urc total control vs control4

Its also possible to control any of these smart home systems by voice alone. This is not least because Control4 offers a wide selection of compatible smart products for the likes of home cinemas and media rooms. These include but are not limited to: Our own London-based team includes URC systems integration professionals authorised to install and program Total Control 2.0 on behalf of clients who reside in the UK. Which brings us to Elan. View our dimmers, switches, modules, and more. Driving my existing house-wide audio system fell to URCs HDA-8100 multi-zone amplifier. Our programming library is so extensive that we can whip up awesome programming in the same or less amount of time as all the lesser alternatives. Because we are looking at bringing in a less expensive options, Elan would be the only one here that would be MORE expensive than Crestron. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. These products work together to form the technology ecosystem of your custom-programmed smart home or business. It is subjective to the people selling it, installing it, programming it, and ultimately, using it. The new module enables users to control their BluOS-enabled devices via URC Total Control or Total Control Flex automation . Control4 has a built in media player but for music only. Is it viable as a solution versus Control4? After a visit from my local URC rep, we started chatting about Total Control and how it might fit into our business model. All control relies on 2-way navigation on the screen itself. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I used to hate the remote control, but I got used to it. Wait, a touch screen remote is better than one with buttons for Home Theaters? I've been using Crestron and URC. Programming complexity? Also you can use the alarm system to drive many events based on occupancy. While the system doesnt have any built-in streaming services, it works with a variety of popular hardware solutions such as Fusion, HEOS, Sonos, and Autonomic, allowing you (the integrator) to use your preferred solution. Clare Controls is the newest company and is doing some interesting stuff. You can consent to all cookies by clicking "Accept All" or click "Cookie Preferences" to choose which Cookies to allow. Oh, that and the incredibly cheap feeling of their lighting and keypad devices. If you would like a Sonos-like setup where you can play multiple music steams in different rooms of your home at the same time, rest assured that Control4, Crestron and URC all enable this. The driver allows viewing of video only. I have lived with, in my personal home, C4, Crestron, RTI and URC. Search the forum for more info. We evaluated systems from Control4, URC Total Control, RTI, Savant, Clare Controls and Elan. October 29, 2020 . Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one. These cookies do not store any personal information. Not bad if you are using an LED TV, but think about those of us with video projectors that take a minute or more to start up. Alternatively, use the MediaSwitcher software available for PC, Linux and Mac. Lets go through how you turn on the Bluray player. When it comes to SMART home or SMART offices, we provide you with various solutions but the main brain will be by URC.URC control comes with various remote c. I am in the process of selecting a controller. Never has been and never will be. It would be nice to be allowed a littlecustomization ofthe GUI but I understand the goal of the company - consistency. Savant have a polished eco system which relies heavily on Apple devices - the user experience is tight and fluid. Our group of technicians are experienced in troubleshooting, design, and creative automation solutions. It also directly integrates with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant for voice control (Apple HomeKit integration is on the way; please stay tuned). Total Control from URC sounds good but the MX5000 and MX6000 have been buggy so I'm not sure how about the new line at all. Ive added them to our portfolio, since were mainly doing home cinema setups, and people prefer to have a (touch)remote controlling them. Beyond providing more real estate for displaying information such as a three-day weather forecast and a scrolling list of info in the lower corner such as the current weather and sunrise and sunset times, the touchscreen (and Mobile app) also provides a quick glimpse into what each room is doing, such as if the room is on, what is playing, and if it is linked to another room. 0203 865 6433 . One of the most popular capabilities in smart home systems is Whole House Music -- the ability to play different streams of music throughout a house in any particular grouping. I am leaning towards the ISY994iZW Pro. URC can save data about the events in your home to IFTTT's daily or weekly email digest. You have obviously not been into home audio or done any research into swan hivi speakers and drivers well, i know a little about it, just took this pic in. is probably the nearest alternative. Generally, if you strive for a multifunctional, world-class entertainment system that will make your friends envious, Control4 is likely to be the best fit. . And after watching Shawn and Lee make changes, as well as spending several hours poking around and making tweaks and changes on my own, I have a pretty good understanding of how Accelerator programming works, but Ive no doubt Im just scratching the surface of what my Total Control system is truly capable of, and would not yet feel confident jumping into a new system in a clients home. URC Launches Certified Voice Control Integration with Comcast Xfinity. In my opinion URC has the largest set of IR codes for TVs and etc. The MC3 processor with an in-built wireless gateway compatible with Crestron remotes, lights, thermostats, door locks, and shades runs $1600. 9 of 10. Even though there is an Express Lite limited version of the software and some hardware available through URCs distribution partners for more basic installations, this still requires certification before being able to order it and access/unlock the software. It also offers voice control via both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. URC vs. RTI vs. Control4 vs. AMX vs. Savant. Monitor the system remotely with offsite service and support. It's annoying to program, it's costly, and it's a pain in the ass to use. On-site visit only for hardware installation. Very low battery consumption and it does what it is supposed to do. Tags Automation Review Total Control URC. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Its dim, low res and tiny. At least we have options for paid drivers.. so that is not too bad. Hey, careful man, there's a beverage here! Your smart home could comprise a staggeringly wide range of devices and appliances from, Have any questions about Crestron, Control4 or URC not addressed in this article? Instead of reaching for one remote to turn on your TV . 1 comment. No one invests as much time and resources into 3rd party device support as Control4 does. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These would be comparable with URC's Total Control line which is their step-up product from their one-way models in their Complete Control line-up. Total Control far out does any system available for it's market. Featuring attractive user interfaces that raise visual interest, consistently rock-solid performance, and seamless third-party integration, Total Control empowers you to do more in less time. Prior to the Triad acquisition, Control4 only offered a 1616 audio matrix. For example, a Control4 EA controller can also automate the entire AV setup in a room and make it easy to control all your audio equipment. What defines your levels? The smart-home manufacturer overtook longtime leader Crestron for the first time in 2015 and continues gaining market share (or at least mind share) among this group of highest-revenue specialists. Little bit of background. Account Required. URC software works only on PCs, not Mac products. Through these partnerships, we have co-developed drivers that will allow integration professionals to easily enable control of Russound . I was tired of the endless tweaking on programming and the time it took to program the whole thing and then to download to almost all devices once the programming was changed. That doesn't make any sense. One thing Rti lacks in is support (in the UK at least)not scared to say it, control4 support and Technical is a god send. Sony PlayStation 3 Advanced Control Roundup, Universal Remote Control Inc. Digital R50. If there's one thing I've learned after talking to countless installers from every part of the country using every control system under the sun, it's that there is no perfect solution. Also, can dealers provide you the software (or is it available elsewhere?) Log-In or Register to view pricing. JavaScript is disabled. While some large companies have the luxury of supporting multiple control brands, most of us will only be able to support one, and going in on that means going all in. Technically it is, but you dont do it because of personal bad experience. . First, a homeowner can easily add and edit a list of favorite channels. It really helps with pressing direction buttons rapidly, etc. First, I'll make sure it's understood that I am a big fan of C4, have been for years. I know were in a C4-forum and people hererate it more as a plus, but especially for homecinemas, im still struggling with the limited customizeability of C4. This Siri Voice Module Driver Integrate Devices which are configured in Control4 with HomeKit, So you can control all Control4 devices via . On 10/25/2020 at 6:39 PM, Matt Lowe said: 5 minutes ago, Khler Medientechnik said: 7 minutes ago, Khler Medientechnik said: This thread is quite old. This is the place for all your smart home product. URC described Flex as being similar to programming URC MX-3000 touchpanels from back in the day. Back in 2010, URC branched out beyond the one-room Complete Control system and into a whole-house solution called Total Control. C4 apologists will say, but you can assign your favorite source to the Watch or Listen buttons. I have a Neeo in my theater and I can dowhat I want without looking at the remote as well. Personally I hate urc. For this, I find the combination touchscreen and hard button remote like Neeo is better, although Neeo needs backlit buttons badly. Update my browser now, Home Second, the programming is really not faster than with Crestron, so expensive remotes wipe out any pricing advantage it may have, especially in larger systems. Here are just a few features you can expect from a Crestron smart home system set up in your London abode. If youve ever poked around URCs database, youll know it is packed with thousands of IR drivers supporting a huge array of equipment going back many years. Siri Voice Assistant is available on iPhone, iPad, Home Pod & apple watch. After a few months of living with the system and working with Accelerator, Im not too proud to say I needed the training. OP no you can't get composer pro but you can do most programming in HE. You have an intuitive mapping of functionality to the hardbuttons plus you have the ability to display additional information and added touchbuttons for additional functionality for which you wouldnt find a suitable hardbutton. When we started our company in 1995, we dabbled in Crestron for a few years, then shifted to ELAN, then moved to Control4 around 2010 (which were still supporting). One of the things URC is most known for is handheld remote controls; I mean, its literally right there in the name. Thanks to our development partnerships, you can now access the legendary performance of Russound's high performance audio products through industry-leading control systems such as Control4, URC, RTI and more. Wait, a touch screen remote is better than one with buttons for Home Theaters? Crestron offers various colour options for smart lights, while theres a Control4 lighting keypad with a built-in ambient light sensor. 2023 KINETIQ smart. We can live without either Sonos or Nest, but not both. It is worth noting that using this functionality requires connecting devices to an AVB-compliant switch, such as URCs HDASW5. you might be surprised at what you learn there from other dealers.Make friends have a few drinks, ask questions. It is nice of get home tired from work and have the system working flawlessly. Is it attractive enough to make me consider it? Savant Pro Remote X2. About this app. I like the possibility to let the customer customize the system using HE. 2. Of course, any system we choose has to adhere to our Home Automation System Bill of Rights. Designed to control up to 32 zones . Both companies swear by those systems. There is also security system integration support for HAI, Honeywell, DSC, and HouseLogix, along with multiple IP cameras and NVRs. Maybe they're just already really good at what they do and they don't need improvements, but IMHO, they needed something new and big and exciting to drive trafficat the show. The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com: This thread has 37 replies. https://www.urc-automation.com; 800-901-0800, Kudos: Offers all of the programming flexibility URC is known for; Voice Remote is a great touch; lots of integration solutions, Concerns: Like any control system, performance tied to the programming. Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps. It's also Control4's greatest strength for whole home automation setups. A lot of people slate control4 and say Rti is better purely down to the fact that Rti can be fully customised, yes there is a place for Rti in the whole CI Realm, both systems have their weaknesses and strengths. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Log-In or Register to view pricing. The baby $299 TRC-780 has a horrible LCD screen. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Press J to jump to the feed. Crestron systems havent tended to offer the same breadth of native support, though they can be integrated with third-party streaming solutions. With this driver I could browse my movie collection by cover art or list, search for a specific film, see synopsis of the movies along with rating, run time, and actors, or select and jump to Kaleidescapes pre-bookmarked scenes, which was great for finding and queueing content before selecting it. Want to do the same thing with control4 = login remotely fromthe comfort of anywhere with an internet connection. If you are looking to bring in a new control system or make a change from your current provider, Total Controls feature set certainly makes it worthy of your consideration. Here at Synergy Multimedia, we are constantly evaluating the latest trends in home automation. Your mileage may vary I guess. And of course im totally fine with that. I used to have an RTI system in my house, and I have to agree it was much more customizable, but that also complicated the design of the user interface. For programmers that like living fully outside the sandbox and getting into full and total customization, URC also offers a version of its software called Flex. This wasnt life-changing, but it was a very welcome bit of added cool that took zero programming or effort on my part to implement. It's just a different class of product. While serviceable, it was frequently overkill for most audio distribution projects. Given that both C4 and URC TC are probably more than capable of your system size and complexity, the integrator will be the key difference. God forbid we get Yuengling in Ky, we just got Oberon last year and I have a small collection of little kegs (empty now) around my deck, Some people are so used to special treatment--that equal treatment is considered discrimination..Thomas Sowell. With Total Control, URC demonstrates its ability to offer far more than just the one-room solution of its CCP line; it brings full control and automation, and the ability to integrate with a variety of popular sub-systems like Lutron lighting and Sonos audio. Important - this feature is only available for systems that have been registered for URC's Offsite Programming service. On to the next system. I would probably recommend Logitech Harmony ;). There are also remote controls that have LCD interfaces to add media server integration, and even provide you with weather updates or RSS feed notifications. Of course, the remotes big trick is its built-in microphone with Amazon Alexa integration. I only mention this because I understand why URC, C4, and others do not want to provide software to general end-users but hopefully people with reasonable programming experience should hopefully be allowed to DIY. This decision establishes and potentially differentiates your company in the local market, and determines to some extent the kinds of projects youll install, the sub-systems it can interface with, and the complexity and customization of the programming. Control4's (and Crestron's) dip in 2014 was largely due to the establishment of URC in the whole-home automation category in 2013, after years of being known for its namesake universal remote controls. Swipe, tap and rotate your way to securely control your equipment! If you ask nearly any 3rd party who was first to integrate with them via IP drivers, it's invariably Control4. C4 has some well-priced options and they have an extensive list of compatible 3rd party devices. I'm quite biased, as I'm sure you would guess. Also, with years of URCs CCP programming under my belt, I was pretty confident I could figure out Total Controls Accelerator and muddle my way through. Explore the latest products to automate, secure, and monitor your home. In the right hands, programming is fast and incredibly customizable and looks and operates great. In this area, Savant is improving, but Control4 definitely has the upper hand. The rechargeable remote control does not experience these lag times, but is expensive ($300 was our quoted replacement cost) Pricing. RTI wants to charge you for EACH one of these devices. home.. All Rights Reserved. For comparison, our Crestron systems generally start at about $2000 for a control processor, remote control and iOS or Android control, plus programming, so initially we thought perhaps we may find something that would fit our clients needs. If you have never previously used a home automation platform for controlling more than a few devices, we would certainly encourage you to look at Control4, as its user interface has been exhaustively stripped down to make it easy and simple to use. I do ALL of our programming and have been a Crestron certified programmer since 2003, so we NEVER outsource any bit of our installation. The HDA-8100 is an 88 matrix amplifier featuring 16 100-watt/channel ICEpower amplifiers capable of powering eight stereo zones, 16 mono zones, or any combination with the ability to route any of the eight RCA analog audio inputs and two coaxial digital inputs to any zone. All rights reserved. For someone wanting to switch, that is a hefty price but you will likely not look back. What is Designer-Friendly AV and Automation? Total Control from URC sounds good but the MX5000 and MX6000 have been buggy so I'm not sure how about the new line at all. With this you can easily do about anything that you can with a normal Alexa device, including setting timers and playing music from the remotes built-in speaker. Account Required. And, to truly get the most out of Accelerator and therefore your Total Control projects and installations I daresay you need the training, too. The Neeo has that in general, but it doesnt have enough hardbuttons. Custom Installers' Lounge Forum - View Post. Paste as plain text instead, Atlanta, GA 30324, T: 678.679.3406 The Total Control 2.0 suite includes wall-mounted touch-screens, tabletop tablets, remotes and iOS/Android apps for control from anywhere. I need to be able to negotiate them with touch alone. Reply. And URC has a very powerful MCS remote accessing tool where you can check on the status of projects, upload programming changes, check system health and history, force a reboot, and more. More Reviews: Savant Smart Series WiSA Surround System. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We figured wed give it another shot with the most current programming software and firmware. Sony PlayStation 3 Advanced Control Roundup, Universal Remote Control Inc. Digital R50. By . We eventually got used to it, but it is something to be aware of if it is going to be installed in a lived-in area of the home. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Showroom (By Appointment Only)8097 Roswell Rd, Building ASandy Springs, GA 30350, T: 678.679.3406 Many companies now require some formal training before you are authorized to sell their product, followed by many more days/weeks/months of practical, on-the-job training as programmers learn the subtle nuances and tricks of a given programming software. Control4 has since added the AMS-8 audio matrix switch and AMP-8 8-zone power amplifier to its line, which are reviewed here. This more advanced control thing is not for them. Have any questions about Crestron, Control4 or URC not addressed in this article? Featuring attractive user interfaces that raise visual interest, consistently rock-solid . Vie od 20 godina emociju i pozitivnu energiju koju donosi muzika unosimo u Vae domove i poslovne prostore. Now I use alot of basic URC remotes as well for basic systems, My list is far longer with URC(non warrantied, and wasn't really worth my time for the price of the remotes, and my aggravation with tech support (pretty much useless) I will keep using them on basic system, but thats it. For these reasons, choosing a control system partner is almost like getting married; you go in planning for the long haul, and if you decide to get out, it can be painful and expensive. We use their remotes in our Crestron systems because they are bulletproof and have historically provided better value than Crestrons own remotes until recently. So, here we go. let me be clear not hating on anything, just stating my own opinion. The Achilles heel of TRC is two-fold: Their multi-zone audio equipment is not cheap ($2200 for a 6-powered/2-unpowered zone amplifier) and due to limited input capabilities aside from the proprietary network audio sources sold from URC, its not capacious enough for the vast majority of our systems. Control4 Home Automation . We actually bought a demo system and it was so unworkable a few years ago, we put it aside. RA3 comes with Lutron's LEAP API which embeds system programming directly in the top control brands' design software, saving hours of programming time. I prefer a combination of touchpanel and hardbuttons. When you get into shade control, integrated door locks, & lighting, it's probably time to step up to Control4. The amp also features two 12-volt triggers and two sets of assignable RCA pre-outs that are great for feeding a local home theater zone or driving a powered subwoofer in a zone. While I didnt utilize the AVB functionality, it can be really beneficial for linking remote zones, or for being able to get remote sources like TV audio back into the system for distribution. Create fully-customized, highly intuitive user experiences across all your devices. Thats 5 button presses navigating via a tiny screen that will confuse the old and young alike just to turn on the tv to BluRay and we havent even begun to navigate the BluRay interface itself on the TV (counter intuitively using the same buttons that operate the text menu on the remote itself. Every platform has them. It has a 1.5" touchscreen, which is smaller than the others, but it can control up to 48 devices and has four color-coded buttons for quick . This isn't an overnight decision as you'll have to invest plenty of money and time so do your research. Read our full Amazon Echo (3rd Generation) review. I have been an integrator for over 10 years. Displaying posts 31 through 38. 2023 Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. HE gives limited programing capability, but that is better than URC which I believe doesnt give you any software unless your dealer is just in a really good mood. Connect RS-232 device using URC's proprietary RS-232 cables.