From the Editor
Executive Editor Jeremy Glowacki
2 Residential Tech Today | July/August 2019
My home features an eclectic blend of technology. Over the years, I’ve built a modest
basement home theater, added manufacturer-installed in-wall and in-ceiling speakers
and a corresponding multi-room audio system around the house, then, most recently,
had a Control4 TV system professionally installed to control my lighting dimmers, fans,
and TV. Call it the perks of writing about the “smart home” for more than 20 years.
The challenge realized by anyone with a professionally integrated home system of a
certain scale, however, is that once the technology is installed, it’s almost immediately
considered “outdated.” At least that’s how it seems to me, as new products are
introduced each year, and even the way my family interacts with the system evolves over
time.
Fortunately, pro-level home tech these days is designed to be more flexible after the
initial installation. While there’s still quite a bit of programming required, most major
control systems now allow the end-user to make adjustments to such things as lighting
control “scenes,” TV or streaming music channels “favorites,” and schedules for
automating certain devices.
When my integrator, Indianapolis-based Millennium Sound, updated my Control4
system to OS3 recently, I received an email from the company letting me know that my
iPhone app would look different after the update and that they were happy to come out
and walk me through some of my system’s new features. Due to my job, I was pretty
well acquainted with the new features. Still, I welcomed the opportunity to hear directly
from my integrator about features I could adjust myself (see page 22).
The great thing about having your integrator stop by is that it affords you the chance
to make minor adjustments to your setup that you’ve been ignoring for a while. For me,
I had purchased a new 4K Apple TV box that I asked Millennium to add into my
system. I also learned about a “gesture” feature within the Control4 OS3 app that
mimics – on your iPhone screen – the “touchpad” of the Apple TV remote. It was
something that I hadn’t heard described in my editorial briefings, so to me that was
worth the visit alone. We also made some minor adjustments to my lighting control
system and installed two new Pakedge WA-2200 Wave 2 access points to make my
home’s Wi-Fi even zippier than it was before. All in all, “It was a good day.”
I realize that installing a DIY home technology system can be gratifying, if that’s your
thing. But, nothing beats having a trained, certified, and “road-tested” professional
integrator stop by to give your home technology system a touch-up.
“ Nothing beats
having a trained,
certified, and
‘road-tested’
professional
integrator stop by
to give your home
technology system
a touch-up.”