Hands-on with Control4 home automation

One day we'll all be taking home automation for granted when every new house on the market includes built-in support for controlling our fireplaces via our watch phones, but until that glorious future arrives the home automation noob has a dizzying array of choices to contend with. We checked out what Control4 has to offer in the way of centralized command over your media, home theater, lights, security system and temperature and found fairly clean, easy to use interfaces coupled with an array of choices for central control and storage depending on the scope of your needs, all compliant with the lovably-named ZigBee wireless standard. Hit the gallery for an overview of Control4 devices and configurations including their Home Controller HC-300 we heard about earlier this year.

Gallery: Hands-on with Control4 home automation

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[willmyC4everwork @ Mar 26th 2008 3:32PM]

Careful when considering investing in home automation. In late 2005, I had $27,000 worth of Control4 home automation installed in my dream home to help my disabled family members (four story home) and in order to manage my home whether I was home or away. My installer is a "gold" certified dealer, I'm not sure what the issues are, but my system does not work, never has worked for more than 1 month at a time (except once for four straight exciting months only to crash again, as usual) consistently. I have had to replace equipment over and over and now that the warranty on those pieces of equipment is over, my installer has "fired me" and I have no where to turn to fix his crack job of installation. Control4 does not stand behind their products and does not care about all the poor press they receive. They seem to just concentrate on their success stories--where smaller installations are successful. Anyone that knows of a replacement system I could consider, I would love to hear about any brands that could be easily integrated and would utilize the wiring and pre-construction work I had done? I am just at my rope's end and have a system that does not fully function and don't know where to turn other than the courts! Thanks in advance.

[StrangeBum @ Jan 9th 2008 1:45PM]

I'm wondering if I should get into one of these systems or not. It seems like it would be a lot of trouble getting an older home fitted for everything, especially since I want to flush my toilet with the push of a button too.

[biomi @ Jan 9th 2008 4:22PM]

I want that little door.

[bsanford @ Jan 9th 2008 6:57PM]

I've had my Control4 system for three years now, one of the main features is that it good for retro fit situations.

[waynechi @ Jan 11th 2008 3:19PM]

Ive got one too. Its pretty sweet and you can keep expanding / upgrading. You can control the whole house / multiple rooms from one of those little handheld remotes - although the touchscreens look cooler you end up using the handheld more often

[bsanf3 @ Jan 15th 2008 9:48PM]

I'm hoping to get a 10.5 wallmount and a 10.5 touchscreen. I'm also waiting on the 7in touch screen to come out.

[bsanford @ Jan 9th 2008 6:57PM]

I've had my Control4 system for three years now, one of the main features is that it good for retro fit situations.

[Derek @ Jan 11th 2008 2:45PM]

I should mention that Control4 makes most, if not all, of their stuff in the USA. Utah, to be specific.

There's a lot more where that came from, believe me.

[BWR @ Mar 4th 2008 10:42AM]

Derek,

C4 is great stuff, but it is all made off shore. Engineered here, but manufactured in China and India. This should not detract from C4, so is every one else. Just didn't want rumors started that were not ture.

Thanks for the post