Home Automation

The technology behind today's Home Automation systems can not only protect you from burglary and monitor your home for fire, poisonous gasses, freezing water, flooding and many other problems; but can now offer the ability to wholly integrate your entire lifestyle. These systems can provide complete control of literally any part of your home, from anywhere on the globe. Using your cellular phone, PDA, or computer, you can have complete control over literally anything with an electronic circuit inside your home. Imagine taking a late night flight home after a long week and with a single phone call, you've turned up the temperature in the house, and the hot tub; the driveway lights come on lighting the way home, and The Very Best of Frank Sinatra quietly plays in the background on the whole-house audio system.

Of course, to a homeowner who already has an integrated home, these are just the basics. Imagine having the ability to show family photos on your plasma television, as if they we're paintings on a wall, seamlessly changing with the music, ambiance, or however else you choose. Imagine a computer system so powerful, that it contains the ability to store and catalog your entire music collection; and allow you to search through it by the album cover, lyrics, title, track number, or any other of a multitude of options. A system so sophisticated that it can simultaneously stream different movies to any number of televisions throughout your home, all while the kids listen to their MP3 player in the den, and you catch the latest market recap as its being scrolled across the bottom of your television screen. Now imagine doing it all with the press of a button.

The entire concept behind 'automation', is to create a simpler, more tailored lifestyle; and to eliminate the monotonous steps of your daily life. Imagine for a minute, that you've just came home from a long day at work, picked the children up from practice after the grocery shopping, and are pulling into the driveway.

Here is where an automated home really stands out from the crowd.
As the vehicle enters your driveway, the lights automatically turn on showing the path home. As you press the garage door opener, additional lights come on in the garage, ensuring that you don't step on little Jimmy's tricycle that he forgot to put away. As the kids are running about, and with your hands full of groceries, you approach the back door, and start to worry about dropping those new cans of soup as you fumble for the keys to the door. You then realize that since your home is automated, you don't need the keys to unlock the door anymore, and neither do your children. As you set foot on the stair by the door, the proximity sensor in the alarm keypad, reads the identifying computer chip on your key ring, and without you pressing a button, disarms the security system, unlocks the door, and realizes that since its 7:45pm and probably dark inside, the lights should turn on, and they do. All without you lifting a finger.

Of course this is just the simplest form of what is possible with an integrated Home Automation System. Imagine, watching your favorite movie surrounded by 7-channels of theatre quality Digital Surround Sound, and being immersed in the most fully detailed, rich, lifelike video footage imaginable on your High-Definition television. Just a few short years ago, everything here wouldn't have even been possible, and if it was, would have required numerous remote controls, complicated 'macro's', and most likely hours of frustration trying to figure out how to make it all work. Imagine the ability to simply insert a DVD, and no matter if you're watching the video camera on your front door, or the FOX News Channel, having the ability to press one button, 'DVD', and have all of your electronic equipment automatically re-adjust itself to give you the optimum DVD experience. Now imagine doing all of this without a universal remote control filled with complex 'macro's', which may not work if you don't keep the remote control pointed at the stereo equipment. With the Niles Intellicontrol, and Phillips Pronto-series remote controls, all of this is possible, and easier than ever before.

Of course, this is literally just the beginning of what's possible. Give us a call and talk with one of our highly-trained Home Automation experts about the possibilities in your home. Or better yet, ask for a free in-home consultation, and see for yourself what the 21st Century Automated Home is capable of!