs of the matrix but gives feedback of the command being accepted to the controller as it is a 2-way driver. It does Input and Output switching with feedback, Save preset/scene (1-3) and Recall preset/scene (1-4). This is handy when buying our Modular Matrix Switchers with internal Video Walls processors.

    NOTE: Even though the one-way Control4 drivers are free they are licensed to each matrix order and must be ordered again when the matrix order is placed. You cannot get the free, or any, Control4 drivers without ordering a matrix system. We send you the drivers by an email attachment when the matrix switcher ships.

    Our 8-WolfPack Chassis have options to support:

    • 1080p, 4K/30, 4K/60 & Seamless Designs
    • Many with built-in Video Wall Processors
    • Cards with DIP switch scaling
    • HDMI input cards & output cards
    • HDBaseT input cards & output cards
    • HDBaseT POE Receivers
    • iOS/Android, IR Remote & WEB GUI Control
    • Front Panel Touch Screen or Buttons
    • Other cards, like SDI, VGA, Fiber, etc.
    • EDID management & RS232 port
    • Embedded audio in & out

    The Free One-Way Control4 Drivers for WolfPack Modular Matrix Systems with Lifetime Telephone, CHAT, TEXT, FAX & Email Tech Support and is available now and can be purchased at https://www.hdtvsupply.com/control4-drivers-for-wolfpack-modular-matrix-systems.html

  • RTI ships cornerstone handheld remote, T4x

    New remote from RTI hi-res screen, Wi-Fi, dual RF, security

    SHAKOPEE, Minn. — RTI, a leading control and automation manufacturer, today announced that its flagship T4x handheld remote control is now shipping. Perfectly suited for any contemporary environment, the controller’s sleek, sophisticated design offers superb ergonomics, a high-resolution 4-inch capacitive touchscreen, and fully programmable soft-touch buttons. Setting the standard for wireless control, the device is packed with advanced features including grip sensors, Wi-Fi, dual RF, and more.

    The second generation of RTI’s T4 remote control platform, the T4x features a smaller form factor than its predecessor. Completely customizable, the device’s vivid 4-inch touchscreen provides convenient swiping through pages and lists, while its 20 fully programmable soft-touch buttons deliver quick access to commonly used functions. The controller’s integrated grip sensors keep the device awake during use, while an accelerometer provides instant-on activation.

    The T4x features integrated 802.11b/g/n wireless Ethernet to enable viewing of MJPEG video, wireless program updates, enhanced two-way control, and more. The device offers RTI’s dual RF platform to support both 433-MHz RF for one-way control and 2.4-GHz ZigBee® for bi-directional communication with RTI processors and supported third-party electronics like music servers, lighting, and HVAC systems.

    “With its modern look and feel, the T4x is the perfect addition to today’s smart homes and offices,” said Ed McConaghay, CEO of RTI. “But the controller offers much more than an eye-catching design. Its advanced features and multiple wireless options allow integrators to provide the utmost control experience for their customers.”

    More information about RTI is available at www.rticorp.com.  

  • RTI unveils table and wall interfaces

    Touchpanels from RTI mounting options

    SHAKOPEE, Minn. — RTI, a global leader in control and automation, today announced that the company is now shipping its new KA8 and KA11 tabletop/wall-mounted touchpanels for simple, intuitive control over electronic systems in residential and commercial applications.

    The KA8 and KA11 combine vivid widescreen LCD displays with integrated capacitive touchscreens and a fast touch response and gesture control. The versatile touchpanels can be programmed in portrait or landscape mode, allowing horizontal or vertical on-wall mounting. At 11.6 inches, the KA11 features RTI’s largest touchpanel display to date, and offers full HD (1920×1080) resolution. Optimized for installations requiring less screen real estate, the KA8 is the company’s first 8-inch touchpanel and offers WXGA (1280×800) resolution.

    Featuring a sleek, edge-to-edge glass design, the RTI KA8 and KA11 are available with a white or black frame. The devices are easily wall-mounted using a standard dual-gang electrical box. The innovative design also allows the touchpanels to be mounted on a conference room table or a countertop using the accessory stand. Built-in Ethernet with PoE and dual-band Wi-Fi enable video from IP security cameras, enhanced two-way feedback, and remote programming updates.

    “RTI offers a wide range of touchpanel controllers to give our dealers the flexibility to meet the budget and installation requirements in their projects,” said RTI CEO Ed McConaghay. “Our new KA touchpanels offer the customization, sleek design, and innovative installation options that will make them a great addition to any project.”

    More information about RTI is available at www.rticorp.com.