Control4
Introduction
Control4 is one of a new breed of entertainment and control systems which uses a standard computer network as its backbone.
This makes the Control4 system reliable and enables it to communicate with many different devices around your home and to the Internet. It also makes the system quick to program and easy to update.
Simple to Use
Whilst Control4 is technically sophisticated the product has been designed from the ground up to be the most simple to use. Some people complain that multi-room products are difficult to use - this is most certainly not the case with Control4.
Pressing the red 'Control 4' button on the stylish remote control brings up a simple menu on your TV screen. From here you can choose Music, TV or videos. Anyone who has ever used a menu on a DVD will feel instantly at home. Choose your selection from the menu and Control4 handles the rest. Your remote then works just as you would expect it to.
The remote includes the all important Red, Green, Yellow and Blue buttons essential for controlling Sky - you'd be amazed how many whole house systems don't include this feature.
Elegant Touchpanels
In rooms with TVs the remote is the most natural way to control the system. However you are unlikely to have a TV in every room. For these situations Control 4 have an elegant 7" touchpanel. The panel's size is large enough to make it easy to use, yet not too big to dominate the decor. The touchpanel allows you to easily choose music from your collection either by artist or album with full cover art display.
The logos of your favourite radio stations can be displayed making it simple to choose the music you want to listen to in every room.
iPods galore
Control4 can easily play all of the music you have downloaded from the iTunes store. You can browse and playback music stored on an iPod around your home. You can even list your music on the Control4 remote.
More than entertainment
Control4 is more than just an entertainment system. It can interface with many different lighting control systems, control your heating and cooling systems and connect to online services. It can also automate many aspects of your home if required.
Lighting Control
Control4 has its own lighting control system and can also interface to other lighting control systems such as Lutron, Clipsal and Rako. This allows you to control the lighting throughout your home and set lighting scenes for different occasions and moods. Lights can be controlled from dedicated switches, the touchpanels and even the remote controls. Lighting control is green and helps reduce electricity costs and extends the life of your lamps.
Heating Control
Using Control 4's thermostats you can control the heating or cooling throughout your home. Heating can be controlled in various zones meaning you do not heat unnecessary areas. This green feature also saves on energy costs. Again complete control of your heating and schedules is available from your touchpanels or TV screen.
Access Control
Control4 can link to your door entry system to pop up images from your CCTV cameras on your touch screens or TVs. This allows you to see who's at the door without a separate door entry panel on your wall. If you are lucky enough to have a holiday home you can even keep an eye on that too.
Online Services
As an Internet connected system Control4 allows you to access the Rhapsody music on-demand service. For $15 per month you have unlimited access to all the music you will ever need for instant playback. Control4 can also display the latest weather and news on your TV and touch panels.
Useful Intelligence
No-one wants to live in a machine but with Control4 your home can become more intelligent. Setting your alarm via Control 4 allows you to gently wake up to your favourite music with the lights gently fading up. Control4 will also ensure that your heating always comes on an hour before your alarm goes off so you never have to get up in the cold.
Total reliability
Now on their second and third generation of products Control4 has made great strides forward since its initial launch four years ago. These new products offer many enhanced abilities and increased speed. In our extensive experience with Control 4 we have found it to be more reliable than other comparable systems on the market.
As your dealer we can monitor your system online and some upgrades can be undertaken without even having to visit your home.
Grows with your needs
Control4 is designed to expand with your needs. Many of the additional features do not need to be installed from 'day one'. Control4 are rapidly providing new features to the system most of which are free and require little or no reprogramming.
Control4 In the Press
Read the Financial Times article on Control4 featuring a US installation.
