You’ve probably heard people say. “I’m not going to waste my money on home automation. I hear there’s new products being developed and I’m going to wait for them to come out before I buy. Why should I buy technology that’s going to be out of date soon?”

They probably think they’re being smart consumers, but there are a lot of reasons this is the wrong choice. It might be true if you were buying some of the earliest, cheapest kinds of home automation (like the ones that use the wiring in your house to carry the signal). But when you look at a true whole home automation system from one of the top manufacturers, there has never been a better time to buy.Here are some of the reasons you should be making the move right now:

Prices have already come down

Because of competition in the industry and the huge growth in the number of customers, home automation has never been so affordable. The price of a whole home system has come down dramatically in only the last few years. But it has hit a plateau that manufacturers can’t go below without compromising on quality. You can be confident that the price you pay now will be the same price you would pay in a couple of years.

Home Automation has caught up with your technology

Do you have a refrigerator that writes your grocery list, or fully motorized kitchen drawers? Probably not, and you probably have no plans to get them for many years. The current generation of home automation is perfectly suited to the life you are living right now – controlling security, adjusting climate control, giving you smart phone control of your house from off site, controlling all aspects of home entertainment. This is the real world that you live in, and home automation is ready to safely reliably and affordably control everything you use now and everything you will be using in the near future.

Quality home automation products are incredibly Future Friendly

Today’s home automation products are not like the old fashioned on-off switches of the first generation controllers. What you are purchasing is a system that is driven by highly sophisticated software and firmware. The same way you upgrade the operating system in your pad, laptop or smartphone, your home automation system is ready to be upgraded for whatever the future will bring. Top companies like Crestron and AMX produce technology that is unmatched in its ability to adapt to new devices and new uses. There are ten year old Crestron Series 2 controllers operating devices that didn’t even exist when Crestron built the controller. That’s what future forward technology does for you, It makes your home automation system a long-term investment, not an expense.

Money has never been so cheap

Many home owners take the option of financing their home automation system, often on a home equity line of credit. We are enjoying some of the lowest interest rates in history. Wise consumers know this is a great opportunity to make a purchase that will enhance their lifestyle for years to come and to pay for it as they use it with almost no interest.

There is never a wrong time to help the environment

We are all conscious of the environmental cost of generating electricity and heating our homes. Home automation is environmentally responsible. It is not just “greenwashing.” You will use less electricity and less fuel when your home is automated. That’s a fact. Why would you wait to show that kind of positive example to your children?

What price do you put on your family’s safety?

Most people now know the enhanced benefits to security that home automation provides. The ability to automatically alert the authorities, whether you’re home or not: Automated lighting that gives all your family members more comfort: State of the art glass break and motion sensing alarms that protect you 24/7. Do you want to wait until the security of your home has been violated, or do you want to be proactive and use all the technology available to make sure your possessions, and more important, your loved ones. are as safe as they can be?

If you wait for the latest model, you’ll never own anything

If people waited until technology was perfect, no-one would have ever bought a car or a television. Technology doesn’t need to be perfect to be good value. Instead, you should ask these questions. Is the technology proven? Is it at a fair price? Will I get years of service from it? If technology changes, will this change and adapt along with it? Home automation technology passes all these tests with flying colours. There has never been a better time to give yourself the electronic lifestyle you’ve dreamed of.

The next step is to chose the right partner to make your wish list into a check list. The experts at OneTouch Automation are ready to help. Let us design and install a whole home system that perfectly suits your needs and your budget. Call us today.

Last week we had a look at a room that is often neglected when it comes to home automation, the kitchen. This week, we’re going to move on to a different space that doesn’t always get the automation it deserves – the bedroom.

Home automation exists to enhance different parts of your lifestyle – security, convenience, entertainment, assisted living, safety, energy efficiency, and lets not forget, fun.

There is an opportunity to take advantage of all of these in an automated bedroom. Let’s take a look at few ways that a modern well-designed system can make your life better.

 Privacy and Security

These are two of the most obvious. Motorized window coverings should now be considered standard equipment in the bedroom of any quality home. When you choose a top of the line product like Crestron, you can order double shades. The daytime shade will preserve your privacy while allowing a view of the outside. Put down the blackout blind and night, and you will have total privacy and no street lights or passing headlights to disturb your sleep.

You will also want to make the bedroom part of your housewide security system. Prowlers come around when you’re asleep. A bedroom, especially a ground floor bedroom, should be protected with window break alarms, and lights with motion detectors outside the windows. Make sure one of your security cameras captures the area outside the bedroom too.

 Lighting

In our stressful world, the bedroom should be an oasis of calm. Indirect dimmable LED lights are not only energy efficient, they also enhance the décor of any bedroom. By adding the lights to your home automation system, you can use the touch of a button at your bedside to turn on the lights anywhere in the house. This is especially good if you have to check on a crying baby or find out what that noise is downstairs.

 Music

Music in the bedroom is overlooked, but should be a part of the system. Whether you use the bedroom as a computer room, a refuge to read in or a place to relax and have a nap, your choice of background music can help. Or, you can hear the latest weather report in the morning as you get ready for your busy day. All the music selections can be easily controlled from your bedside touch panel or from an I-device.

 Entertainment

Another item that has become standard equipment in most bedrooms is a flat screen TV. You could just have a cable signal, but why stop there? In a fully automated home, you can have access to the internet, Netflix, cable and satellite. Why not add a wireless keyboard and surf the internet from your bed on the giant screen? Use your bedside touch screen and you can call up any film that is on your media server. Start watching a movie in the living room and finish watching it in bed. Access all your favourite sports channels. The sky is the limit. You can even put the TV sound through the ceiling speakers for a theatre experience in your own bed.

 Fun

The home automation business is always coming up with new devices. There are many that make for fun additions to a bedroom system. How about a robot vacuum cleaner that is programmed to come out every morning after you leave for work and clean the floor? How about using the touch panel to turn on in-floor heaters in the en-suite bathroom before you get there? You’ll never feel cold tiles on your feet again. What about window coverings that react automatically to sunlight, so that even if you aren’t there they will still close and protect your valuable furniture and floors from sun damage. What about a skylight over your bed with a motorized blackout shade? Sleep under the stars when you want, or keep it closed for perfect privacy.

The possibilities are endless and are limited only by your imagination and the skill and knowledge of your home automation integrator. At OneTouch Automation, our designers and programmers carry the highest level of certification in the industry. Offering only the best products from companies like Crestron, AMX, Pakedge, Tannoy and Kaleidescape, our mission is to provide you with systems that are ahead of the curve and ready to provide years of trouble-free system. Our designs are flexible, adaptable and future-friendly.

Call OneTouch Automation today for a no-charge consultation with one of our Home Automation experts.

Sometimes the most critical parts of a system are the ones you’ll never see. When you’re talking about home automation, the technology that drives your internet access is one of those components. If you want the best performance, you need the best technology. That is why OneTouch Automation is proud to announce that they have been appointed as a dealer for Pakedge products.

 You may not recognize the name Pakedge, but you will definitely notice the performance.  Your home data system is driven by wireless access points, routers and switchers. That is what Pakedge does, and for home automation they do it better than anyone else. A lot of your home automation experience is a result of the quality of these components. From wireless laptops and tablets to high definition video, the signals you use every day are carried by this technology. Many homeowners also count on this for their phone service and off-site access to their security video. You don’t want to take a chance with a component this important. That why you want Pakedge on your side.

 The Pakedge story shows how quickly the best product can rise to the top. Starting from humble beginnings in a garage in Menlo Park California in 2003, Pakedge has continued to develop products that are specifically geared to peak performance in home automation. They have grown to become the product of choice for discriminating homeowners. Not only that, Pakedge has formed alliances with other top quality suppliers to make sure that their technology integrates seamlessly and easily into your system. Companies like Crestron, Kaleidescape and Request are proud to make their products Pakedge-compatible.

 Why would you want this premium product? Lots of reasons:

-Pakedge products are pre-tested for any size of home automation project.

-Streaming media like movies is jitter-free on Pakedge systems

-Pakedge products are enterprise grade. Their reliability and stability result in more up-time and fewer problems.

-Pakedge products provide clear IP video and sound.

-Pakedge products are pre-configured for the best Voice Over IP signal communication.

You don’t have to take our word for it. Just look at the awards Pakedge has won and you will see how the industry appreciates their leading edge technology: The Resi awards, 2011.Electronic House Products of the Year, 2012. Cepro Best for Cedia Expo, 2012. Custom Retailer Excite Award Winner.

But even more important than the quality of Pakedge technology is the level of support they provide. They work closely with custom installers to make sure that every Pakedge component is the right one for optimum performance. They back up their products with a strong warranty and dedicated customer support personnel.

 When the time comes to automate your home, you will be making choices. That’s the time to choose performance, quality and superior support. That’s the time to insist on Pakedge.

 OneTouch Automation is honoured to add this industry leader to its product offering. We specialize in custom design, supply and installation using only the best components. Whether you own a new or existing home, or even a condominium apartment, the experts at OneTouch Automation are here to guide you every step of the way. Call today for a no charge consultation.

 For more information about the Pakedge products, visit: www.pakedge.com

When people think of home automation the kitchen isn’t usually the first room that comes to mind. Home theatre is generally the first priority. But the kitchen can be a place where home automation shines. There are some conveniences you are probably familiar with that can do in the kitchen. Then there are some state of the are options that are so new many companies in the industry don’t even know about them. Lets look at the way we can spruce up what is often the busiest room in the house.

Audio

You want a good speaker system in your kitchen. Why? Think of all the time you spend there and how music can make it better. It could be lively music to make clean-up go faster. It could be romantic music to set the mood as you prepare a candlelight dinner.  Or it could be the news and traffic reports as you eat breakfast before your business day. An audio system controlled by a convenient touch pad should be part of your basic equipment.

Video

In the kitchen? Absolutely! From your favourite afternoon TV shows to calling up a recipe on the internet to pleasing the people who want their morning news on the television, not the radio, you will find that a screen in the kitchen will be in constant use.

Lighting

Good work light in the kitchen is important, but after the work is done you may not want it that bright. A zoned dimmer system is the answer. Energy efficient LED lights can brighten up the counters, while diffused ceiling lights give you good general illumination. Dim them any way you choose from your touch panel.

Appliances

Some parts of automating appliances can be very basic. For example, you can put power controls on devices like coffee makers that might be left on by mistake. Not sure if you left it on? Kill the power from anywhere in the world using your smart phone. On the other hand, you can start your coffee maker from the touch screen in the upstairs bedroom and have it ready by the time you get downstairs.

Now we get to some of the newer items. Maybe its time you got an internet refrigerator. What’s that?

Internet refrigerators, also called Net Fridges, are basically refrigerators with a connection to the Internet. Some have a full built-in computer complete with hard drive like the LG refrigerator, and others have Internet access through a limited number of applications like the Samsung models. They include a touch screen, speakers, and Wi-Fi connections to the Internet or your home network. Popular applications include: Memo writing, calendar scheduling (great for meal planning), accessing online and personal recipes, weather reports, listening to music and notification of low or expiring foods. Because of their connection to the internet, they can be integrated into you whole home system. The LG model will actually analyze what’s inside the refrigerator and suggest recipes based on what’s on hand. Once you have the recipe, the refrigerator can automatically pass the instructions on to your Smart Oven. The oven can also be monitored and controlled from off site by any smart device.

Biometric Drawers and Cupboards

We’re now arriving at the leading edge of kitchen technology. There is no need to pull cupboards and drawers open and shut. Brush the drawer or wave your hand and the door or drawer will open. The best know manufacturer of these systems is Anvil Motion, but other companies are getting into the business. Want to control access to a cupboard that has sharp knives, poisonous household products or alcohol? Add a biometric scanner to restrict access to only the people who can be trusted. Other features include an ‘intelligent memory’ that senses the need to close multiple drawers and reverses the opening order, and the ability to program cabinets to close as you exit the kitchen. Like all the devices we’ve talked about, touch screen control is also possible.

You may be thinking that you’ve been getting along fine with your kitchen the way it is, and you don’t need any of these “luxury” features. But when you think about it, not long ago dishwashers and microwave ovens were only found in the homes of the wealthiest people. Your kitchen has already had many updates since your parents’ day, and the technology will continue to change. If you’re doing a major home renovation, you may be replacing appliances anyway. Let this be your opportunity to get in front of the technology and give yourself a kitchen that will be a conversation starter and the envy of your neighbours. Let the pro’s at OneTouch Automation advise you on what technology is best for your electronic lifestyle. We are the experts in design, installation and service of whole home systems, including dream kitchens. Call us today.

Sometimes, nothing but the best will do. When it comes to media players, media servers and media vaults, there is one name that stands above the rest. That name is Kaleidescape. OneTouch Automation is proud to announce that they have been appointed as a dealer for this premium product.

The concept for Kaleidescape was born in early 2001. A small group of seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneurs brainstormed the best way to serve up a rich cinematic experience in the home.

The Kaleidescape System

Kaleidescape’s founders began to research everything they could about the motion picture business, licensing, and the technology of digital audio and video to bring their audacious goal to life. This led to their design of the Kaleidescape architecture, several innovative hardware appliances, and the purpose-built software for these products known as KEAOS — the Kaleidescape Entertainment Appliance Operating System.

They discovered that with carefully designed hardware and software they could build a legal system that enables customers to copy their movies to hard disks for immediate playback anywhere in the home. This discovery led to the first Kaleidescape System which was introduced in 2003.

Today, the Kaleidescape experience is unrivaled. The company is known for its unwavering dedication to quality, innovation and customer service, and its unique movie server architecture. Kaleidescape Systems are installed in the finest homes and yachts around the globe. The company has also built and maintains one of the largest and most complete databases of information describing movies and music.

OneTouch is pleased that we can now offer this experience to our clients. Here are a few of the products Kaleidescape offers and what they do:

Servers

A Kaleidescape server stores an exact digital copy of your Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and CDs and streams movies and music across your household Ethernet to players throughout your home. Kaleidescape’s proprietary RAID-K technology protects against data loss. Multiple servers can work together to store thousands of movies and albums as a single collection.

Disc Vaults

Kaleidescape disc vaults make it fast and easy to add movies and music to your Kaleidescape System. You simply insert as many discs as you like, and walk away. Your Kaleidescape disc vault does the rest. Your discs are automatically copied onto your Kaleidescape System and are ready to be enjoyed throughout your home.

Kaleidescape Players

You’re not limited to one room with a Kaleidescape System. You can expand to as many rooms as you like by adding players. Once you’ve added a Kaleidescape player to a room, you can watch any movie, even while someone else watches a different one or even the same one in another room.

Kaleidescape is an exceptional product that will appeal to the discerning home owner who truly appreciates quality. It can become a key part of a state of the art home automation system.  It is the perfect compliment to a top of the line whole home system by Crestron or AMX.

Let OneTouch Automation design that system for you. We can make your dream of a fully automated home into a reality. We turn wish lists into check lists. Call us today for a no-charge consultation and see how easy it can be to get the very best in home automation.

(Thanks to Kaleidescape for the information in this blog. Please visit Kaleidescape website for more about this amazing product line)

When we quote a system, even to very high end customers, the question often comes up “Can you do anything about the price?” We understand that. Even clients who want the very best in an automated home also want to know that they are being treated fairly. When a home automation system is installed, it is often done at the same time as a major upgrade in home entertainment, and therefore there can be a bit of sticker shock when all the figures are added up.

The answer to the money question is “Yes, there are some places you can save.” But there are also some parts of the system you won’t want to touch, even if it saves a few dollars. Let’s look at a typical system and see where you may be able to economize.

Save on Design

A proper design for the system will save you a world of trouble later in the process. You can pay a designer to do this, but one way to get around spending the money is to use a reputable full-service company that offers design services. If you bundle design, sales and installation with one supplier, you can negotiate a big discount or rebate on the design as part of the package and definitely save money. A warning: If the company you’re considering doesn’t supply or require a complete design before beginning the install, walk away.

Save on Labour

The best way to save on labour is to start with a really good design. A properly designed modern system will use less cable and more wireless equipment. That means a quicker install and less labour to repair any wall or ceiling damage from cable runs. This is one of the areas where paying just a bit more for the wireless option can save you big money on man-hours.

Save on Speakers

All speakers are not created equal. You don’t need the same speakers for background radio in the kitchen as you do for theatre quality surround sound in the family room. As you work with your contractor, make it clear what your expectations are for sound quality from every area of the house. You may find that a $100 speaker is just fine for the foyer and that may free up money for that awesome subwoofer in the home theatre.

Save on Touch Screens

It is important for a complete home automation system to have at least one manufacturer’s touch screen as part of the system. A hand held remote is a good idea too. Once you have those, you may want to look at i-devices for extra touch screens. While they have their limits (including long start-ups from sleep mode), for a few hundred dollars you may be able to get something that will do the job in place of a manufacturer’s panel that could cost in the thousands of dollars. The applications are easy to load and some basic control apps are even free. Tell the integrator early if you plan to use them so they can be properly added to the system.

Save on Home Security

You may have been tempted by the home security systems that offer ‘no money down and a monthly monitoring fee’. It sounds like the equipment is free, but we all know there is no such thing as free equipment. You are locking into a long-term contract that is charging triple the normal monitoring rate. You’re paying for that alarm equipment in the long run. Why not have your security system installed at the same time as the home automation system? It is an economical upgrade, (the installers will already be on site) you own the equipment and most of the system can be driven by the hardware you’re already buying. You may find that a system sending you alerts by text or e-mail is all you need, or you may want to install your system and then subscribe to an economical monitor-only service. It will still save hundreds a year compared to the ‘free’ system.

Save on Equipment

Home owners are always interested in re-using equipment they already have. That may be possible, but it also may not. You may have a big screen television, but the technology changes so fast that even a fairly new screen may not reach the standards of today’s units. It is very important to meet with your home automation integrator and discuss what pieces you may want to keep in the system. They can evaluate the age and condition of the component and tell you if it is worth the risk. This also comes with a warning. If you re-use a component and it fails, that will not be covered under an installer’s warranty. You will be on the hook for a service call. It may be cheaper in the long run to make sure the  entire new system is the same age and quality. Once again, you may be able negotiate a discount with the integrator if you buy a turn-key system that includes all the hardware.

Save on Upgrades in the Future

One of the least expensive things you can do is to have your integrator pull extra cable while the job is being installed. For a few cents a metre, you can have extra Cat6E cable inside your wall that could save you thousands in cable pull and drywall work in the future. Technology is coming that will require far more bandwidth than we need today. This is the most economical way to be prepared.

At OneTouch automation, we are professionals with a career commitment the industry. We always make it clear to our clients that a truly worthwhile system is a major investment, but it is also totally fair to expect value for your money. The designers at OneTouch Automation are there ito make sure that you invest wisely in a system that will create the electronic lifestyle you always dreamed of. Call us today for a no-obligation no-cost consultation.

Home automation has grown very quickly in popularity. From something only the wealthiest could afford to a regular part of millions of homes, automated control has now arrived in a big way. But many homeowners still think this technology is only for their primary residence.As prices become more and more competitive, wireless technology increases and vacation homes become better equipped, it’s time to consider automating your cottage, chalet or lakeside retreat. Of course, the automation needs of a vacation property aren’t exactly the same as those of a full-time residence. It is unlikely that you will install a 7- speaker home theatre in a cottage. There are, however, many things that home automation brings to the table that you may find appealing for a vacation property. Here are a few of them:

Security

This is the number one concern of vacation property owners. Many cottage owners have experienced the disturbing surprise that comes from finding that someone has broken into their property in the off-season. It is a bad emotional experience, but it can also be expensive. Vandalism and doors or windows left open to the elements can cause thousands of dollars in property damage. There’s no need for this to happen. If you have access to phone lines, the internet or satellite capability, it’s possible to keep an eye on the property all year. Window-break sensors and motion detectors can alert you at once to any intruder, human or animal. The very same security systems can protect you from intruders when you’re there. That can be an added comfort if you’re in an isolated area far from the authorities.

Lighting is also a safety factor. Wouldn’t you rather drive up an illuminated driveway to find a fully lit cottage? No problem. Just send the command with your iphone before you arrive.

If you rent your cottage, you may want to install a programmable number pad in place of the lock. No more keys to deliver or return when the place is rented, and you can change the code so no-one can copy your keys and use them later.

Protect your property

Intruders aren’t the only source of damage to vacation homes. Frozen water pipes, flooding in the spring, fire and many other hazards can damage your property. A home automation system can detect any of these problems and immediately alert you allowing you to contact local authorities or trades to deal with the emergency. With automated door locks, you can let them in when they arrive, all without going to the property. A lot of this can be done even in areas without internet access. Products like the Sensaphone 400 will perform many of these monitoring functions on a simple analog telephone line.

Irrigation control is also a good feature to consider. If you can’t get to the property for a few weeks, you may still want to water the lawn and irrigate the flowerbeds. Your cottage automation system can easily do it, either on a regular schedule or by a remote command.

Comfort

On a chilly night, who wouldn’t prefer to arrive at a chalet that has already been preheated before you get there? Your automated comfort control can keep the property at a temperature that protects it from ice damage. When you’re on your way, send the command to warm the building up and arrive to a warm cozy welcome.

While you’re there, make sure you take advantage of controlling the many devices you now use at your vacation property. Satellite TV, DVD players and video games are all regular parts of the summer lifestyle. Why not add a radio frequency gateway to the system and wirelessly control all these devices? You may want to add control of the temperature and the lights in the hot tub too.

And don’t forget zoned audio. Whether it’s background music or the latest marine weather report, it’s easy to have the sound you want in any room. Add an iserver and you can easily access your favourite summer songs on your ipod.

At OneTouch automation, we believe that easy control of your home or cottage is not a silly luxury. It is simply the logical way of using and living with today’s home technology. We want to show you how convenient and affordable it is to put all this safety, comfort and convenience at your fingertips. Call the experts at OneTouch for a no-charge consultation. We know you will get excited about how different your new automated lifestyle is, whether you’re in the city or the country.

The term wireless has been used in electronics for many years. Sometimes it really meant wireless, and sometimes it just meant that there were no wires visible and somebody had found a way to hide them somewhere. Of course, wireless also wasn’t really a type of signal, it was more a way of doing things. The signals used for wireless have varied from radio to network to infrared to bluetooth to special manufacturer’s systems.

Over the years, the technology has had its ups and downs. One of the major failings has been in trying to send large amounts of information through the air. The first attempts at sending high definition video signals this way was close to twenty years ago, and many people think they still haven’t got it right.

In home automation, wireless has generally referred to two things. First, no wires on your remote control. Second, the ability to add devices to the system without running cable to them. This has gone very well. From light switches with their own IP address to the new generation of touch screens and I-control, this wireless world is now a part of everyday life. It’s time to take it up a notch. Here are some of the new ways that home automation is using wireless technology. Look for them in your home in the next few years.

Voicepod
Ever feel like yelling at the technology in your house? Now it will finally make a difference. Voicepod is a proprietary technology that allows you to control the automated devices in your home by voice command. With the voice pod in the room or microphones hidden in the walls, you can teach it to respond to simple voice commands that will run the devices on your control system. Tell the TV to turn on. Tell the lights to dim. Tell the blinds to close. VoicePod was specifically designed to work with Control4 but it can be successfully interfaced with most major automation systems through its serial port. This may be one of the coolest things you can show off to your friends in a home automation system.

Crestron Air Media
This is latest thing. While designed for business, we see it moving into home use almost immediatel. AirMedia by Crestron delivers a very simple, low-cost wireless HD presentation solution. Using AirMedia, anyone can walk into a huddle room or any other meeting space with a laptop, tablet, or smartphone and present wirelessly through the room’s HD display or projector. There are no wires to hook up, no complicated settings to configure, and no AV or control system is required. Simply connect via the local Wi-Fi network and start sharing HD content from your portable device. At just over an inch thick, the compact AirMedia gateway device fits virtually anywhere. A surface mounting bracket is included for attachment to a wall or ceiling. The gateway device connects to existing Ethernet infrastructure and takes advantage of your organization’s Wi-Fi network, affording an optimal wireless interface for laptops and mobile devices. Both HDMI and VGA/analog audio outputs are included for connection to the room display.

Gesture Technology
If you don’t want to talk to your technology, how about the wave of your hand? Gesture technology has been a big part of video games for years, but it is now becoming a regular part of home automation.
Gesture technology is actually an amalgamation of several different 3D technologies – cameras, motion sensors, all linked to an interfacing field. The end result is a flick of the wrist to start your audio system, a tap to pause, raise your hand to raise the volume. Intuitive natural body movements now control your technology. Gesture control is great for the elderly, persons with disabilities or anyone uncomfortable with conventional remotes, but it is very tricky to integrate and should only be done by the highest level of professional.

Near Field Control
How about controlling the home automation system without doing anything? Near Field Control puts sensors in the walls that know when you’ve come into a room with your iphone or android device and automatically sets the room the way you like it. No waving, no talking, no buttons. Companies like Creston have already made this technology available for home use.

This type of control was science fiction just a few years ago. It’s easy to see that home automation technology is changing quickly and you need to be on the leading edge to make the right choices. That why you should leave it to the pro’s at OneTouch Automation to design and install your system. We are passionate about technology and driven by our desire to give our clients total satisfaction. Call us today.

In the world of technology, the only constant is change. Nowhere is that more the case than with video formats. Over the years, we have seen so many ways of viewing and listening to material come and go, and there always seems to be another one just around the corner. You may have already forgotten or never used some of them, but here’s a recap and roughly when they were actively promoted:

VHS Tape – 1978 to 2005
Betamax Tape  – 1975 to 2002
Laserdisc  – 1978 to 2009
HD-DVD  – 2002 – 2008
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) – 1997-2012
Blu-ray DVD – 2001- ?

The last two are the ones we want to talk about today. There are many people in our industry who believe the year 2012 is the year the DVD was as good as dead. They’re just waiting for it to be buried. Have people stopped watching movies? On the contrary. The movie business has never been so profitable. So, what are they watching? Here are the current trends from last year:
DVD rentals from stores – down 31%
DVD sales – down 20%
Online streaming of movies – up 94%

The pattern is clear. While there are still some videophiles who want the superior quality that comes from owning your own Blu-ray copy of a film, for the most part DVD is your father’s way of watching a movie.
Streaming is now taking over as the way-of-choice to watch movies. Netflix has over 25 million subscribers. Amazon Prime has 10 million. Hulu Plus is now pushing close to 2 million and growing all the time.
The affects of this will be huge, all the way from Hollywoood to your neighbourhood video store to your home theatre. In Hollywood, they have to deal with the fact that half a movie’s profit used to come from DVD sales. That is drying up fast. With the revenue from DVD’s fading, movie studios are now rely on opening weekend receipts and overseas sales. In the past, customers would happily pay $20 to have a DVD in their collection. DVD’s only cost pennies to manufacture, so almost all of the $20 was profit. Now viewers will instead pay $3.50 to watch a download and never think about the movie again. Neighbourhood video rental stores are disappearing quickly and being replaced by cheap rental kiosks in the supermarket. There are even illegal websites where pirated films are openly posted and otherwise law-abiding citizens go there and watch them for free.
So, what are we supposed to do now? Do we throw away our DVD players, sell our DVD’s at the lawn sales and move on to Netflix? The answer is “Not so fast.” The technology may have moved past DVD’s, but that doesn’t mean that people will let go of it right away. There are a number of things DVD’s do that still make them popular, and those features aren’t going away. Here are a few  of the things that people still like about this technology:

Home Movies
It’s very likely that the video of your child’s school concert will still be supplied on DVD. It is a cheap and easy format to reproduce, places like schools have invested in the technology to reproduce them and they will not stop doing that for at least the next few years.

Quality
Because of the heavy bandwidth demands of streaming video, much of it comes into your home compressed. If you’ve spent a lot of money for a home theatre, you don’t want the video itself to be the weakest link. Blu-ray still clearly outperforms Netflix.

Collectors Love Them
DVD is still the format of choice for buying a complete season of your favourite TV show. It’s also how you get a movie you enjoyed with all the extras like the director’s commentary.

You Can Get What’s New
Hollywood is holding back a lot of the really good stuff from the streaming services because they need to sell you those DVD’s. They will continue this for as long as they can get away with it.

This trend away from DVD does mean some interesting changes for home automation. In the past few years, a cornerstone of a very high-end home system was a media server. Some companies offered hard drives with memory in the multiple terabytes as they imagined consumers saving huge libraries of Blu-ray and DVD (as well as uncompressed audio CD’s, another format on life support). There will still be big demand for this kind of media server for a few years, and probably a small market for it forever. But it is now just as important to know what your system will do for you in terms of streaming, rather than storing. You need to know that you will be able to use the system to find what you need on line, and then make it easy to watch it streamed live or make sure it is easy to store temporarily to watch later.
That’s all the more reason to work with a home automation specialist. No-one wants to invest big money in dead-end technology and this is one area you need professional advice. You should also look for someone who represents the major brands like Crestron and AMX. They are future friendly companies that make sure their technology is always ready for the next format the industry throws at us.

Talk to the home automation specialists at OneTouch Automation to make sure the system you buy will be an investment that is format proof and ready to give you many trouble-free years of service.

A question that comes up again and again in home automation is “Do I have to hire a professional company to automate my home or can I do it myself using my own computer to drive the system?” That should be a straightforward “Yes/No” kind of question, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. The answer is “Yes, it’s possible,” but the answer may also be “No, you don’t want to try and do it yourself.” Let’s have a look at some of the benefits and pitfalls of attempting to do this as a home handyman project.
For starters, you are talking about using a home computer to run the system. Sales of PC’s are way down, because most people are moving into a tablet or laptop system. But you can’t run this type of technology on a computer you take with you. If this is going to run your house, it has to be on all day every day, when you’re on holidays, when you’re at work, when you’re asleep. That means the first thing you’ll need is a very sturdy computer to become the 24/7 server that operates your house.
Then you’ll need software. Here’s where it starts to get tricky. There are many different ways of controlling devices in a home. The big companies like Crestron and AMX have their own protocols, languages and methods that take years to master. You don’t have the time or money to learn these systems, so you have to look at something simpler.
Software like Home Director of Homeseer is often based on the assumption that you are going to use “X10” devices. There are many devices made for X10 control, including lights, thermostats and TV remotes. X10’s main trick is that it sends signals through the power lines that are already inside the walls of your house. That eliminates the need to run new wire, but it is also a system that can drop messages or misinterpret cable noise as a command (for example, turn on a light when you don’t want it on) The signal can also bleed into your neighbour’s wiring. A system called Insteon was devised to address these problems, but they can still happen.
If this is making you nervous, you could look at a system based on UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) which is a bit more reliable, but there just aren’t as many devices available for it. Maybe the answer is to go wireless.

Still with me? If you choose to do your own wireless system, you can look at open-source technologies like Zigbee. You still have to be careful, because even though all Zigbee is supposed to be the same, the truth is it isn’t. A better bet might be to try Z-Wave. It’s controlled by one company so there are fewer compatibility issues. What does it take to make a device work? Let’s imagine for a moment you are using Homeseer on a PC and you want to control a light wirelessly on Z-Wave. Here are the instructions for setting it up, as described by Zack Stern in PC World:

Let’s say you want to configure a hallway lamp. Attach a lamp module to your outlet. You’ll use a Z-Wave remote to connect the lamp module to your Z-Wave network: Position the Z-Stick Series 2 (or a similar computer adapter) next to the lamp module. Push the button on the USB adapter, and then push the main button on the lamp module. The two will pair, and the USB adapter will store this information for the PC.
Turn your lamp on, and connect it to the Z-Wave module. (The lamp should stay dark.)
Connect the USB adapter to your PC. Install any driver software if needed, and import the lamp details into the HS2 software. You configure the software in a Web browser (which is great for accessing the HomeSeer PC from a networked computer of any OS). Click through to the Interface tab to attach the Z-Wave USB adapter.
Most important, be sure to configure the correct COM Port. With the USB adapter attached, open Device Manager and pick Ports. Check the port number of the USB stick, and enter that back in the HS2 configuration page; if you have the wrong COM Port, the software won’t show the adapter, and it won’t reveal a clear error either. When you’ve configured the software properly, you can import the details about the Z-Wave lamp module. You can now control the lamp from your PC, turning it on, shutting it off, and setting the brightness.
Once it’s installed, you might want to control it from offsite with software like GoToMyPC.

Did you feel comfortable with those instructions? That project is described as an “easy” one. I know there are some of you who will read that and say “No problem.” If so, you are probably the best candidates to take on automating your home as a hobby. But whether you think you’re ready to do it or not, be prepared for a system that still isn’t up to Crestron standards. When you use the real thing, you get leading edge technology that will do so much more than turn lights on and off. When you use a professional home automation company, you will be getting an experienced designer to develop the perfect system for you based on your needs. You will be getting a free-standing system that doesn’t depend on your PC or the internet to run. And you will be getting the technical support of someone with a career commitment to this technology. A simple system as a weekend hobby could be fun, but when it comes to true whole home automation, some things are just worth paying for.

The experts at OneTouch Automation are here to help. We are dedicated to selling you no more and no less than exactly what you need to give you the electronic lifestyle you want. Contact us today for a consultation.