Imagine
never having to remember to turn on your sprinklers or draw your blinds
again. Imagine living in a house that plays your favorite music on
request in any room. Imagine a house that turns on the lights in the
upstairs hall as you start up the stairs, gets your coffee started
before you wake up in the morning and lets you watch whichever movies
you want from any screen in the house – not just the one connected to
your living room television. Sounds like something out of “The Jetsons”,
doesn’t it? In fact, there are custom audio/video and home automation specialists that can create that dream smart home for you today.
Home Automation: Today’s Smart Home
Today’s
technology makes it possible to create a smart home, a home that senses
actions, events and conditions and responds to them using
pre-programmed commands. It allows for you to integrate all of your
entertainment systems, security system, home networking, climate control
and lighting systems so that you can control it all from one central
location. Using custom audio/video and home automation, you can design a
program for your home that includes adjusting the thermostat based on
time, temperature and occupancy, creating specific moods with lighting
at various times of day and allowing access to network resources. Here
are just a few of the many scenarios you can create using a full home
automation technology that includes all of your electrical systems.
Got
a no video games or online chatting until after dinner rule for your
kids? Program your home networking system to block online access in the
kids’ rooms until after dinner.
Cut
down on your energy usage with automation. Programmable thermostats are
common now, but home integration lets you take that even further. For
example, you can design a system that opens and closes blinds and
windows when temperatures reach a certain level to take advantage of
sunny days or block the rays when you’re trying to keep things cool.
Combine
lighting sensors, motion sensors and time schedules to turn lights on
when they’re needed and off when they’re not. You can even set up lighting
profiles to suit your moods and needs and call them up with the touch
of a button or a voice command. Shut down all the lights in the house
from one switch at bedtime, bring up the task lighting for cooking in
the kitchen
or dim all the lights and turn on the music for a romantic evening in
the living room – all with a single touch to an LED touchpad.
If
you’re building a new home, consult a pre-wire/wiring specialist to set
up your home for custom audio/video and home automation support. For
older homes, consult a custom audio/video and home automation expert to
find out what’s possible and bring your home into the 21st century.
