In these days of smart phones, IPhones and IPads I do wonder how long people are going to put up with multiroom audio systems that rely on wall mounted, hardwired controls? Touch panels on the wall do have their place, in a Gym, Kitchen or bathroom  for example, but do you really want to have to get up out of your comfy chair to turn down the music.

We have installed a large number of multiroom audio systems and where we have included wireless remote controls and wall mounted touch screen controls nearly every customer tells us they hardly ever use the wall controls. Of course a lot of that depends on how good the remote control is and how much information is relayed to it; the use of wireless 2 way remotes is essential. Control 4 have this area covered at a very affordable price. the zigbee remotes have a small display that can show track information, playlists, etc. and for many rooms that is fine. Where Control 4 really comes into it’s own is that the remote can be used in conjunction with the TV and a full on screen menu. The same remote can control the TV and all the video sources available in the room.

Not only are wall mounted controls inconvenient in many rooms they also add to the wall clutter. If simple functions such as volume up and down and system off are needed then these can easily be incorporated into the lighting control panels. The ability to integrate lighting controls such as Dynalite or KNX into a Control 4 system greatly improves the usability of the system. Where many multiroom audio systems get this wrong is that they offer one way control of lighting systems but a lot of the time that control needs to be two way, i.e. the lighting contol panels can control the audio. Imagine a room off button on a lighting panel that also turns off the AV! Or the Welcome Home button by the front door that turns on the lights and the music? Of course in KNX house that switch could look as good as the GIRA Esprit range shown here

GIRA KNX switch

When considering Home Automation, Smart Home, Multi-room Audio, Home Cinema and Home Security,  foremost in most peoples mind is the cost. It’s certainly a question that gets asked fairly early on in the conversation when talking to customers. Answering that question is very difficult as there are so many factors that influence cost, not least the size of the house and the number of rooms served.

Take home cinema for example, you can spend £5000 or £50,000 + or anywhere in between. Both ends of the spectrum are still home  cinema systems just with different components and features. When we meet with customers for the first time we always discuss budget pricing using our knowledge of previous installations. This enables customers to make informed decisions based on their priorities. When considering lighting and heating control it’s important to understand that installing this technology will change the way you wire your house so it is something that you have to commit to from the start of the project. Other areas such as multi-room audio and video distribution, home security and home cinema systems can be added at a later stage if the wiring is installed correctly. This ’structured wiring’ approach allows customers to delay the installation of certain parts of the installation until after the final builders bills have come in, safe in the knowledge that everything is in place ready for the installation.

So how much does it cost? Well here’s some examples:

Lighting control : £5,000 to £25,000

Heating control : £2,000 – £10,000

Structured wiring : £2,000 to £6,000

Multiroom Audio : £2,000 to £20,000

High Definition video distribution : £2,500 to £10,000

Security : £1,500 to £6,000

As you can see there is a massive range between the smaller and larger systems and that’s why we always like to meet face to face with prospective clients so we can ascertain their priorities and requirements first hand