Crestron Vs. Savant Vs. Control 4- Choosing your Home Automation System

When looking into a whole home automation system, three products typically come to mind. These are Crestron, Savant, and Control 4. At SoundVision, we work with and can install any of these systems into your home. All of these products can have amazing benefits, and can make control of your technologies much easier. But which system should you choose? Here you will learn the differences between the three, and will find out which system will work better for your home.

Crestron has been around since before most people thought home automation was possible. The company was established in 1969, and originally sold wireless remotes for slide projectors. They have consistently stayed ahead of the curve, offering the newest technologies as they become available. For decades, Crestron has been a leader in control system technology. Savant is a fairly new company. Established in 2005, the company quickly jumped to the top of the home automation business. Their goal from the start has been to offer an easy to use home automation product to a new wave of customers. Control 4 was founded in 2003 and found their market niche in being the least expensive of the main home automation options. These companies are now the top competitors in the industry, and all offer reliable and useful products.

Crestron

Crestron’s systems have open ended software. This allows for much more flexibility in their setup. Their products can be looked at as a blank canvas. If your installation company’s programmer is a great artist, they can do incredible things with this canvas. However, this is their blessing and curse, as this type of system leaves the largest room for error. You need to have true experts set up this type of system to ensure that the program will run smoothly. Their programming allows for the integration of systems anywhere from home entertainment and lighting to saunas and irrigation systems. When programmed well, this system can be very easy to use and can do almost anything.

Savant

Savant systems have an incredibly user friendly interface. Their home automation products work seamlessly with Apple products, and they have recently expanded to include an Android version of their app. Savant’s interface cannot be customized to the degree Crestron’s can, but it allows users to create their own scenes and add them to their home screen. Savant’s integration of home entertainment, lighting, security, and climate control work flawlessly together, and their installation is typically less expensive than Crestron’s. This has become our solution of choice for most applications.

Control 4

Control 4 has tried to be the low-price-leader in the automation category. We were a Control 4 dealer briefly, but we found that their system does not quite match our standards for quality and reliability. The system has great features and a relatively low price point. We are hopeful they can raise the bar for quality and become a great resource sometime in the future.

To read more about the advantages of home automation, click here. All of the systems we install will give you reliable home automation straight from your smartphone/tablet or connected remote. Regardless of which system you choose, SoundVision will install it and train you to effortlessly use the system the way it was intended for your home.

To see these services in use in our showroom, give us a call or set up a meeting!

(415)456-7000

SoundVision’s Favorite Home Control Apps

You are now able to control nearly every aspect of your home from your iPhone, iPad or android device. Let’s simplify your life by make your home smarter; control and monitor your home with these convenient apps, no matter where you are!

1. Sonos

We absolutely LOOOVE Sonos!

The feedback we get from our customers is undeniable & here’s why:

The app is free and easy to use.

It gives you full control and the ability to access to all of the music on earth through multiple streaming services and your personal library.

Find out more reasons why Sonos is one of SoundVision’s top apps!

2. Savant

Savant has created a beautiful interface specifically for the iOS operating system where you can customize backgrounds, icons, control categories and channel favorites to completely personalize it as your own.

The Savant system can control audio, lighting, home theater, video systems, heating/air conditioning, alarm, intercoms, surveillance videos and manage energy usage.

Introducing the app to end all other home control apps… a single app to control your entire home!

Find out more about Savant home control and their easy-to-use app here!

3. Lutron Home Control+

Lutron allows home owners to control their lighting, motorized shades and heating/air conditioning in one easy to use app.

Create personalized Scenes for certain activities, “Movie” “Dinner” “Goodnight” or “Vacation” mode. Set the lights to dim your desired amount and the shades to rise or lower to create the perfect mood.

Find out more about the Lutron app and its capabilities here!

4. Honeywell Total Connect

Honeywell provides you the utmost control of your safety and security through their Total Connect app!

The app provides you with remote access of surveillance cameras, real time security notifications and the ability to arm the alarm and lock doors from anywhere.

You can schedule certain scenes upon leaving the home to lock the doors, turn lights off and enable the surveillance cameras all at once.

Find more about Honeywell Security on our dealer page!

5. Pentair🏊

For aquatic lovers, Pentair offers an app to regulate your backyard pool and spa. Check which lights are on, the temperature inside and outside the pool, turn on certain features including waterfalls and LED lights and monitor pH and chlorine levels.

This app makes easier for you to maintain and enjoy your pool all from your phone.

Come experience home automation, give us a call and set up a meeting to witness home automation first hand in the SoundVision show room.

Until next time,

Scott Sullivan
SoundVision, Inc.
415-456-7000

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SoundVision designs and installs systems for Residential, Commercial, Home, Business, Corporate, Restaurants and Hotels.

Areas served are: San Francisco, Marin, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Larkspur, Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Fairfax, San Rafael, Novato, Napa, Calistoga, Oakville, Rutherford, Yountville, Saint Helena, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Cotati, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Berkeley, Piedmont.

Lighting Control💡

Control your whole house from your phone

1. Control lights exactly the way you like your home

With lighting control you are controlling the space vs. individual rooms. You go straight to the kitchen after you get home from work and press the corresponding button. Usually your kitchen lights are on, but the rest of your home is dark. With lighting control not only do your kitchen lights turn on, but the surrounding rooms are illuminated exactly the way you like them. You can create scenes for different activities and determine which lights are on and off and at the dimming level you prefer. Upon going upstairs before bed simply click “Downstairs off” and every light will be turned off.

2. Eliminate wall clutter

Get rid of the cluttered confusion that comes with having multiple light switches in every room of your house with a clean and simple keypad. A single keypad and app are capable of doing all the same things and take the place of several switches with added functionality. Each button is clearly labeled, able to control multiple lights at once and settings are totally customizable.

Which do you prefer?

3. Control your lighting from anywhere

Control your lighting from anywhere in the world — your office, the road, the beach, your bed. Now anywhere you have access to WiFi you’re able to see which lights are in use and use the “all off” button in case you left the house in a rush, ensuring peace of mind.

4. Lutron dimmers saves energy

With dimmers you automatically save 4-9% in electricity when lights set at the highest level when compared to a standard on-off switch. Whenever you choose to dim your lights you are conserving energy and the more you dim, the more you save.

5. Schedule your Lights

Schedule lighting “scenes” to happen at specific times of the day or at sunrise and sunset. Schedule your porch lights to turn on at dusk to welcome you home after work or your shades to rise in the morning for a natural alarm clock in the morning, the possibilities are endless and completely customizable!

6. Away & Vacation Mode

Press the “Away” mode upon leaving your home every day or from anywhere with the app. The “Away” mode lets you leave your house exactly how you like it with every light turned off, a few on, or all on. When you are away for days or weeks at a time a “Vacation” mode can be programmed to mimic your daily routine- turning lights on and off, raising and lowering the shades – to give the impression you are home to any one passing by.

7. Compatible with controlling the rest of your home

As a home integration company, integration reliability is a key to our success. Lutron is certified to work with many 3rd party manufacturers so SoundVision is able program any existing home controls with the Lutron lighting system for the simplest of smart homes. So whether it be motorized shades, safety and surveillance, music or anything else that can be automated, SoundVision is here to make your life easier, all from your smart phone. We work hard to make your home work for you, instead of the other way around.

Check out the slideshow below to see how to control your lighting and everything else you can do all from your phone.

Find out more about Lutron Lighting Control here.

If you are looking for an impeccable lighting control system seamlessly integrated with the rest of your home with an easy to use app for you and your family, give us a call to set up a meeting see the lighting system in real time in our show room!

Until next time,

Scott Sullivan
SoundVision, Inc.
415-456-7000

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SoundVision designs and installs systems for Residential, Commercial, Home, Business, Corporate, Restaurants and Hotels.

Savant Certified Dealer

SoundVision has been installing home automation systems in the Bay Area since 1998. We have worked with Savant since its inception and it has become our go-to control system due to it’s reliability and flexibility. Savant provides smart home technology that is progressively simple through its sleek interface leveraged through Apple products.

The Savant Home Control system includes:

Home theater control
Intelligent lighting control
Whole house audio systems
Whole house video systems
Climate control systems
Energy management
Monitor surveillance videos
Alarm system control
& more

The Savant App:

Beautiful & intuitive app
A single app to control your entire home, finally!
Create scenes with your favorite music, lighting and shade settings to return to
Set a “Good Morning” scene with the heat on, favorite song playing and the news already on in the kitchen
Overlook every room at once to keep an eye on your home
Text notifications for security alerts
Multiple users are able to create their own scenes for personal preference
Parental Controls for children of different ages

We offer design, programming and service of Savant home automation systems from certified SoundVision technicians, designers and programmers. To find out more about what Savant has to offer visit their official website.

Check out the rest of SoundVision’s trusted brands here!

If you are considering Savant give us a call today at (415) 456-7000. We are available to install Savant products for residential, corporate and commercial projects in the Northern Bay Area including, San Francisco, Marin, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Larkspur, Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Fairfax, San Rafael, Napa, Novato, Calistoga, Saint Helena, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Cotati, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Berkeley, Piedmont.

Control Vs. Automation

Today you have many options when it comes to integrating your smart home. SoundVision has mastered total home control as well as home automation. These two terms are commonly used interchangeably, but it is important to differentiate the two. What is the difference and which is right for your home?

“Control” gives you the ability to accomplish a goal through a device in order to influence the specific system, but you must tell it what to do and when.

We now have the power to control a multitude of different devices through their designated apps.

Devices you can control:
Indoor/Outdoor Lighting
Heat/Air Conditioning
Media Systems
Spa/Pool Temperature
Garage Doors
Surveillance Cameras
Alarm Systems
Shading
Whole Home Aurdio

Sonos has given us the power to control what music, in what room, at what volume – all through their simple app.

Alarm Systems can be controlled through your Honeywell app. HVAC can be simply controlled from your Nest app. Lighting and Motorized shades can be controlled through Lutron’s total home control app. Universal Remote Control (URC) allows you to control your media systems with their total control app.

Home Automation

With home control apps you are able to regulate these different systems independently. Automation brings these systems together and is capable of doing multiple tasks without actually having to tell it to do so, “an automatic operation independent of any external influence to control the system.”

With home automation, multiple systems are linked together creating a truly seamless experience customized your personal preferences through a single app for your ideal smart home.

Imagine arriving home and disarming the alarm, your lights are turned on automatically, the shades are risen, your favorite playlist is playing in the background and the temperature is adjusted to your desired preset; automation at its finest! Home automation gives you the ability to tailor your system according to your daily routine. Once you leave your home and activate your alarm all of your systems can be programmed to shut off including forgotten lights, music and all central heat or air, saving you time and money!

There are an unlimited amount of combinations, making home automation possibilities endless in your future smart home.

“Total home control” is exactly that, full control of every system you choose through a separate device. Automation on the other hand, is the integration of multiple systems and controlling them all through a single button.

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SoundVision designs and installs Home Theater, Home Automation, Lighting and Security Systems for Residential, Commercial, Home, Business, Corporate, Restaurants and Hotels.

Lighting Control & Total Home Control Systems

Lighting control technology is improving quickly and automating your lighting with wireless control is becoming a new standard in the automated world. Not only does it allow you to declutter your wall space, it can help enhance the mood and add to the design element depending on the room and settings. We love it here at SoundVision because of it’s convenience, you are able to set your favorite settings as your default for perfect lighting upon entering each room of your home.

6 Gang Light Switch Before

KeyPad Automated Lighting | Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Berkeley

KeyPad After

Lighting control can help simplify your home and get rid of the multitudes of light switches. A single keypad can now eliminate wall clutter and take the place of the banks of light switches taking over your wall. They keypads are labelled as well as, eliminating the need to look around the room when turning each light on or off in order to figure out if you flipped the right switch.

The app that can be used from your smartphone or tablet allows you to click a button, for example “Great Room” and have all the lights you wish turn on at your preferred default setting in the specified room

The other thing we love is the ability to control all of your lights at once with the “All Off” button upon leaving your home. Can’t remember if you forgot a light after you left? Since the app is on your personal device you have total control of your lights when you are away from home ensuring you never accidentally leave that bathroom light on.
We are also able to integrate with motorized roller shades and alarm systems. Roller shades and motorized drapes are fully automated through total home control systems and have the ability to shut out or let in outdoor light through the touch of a button, both wirelessly and quietly to help control your natural lighting. Read our post about roller shades here.

Customers also benefit from direct security alarm integration, when away you can set the home system to “vacation mode” so your home appears occupied, temperature is turned off and lights and shades can be adjusted so home appears occupied. If there is an intruder all lights are turned on, shades are risen and the outside lights flash. Upon returning home and disarming the alarm, lights are turned on, shades are risen and the temperature is adjusted to your enabled preset.

Best of all, wireless lighting control and roller shades can be installed to enhance your home when it is most convenient to you. If you want to update your home system to include full lighting control at your fingertips give call us today and we can discuss your options.

Until next time,

Scott Sullivan
SoundVision, Inc.
415-456-7000

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SoundVision designs and installs home theater, lighting, home automation, surveillance, security and alarm systems for Residential, Commercial, Home, Business, Corporate, Restaurants and Hotels.

Lighting Control System

A lighting control system simplifies the way you experience lighting and allows you to eliminate unsightly switches. You can set the lighting in a room, then save that setting for future one touch access. Turn on or off all lights or areas of lighting with a single button. Control lights in multiple zones from elegant wall-mounted keypads, in-wall touch panels or wirelessly from devices like your smartphone or tablet.

Keypads

Simple, stylish keypads can control all lighting and motorized shades. Keypads are customized to provide control of the system from convenient locations throughout your home. You can also control the lights using your smartphone or tablet.

Dimmers

Smart dimmers and switches are connected to the lights in your home. They are used in place of standard light switches and provide simple, intuitive operation. Their intelligence allows local control as well as remote control from any of the master keypads.

Remote Dimming Panels

Remote dimming panels are often used instead of multiple dimmers and switches for rooms that have several lights. By installing a keypad in the room and connecting the lights to a remote dimming panel, large groups of dimmers and switches can be avoided, ensuring a cleaner, less cluttered appearance on the wall. Remote dimming panels are typically located in equipment rooms or utility closets.

Wall Power Module

For rooms that have several lights, it’s not always aesthetically desirable to have multiple controls on the wall. Many controls can be replaced with a keypad in the room by hiding a wall power module in a nearby closet or equipment room. This solution is value engineered to be used in place of a remote dimming panel.

Motorized Shades

Motorized shading systems provide a clean and elegant finish to your windows. Ultra quiet & available in hundreds of different styles, with SoundVision’s window shading solutions you can reduce glare & UV rays, or completely blackout all light. Controllable from your wall switch, remote control or mobile device. You can even program your shades to raise and lower to protect the interior of your home from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Find out more about the different types of shades for your home.

Temperature Control

Temperature control helps you save on heating and cooling costs. Simply setting back the temperature when a room is unoccupied can help you save significantly. The great thing with this system is that you can control settings in multiple zones from one interface. The systems allows you control from keypads, mobile devices, occupancy sensors, and an energy-saving schedule.

SoundVision is available to install lighting control systems for residential, corporate and commercial projects in the Northern Bay Area including, San Francisco, Marin, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Greenbrae, Larkspur, Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Fairfax, San Rafael, Napa, Novato, Calistoga, Saint Helena, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Cotati, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Berkeley, Piedmont. Call us today at (415) 456-7000.

My Favorite System – By Scott Klein, SoundVision Technician

Until fairly recently, if you wanted different music sources playing throughout your house, a common solution was a 2 zone system configuration. This gave you the ability to mirror music playing in the family room (where system is) to other rooms with in the house, or you could play something else entirely. For example, with a 2 Zone system configuration you could watch a DVD in one room, and play music in the others. The challenge we had with this particular configuration was that it is fairly limited. If you were in a different room and wanted to switch what you were listening to, you would have to go all the way into the family room to change the source. Additionally all of the rooms set up on Zone 2 have to be on the same source. So, if someone was watching a movie in the family room and you were listening to Journey in another room, the other rooms could only listen to Journey (which might be ok, if you are a huge Journey fan).

Over the past couple years Sonos has been taking over the Job of Zone 2. Sonos is a networked music system. What this means to you is; you can now listen to your entire music library, internet radio, podcasts, etc. in any room of your home, even your backyard. Unlike the 2 Zone system configuration, you can listen to whatever you want in whichever room you like, and you are no longer limited to two sources. Sonos also allows you to control the source (Ipod, XM Radio, Spotify) and volume from within the room via your smartphone or iPad. All that, without having to purchase an big expensive system

home theater system tiburon

With Sonos you get a lot more flexibility and control than you ever got out of a 2 Zone System. The good news is that you can easily replace your 2 Zone system by using your existing equipment and purchasing a Sonos Zone Player from SoundVision. Because of the ease of installation and the flexibility of the Sonos system, this has become my favorite system to install. It’s really great to see how excited our clients get about the Sonos system once they make the switch from a 2 Zone configuration.

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Novato, CA 94949

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If you are currently only enjoying 2 zones in your house and you want more, give us a call. I would love to come out and install my favorite system in your home.

Home Theater San Francisco

We were recently on a project where the homeowner had the electrician take care of the A/V system. This was a good electrician, and he did an admirable job proposing and installing the one system he was familiar with. When he started getting in over his head, he brought us in to help.

It very quickly became evident that the system the electrician planned for, was not the best system for the client. When the client asked him why he did not consider other options, he found himself in a very uncomfortable situation.

The builder took me aside and asked me “What is the best A/V system on the market?”It can be confusing, as there are a lot of A/V and control systems to choose from: Sonos, Savant, AMX, Control-4, Crestron, Elan, Niles, Nuvo, Speakercraft, Russound, Colorado-VNet, URC , Harmony, HAI, Insteon, Lutron, RTI, etc.Each of these products are great. If you talk to the manufacturer, or believe what they say online, every one of them will meet your needs.However, we have had the opportunity to work with every one of these product lines, and we have discovered that they are not interchangeable, and there is no “One size fits all”.In this case, we were able to remove the system and install a less expensive, more flexible system that the homeowner is thrilled with.

We have 13 years of experience using all of the major A/V and control systems on the market. We are constantly having in-house trainings and attending seminars to stay current on all the major technologies.We are fortunate enough to work with very good architects who know that you can’t shoe-horn every customer into the same design. They have a process where they interview the client, introduce them to various concepts and help them determine the best design based on their preferences.A good electronic systems contractor should have a similar process.

When you are considering a new system, let us show you what is available so you can see which solution is best for you.

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Contact Us

TEL: 415-456-7000

Fax:(415) 883-7199
27 Commercial Blvd. Suite M
Novato, CA 94949

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Want to really love your music?

Want to really love your music? Try listening to it on a great audio system.

Home Theater Speakers Tiburon, CA

I remember in college I would just sit and listen to one CD after another. Remember being excited to hear a new album? I couldn’t wait to hear each new track. We had a pretty good stereo system, and we listened to music all the time. Of course, the system was just in the living room, so we would crank it up so we could hear it throughout the house.I love music, I listen to it in the bathroom when I get ready in the morning, I listen in the car, on my bike, in the office. It just makes the day feel less serious and more enjoyable.

Now that I have “grown-up” my family’s house has an audio system with speakers in every room. We can turn on whatever we want with the touch of a button on a keypad, iPad, iPhone, etc.. It is definitely an upgrade from the college system, and I still use it all the time.I recently set up a high performance audio system in my garage. I spend a fair amount of time out there in my workshop, and we had some gear in the shop that I wanted to listen to.I think I had forgotten how good a high performance audio system could sound. I find myself just sitting out there and listening. I am actually excited to hear the next song. It reminds me of being back in college. I think I feel like the guy in the old Maxell commercial, remember that one… Maxell ad.

I can’t tell you how many times I have had clients tell me they do not want a high performance audio systems because “ they cannot tell the difference”. Well I can guarantee you can tell the difference, anyone can. The difference is huge. It is one thing to decide you do not want to spend the money on a performance audio system because you can’t afford it, or you do not like music very much (yes, sadly these people do exist). But please do not deceive yourself. With a high performance audio system you can feel the music. It is not necessarily louder, just more clean, clear, crisp and powerful. It is an experience I had taken for granted for a long time, and now that I have immersed myself in it again, I cannot believe I have missed the music for so long.It is a totally different experience to close your eyes and feel like the artist is sitting right in front of you. It makes it fun to re-discover your music library. Enjoying each song to a degree you forgot was possible. It is an experience I would love to share. Let me know if you are interested.

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Contact Us

TEL: 415-456-7000

Fax:(415) 883-7199
27 Commercial Blvd. Suite M
Novato, CA 94949

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