Set Up Your Smart Home for Success 

So, you’re interested in home automation. Whether you already own a smart system, have a few devices, or are entirely new to home automation, you can’t do better than Control4. Control4’s ultra-sophisticated controllers sync to all your home devices, from lighting to shading, audio to security, and everything in between. 

But Control4 isn’t just something you order online and install on a Sunday afternoon. If you want the best in home automation, you need to work with a professional that understands the system inside and out. 

As a Control4 installer for the Hypoluxo, FL, area, we’ll answer five commonly asked questions about Control4 home automation to help you get started. 

Plus, We’re Giving Away Free Chime Video Doorbells & Neeo Remotes with Control4 Purchases

August is #C4Yourself month! Whether you’re new to Control4 or already have a smart system installed, you can learn more about smart home technology with us all month long. But what is #C4Yourself, you may ask?

It’s a month-long event where Control4 installers demonstrate the latest Control4 trends to customers. We’ll be hosting three virtual events on Facebook Live and in-person sessions in our showroom.

And that’s not all. When you make a Control4 purchase of a qualifying amount this August, you’ll receive a free Chime video doorbell or Neeo smart remote. Check out the schedule for our events in Fort Lauderdale, FL, below!

Your Home Is Your Castle. Virtually Explore Smart Home Automation with First Priority Audio  

May is officially #C4Yourself month! First Priority Audio has joined forces with Control4 to offer four weeks of live events and virtual showroom tours. We’ll be demonstrating the finest in-home automation that you can enjoy now while working and schooling from home. Whether it’s upgrading your home network’s performance or adding smart lighting to improve your moods, we have a Control4 solution for any home and budget.

 Below we share the schedule for our Control4 Facebook Live events and virtual showroom open houses. During this difficult time, know that in the Lighthouse Point, FL, region, we’re your dedicated Control4 dealer taking every measure to serve your technology needs.

A study conducted by Coldwell Banker and CNET in August of last year found that 28% of homes in the US have smart home devices… And that number is only going to grow in our opinion. But what is a smart home device really… and how smart are these devices? Are we talking Skynet from Terminator or more like Jarvis from Ironman?  We are still years away from artificial intelligence of that magnitude so no need to worry about T2 showing up at your door!

Today’s smart home devices come in all shapes and sizes from the Nest thermostat to the Amazon Echo, to complete home automation systems from companies like Vantage Controls or Elan.  On one end of the spectrum we have products like Nest that are truly great at what they do, which is manage and automate your air conditioning system. They also have a great app with an easy to use interface that makes interacting with the system a pleasant experience.  You even have the ability to control your air conditioning from anywhere in the world that you have internet access.  But it stands alone in your home and doesn’t really communicate with any other smart devices unless you add a middle man like the Echo or a full automation system.

The Amazon Echo allows you to ask it questions and “communicate” with it a la Jarvis in the Ironman movies.  Sure you can have the Echo turn on lights and even adjust your air conditioning by asking it to, but there are several limitations.  First, and most importantly of which, is that this is a do-it-yourself product and you are now the technician assigned to keeping up with software updates and figuring out how to make all the smart devices “talk” to each other.  Secondly, you are limited to using only approved products that the Echo can communicate with.  Will that list of products grow with time? Sure, but it is likely that the list will just accumulate more and more do-it-yourself products.  What does this mean for you? More software updates and technical understanding of how it all works together.  This may work for the more techie consumer, but it is likely not the route most people want to take.

This is where complete home automation systems come in.  Sure they will cost more upfront and you won’t be able to program them yourself, but it will be a reliable and professionally installed system.  Do you want to build your own car from parts you ordered over the internet from different vendors, or do you just want to go to the dealer of choice and buy a fully functioning car? Expanding on the car analogy... When you have car trouble you typically take the car in to the dealership or your trusted mechanic, but who do you call when your Echo isn’t turning on the light you asked it to? Amazon? The lighting company? Your wifi router manufacturer? You see where I’m going with this?  With a professionally designed and installed home automation system you have one phone number to call when something doesn’t seem to work just right… and trust me that will happen no matter how “perfect” your installation was.

When you’re ready to make your home smart… Call First Priority Audio! We’re here to help you.

Home automation is quickly becoming a buzz word in marketing for technology products.  Everything from thermostats, to lights, to alarm systems, and even appliances are now being controlled via our smartphones or our computers.  You’ve probably even seen major alarm and cable service providers pushing home automation systems lately.  Can you turn on a light in your home while you’re at the office? Sure.  How about setting your alarm from the airport when you realize you left the house in a rush and never turned it on?  Of course.  But a properly designed system can do so much more…

So what is home automation?  It is the integration of all the systems in your home into one smart design that works for you instead of giving you more things to do or worry about.  Instead of being able to turn your lights on and off while you’re away from home, how about a lighting system that knows when you are home, because it can communicate with your alarm system and knows when it is armed in away mode for instance.  A smart home would also know what time of day it is and even be able to measure how much natural light is in a room, allowing it to dim and adjust lighting in a room based on all these factors without you having to touch a single button or open an app.  You may have seen some smart locks being sold in stores.  Can you imagine your home knowing who has arrived, and based on the time of day you’ve arrived, setting the lighting mood you prefer, turning your audio system or TV on to your favorite station and arming your alarm in the “stay” mode for you automatically?  This is true home automation.  You may be conjuring up images of the Jetsons and Rosie, their robot maid, cleaning up and cooking for the family, and thinking this is just a cartoon.  Technology has finally caught up to our imagination and allowed some of these things to become reality… Although we’re still waiting for our flying cars.

With so many systems already installed and operating within our homes such as, lighting, HVAC, Audio, Video, Security, etc… doesn’t it make sense to get the most out of what you already have in your home.  We actually want the left hand to know what the right hand is doing in this case.  We can leverage so much information from one system in your home to make other systems feel like they know exactly what you want them to do without you having to tell them.  With so much technology at our disposal, it shouldn’t feel like we have more things to do or check up on, but that’s exactly what it seems to be doing.  A well planned home automation system can make your life easier and less clumsy to get the most out of the investments you’ve already made to your home.  Call First Priority Audio today to let us get the most out of technology for you and your family.