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What's leading in home automation these days?

savant

I have had a savant system for some time now. Most of the negatives I had discussed with Jim are no longer an issue. The ipad interface is excellent, the response time is also excellent from ipads or itouch. The savant was installed originally to control the video/audio distribution in my home. I have since expanded it to control the lighting(we did a retrofit with Radio RA2 from lutron), the security system and the hvac. It has been very easy to add things also. When the m500 came out, I put it into my system and it was simple for my installer to reprogram, just a few minutes on site. Changes can also be made remotely which is nice. I had a direct tv dvr go out and the new one sent was different than the old. My savant program was changed quickly and required very little time or $$ to do. Crestron and AMX may have changed but when I was exploring them a change out like that would have cost 100.00 plus dollars for programming. Things may have changed since I looked at the system 2 plus years ago.

Savant is not as customizable as say crestron or amx but you save a fair amount in programming. Send me a pm if you want more insight into savant and k or any other questions you might have. It is based on the mac mini.
 
That's great to hear! No issues. :)


Jim
 
Thanks for that quick review. Still in the planning stages as to which Rosie system I'd be using. I'm gald to hear that my decision to use them may indeed be the right one (for me at least).
 
One downside I can see on the Savant, is I'd hate to be too tied into the Apple ecosystem. I don't know how tightly it's intertwined, but it gives me goosebumps selling my soul like that haha.

Remote work sounds cool, but at the same time, I also shudder at the idea of anyone having remote access to my system. If your HVAC and security system is hooked in as well, it would just take one disgruntled employee (or skilled hacker) to make your life a living hell.

I do like the idea of a simple and uniformed interface to control everything from A/V to lighting, security and HVAC though. From what I've seen in the past, Crestron seems to be the tried and true, rock solid solution, but it also seems extremely antiquated and slow when it comes to innovating and keeping up with the times.
 
Savant is completely dependent on the Apple OS, based on the Mac Mini, so if that bothers you stay away but that is also what gives it the native interface for the iPod and iPad. Savant has discontinued their touch panel line in favor of the iPod/iPad and their lower costs. Yes it can be easier and less costly to make equipment changes with a Savant system. Yes you can do it remotely. But these statements could also be true for a properly designed, installed, and programmed AMX system. I would assume this to be true for Crestron as well but I have not used Crestron in ten plus years.

As far as customization. Anything is possible for any of these systems but just because you can do something doesn't mean it is a good idea. Your integrator should be the one to listen to in this regard.

Access to your system remotely, from any system, can be controlled through a properly designed network. You can determine when to allow this access.

FWIW the term 'ROSIE' has been phased out to avoid confusion with the general Savant name. It is simply referred to as a Savant system now.
 
Have any Savant owner's done your own programming? Easy? Difficult? (I have a client interested, but wants to do his own work.)



Jim
 
AFAIK, there is no capability for a home owner to do their own Savant programming. The software requires a license from Savant, along with a dealer agreement and an annual support subscription. Updates occur frequently and are only available to authorized dealers via a web download service.

That said anyone familiar with Applescript, Automator, and XML would be in a good position.
 
glr-fti said:
AFAIK, there is no capability for a home owner to do their own Savant programming. The software requires a license from Savant, along with a dealer agreement and an annual support subscription. Updates occur frequently and are only available to authorized dealers via a web download service.

That said anyone familiar with Applescript, Automator, and XML would be in a good position.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the response. I knew they treated it like Pronto did for their PEP software, but also knew that some Pronto owner's were able to talk their dealer's into providing the software to update their configs on their own. I may look into it myself.:) (That's why it has to be easy!:D)



Jim
 
It's not nearly as easy and fast as everyone might expect unless all that you want is a basic system. if you want that then there are currently, and I do mean currently, lower priced offerings that would fit the bill better. Eventually, I believe that Savant will get there but right now the documentation leaves a lot to be desired so there is too much hand holding required by Savant for those that want to be self sustaining and they have a limited, while talented, support staff. I wish I had more time to devote specifically to the line because I believe the future is there...somewhere deep inside Automator and AppleScript.....
 
Thanks. The guy that does our programming is now in Florida. I'll likely have the company move away from control systems for now. I have no desire (nor time) to program on my own for clients, but considered Savant to replace the Pronto gear I'm currently using. I put that on hold after receiving comments from another forum member and friend, but apparently he is now satisfied with the Savant performance so it's back in the mix.

In the end, I may just move back to Crestron.

Jim
 
I know I'm joining in late, but after 5 years of owning a pretty large Crestron system, I'd have to say I'm extremely happy. We have their touch pads - which admittedly are now somewhat dated, when compared to an IPad - and their in-wall pads, controlling everything from PTZ security cameras, to TV, Tivo, AM/FM, Sirius XM and of course k-scape. It is rock solid, tried and true. We have a fantastic integrator who programmed it to meet our desires. So, I picked out the skins I wanted, and they made it all happen. The screens look fantastic. In the early days of the system, they would come out on weekends - even Sundays - to fix programming glitches. So, 5+ years in, this system is so integrated into the house that it simply feels like a feature of the house and not an add-on. And again, it's always on - always available - never fails.

Now, it was very expensive, but for us it was worth it. Trouble-free operation, and the wide range of systems Crestron can automate make it an excellent automation platform. But yes, you need a good integrator - which we have. I have been *extremely* happy with Crestron.

One note - it's the little things that make or break the experience. In the early days of the system, i was using cheap Linksys switches to connect the various components of the system. Inevitably, they would fail - which immediately brought down the Wife Acceptance Factor. "How come I press a button and the TV doesn't work?" ... "Oh, well everything works, but see, this $20 switch blew out, so blah, blah blah...". Replacing those with better models made a *HUGE* difference in the reliability and appeal of the entire system.
 
Joe, I completely agree.

Weve been using gigabit switches from Cisco/Linksys and Id say they fail every 18-24 months or so. The next go round I'm going to replace them with something better. What I did to make sure we never have a long outage- I bought a few spares. I also took an interest in learning how certain controls work and if a part was hard to get, Id order a few spares- eg thermostats, RS232 converters etc.
 
Agreed, we only use Pakedge switches and routers in installations now and it has made a huge difference in reliability. Even gave up on Dell switches, which although reliable, were very loud. The Pakedge gear is pricey, but worth every penny IMO.


Jim
 
Im probably going to switch to the pakedge stuff. If its good enough for Jim, its good enough for me :)
 
FWIW. PakEdge is all that I use as well. Once you get over the cost you find that they are well worth it.
 
cinelife said:
Agreed, we only use Pakedge switches and routers in installations now and it has made a huge difference in reliability. Even gave up on Dell switches, which although reliable, were very loud. The Pakedge gear is pricey, but worth every penny IMO.


Jim
Click to expand...

+1...same here but egad, that stuff is expensive...kinda makes Kaleidescape look reasonable by comparison...
 
OK, I'm definitely curious about Pakedge. Although my upgraded Linksys switches are reliable, I do find myself struggling to hear quiet scenes over their loud fans (I have two racks in my viewing area, each with a switch).

So, when k-scape owners say stuff's expensive, I get really worried! Roughly how much are we talking for a standard 16-port switch?
 
Joe said:
OK, I'm definitely curious about Pakedge. Although my upgraded Linksys switches are reliable, I do find myself struggling to hear quiet scenes over their loud fans (I have two racks in my viewing area, each with a switch).

So, when k-scape owners say stuff's expensive, I get really worried! Roughly how much are we talking for a standard 16-port switch?
Click to expand...

I do not know about the cost of their switches but I just put in 3 wireless access points -- one for each floor of the house -- and the cost for the units alone, before taxes, was between $1,600 and $1,700...
 
You could try the HP Procurve switches- Ive had great success with them- but I dont remember if they are noisy (I have them in places where I wouldn't hear them if they are). My experience is they last a little longer than the Linksys ones.

Ive got a lot running on my network- I like the idea that the Pakedge gear is optimized for handling AV data.
 
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