2023 Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. Tags Automation Review Total Control URC. Online, you'll rarely see Control4 compared with RTI, you'll see it compared with Savant and Crestron, the 3 'big boys' in Home Automation. They have reasonably priced audio distribution systems. Control4 DBX Zone Pro Driver. However, it is completely reliant on WiFi to operate. I don't know what's happening with RTI, I couldn't even find them in any of the slides on CEPro's 2020 Brand Analysis, although I'll admit I only skimmed them, since there are so many categories: https://www.cepro.com/business-support/2020-ce-pro-100-brand-analysis/slideshow/0/. (Image credit: Control4) Cant argue with that. If you ask nearly any 3rd party who was first to integrate with them via IP drivers, it's invariably Control4. Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Nest, etc. Also, way cool is that the coaxial digital inputs can both downmix a Dolby or DTS 5.1-channel signal for playback. These interfaces also made it easier to link rooms for listening to the same music source around the house. So, here we go. After selecting their location and provider, the remote will then display a small bit of live guide information, letting you preview what is playing on a favorite channel before actually turning to it. It is capable of beating every other brand standing in line to compete. 
Travis Leo
Denver, CO
Residential Systems, Inc.
. There are also remote controls that have LCD interfaces to add media server integration, and even provide you with weather updates or RSS feed notifications. Also you can use the alarm system to drive many events based on occupancy. To facilitate controlling equipment in other rooms, URC sent me two MRX-4IR network (wired or Wi-Fi) auxiliary base stations. Hit Watch, look at the tiny orange text on your remote, scroll down with the menu buttons 3 times until you see BluRay and hit Select. But then its not a limitation of the system. URC suggested some of these issues might have been due to my homes Luxul Epic Mesh network, which they recommend against using (and dont officially support), but that was the network environment I had to work with. Compared to my usual Triad house-wide amplifier, the HDA-8100 had far more noticeable fan noise. This wasnt life-changing, but it was a very welcome bit of added cool that took zero programming or effort on my part to implement. 32 Queenstown Rd, Battersea, London SW8 3RX. Our programming library is so extensive that we can whip up awesome programming in the same or less amount of time as all the lesser alternatives. HAAD Certified Dentists in Abu Dhabi. Most importantly, the system retains URCs ability to customize button layouts and programming, adding greater flexibility for the end-user, and making the system especially adept at handling things like multiple screen control, with the Accelerator software helping alleviate some of the programming. Introducing KINETIQ, Atlantas leader in AV and Automation. For more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here. Controls audio and video equipment, as well as lights and scenes, media browsing, voice control, and more. Composer Pro is available to dealers only and Composer HE is available for purchase. If no third-party control is needed . First, a homeowner can easily add and edit a list of favorite channels. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. And after watching Shawn and Lee make changes, as well as spending several hours poking around and making tweaks and changes on my own, I have a pretty good understanding of how Accelerator programming works, but Ive no doubt Im just scratching the surface of what my Total Control system is truly capable of, and would not yet feel confident jumping into a new system in a clients home. Weve put the remote through its paces and we like the feel of the remote, its rechargeable batteries and our ability to remotely update the system, all crucial elements of a satisfactory user experience. Check Price. My only concern with them is they had a stint of reliability issues, no one has bitched about it recently so I'm hoping they have been resolved. . It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. However, I would expect it to operate much as it did with Savants Pro Remote X2 (review available at residentialsystems.com), and this will add another powerful feature for Apple TV owners as it provides a fantastic way to search and quickly access content. The smart-home manufacturer overtook longtime leader Crestron for the first time in 2015 and continues gaining market share (or at least mind share) among this group of highest-revenue specialists. iOS or Android apps are $99 from the app stores and run on as many devices in your household as you have with ONE app purchase. I install both URC & C4 by the way. One of the things URC is most known for is handheld remote controls; I mean, its literally right there in the name. One of the most popular capabilities in smart home systems is Whole House Music -- the ability to play different streams of music throughout a house in any particular grouping. The Achilles heel of TRC is two-fold: Their multi-zone audio equipment is not cheap ($2200 for a 6-powered/2-unpowered zone amplifier) and due to limited input capabilities aside from the proprietary network audio sources sold from URC, its not capacious enough for the vast majority of our systems. C4 has been great for me. URC software works only on PCs, not Mac products. TechnologyAutomation. Clear editor. Control4 offers a la carte options, so each package varies based on the customer. The screen is large enough to clearly show cover art of music playing, as well as live feeds from H264 IP cameras. Perfect for conference rooms, retail, or expos & tradeshows. ft. home? Connecting RS-232 (serial): The MRX-5 can operate equipment via RS-232 communication. I personally think their stuff feltjust a bit stale, with not a lot of large improvements. Remote Control), Elan etc. The smart market has provided a fantastic invention for the homemakers in the form of a control4 remote. This more than wipes out the cost advantage on the controllers and makes people angry in the process. Vie od 20 godina emociju i pozitivnu energiju koju donosi muzika unosimo u Vae domove i poslovne prostore. Our latest research project was to come up with an entry level and mid level product offering to complement our anything is possible Crestron systems at the high end. I connected my HEOS Link to the HDA-8100 and installed the two-way module, which provided full access to all of my HEOS functions and services, including album artwork on all of the interfaces. Search the forum for more info. Ive long been a fan of their wands, and the new TRC-1480 remote builds on what URC does really well. It's pretty nice. are on the . I am sure you will be happy with the system. Asking which control platform is better is like asking which speakers sound better. Simply order the Neeo remote from your Pro and, once it arrives, connect it to your home's Wi-Fi and select the primary room where it will be used. The URC MX-780 is a universal remote from URC's Complete Control system that was released last year. Of course, the remotes big trick is its built-in microphone with Amazon Alexa integration. Few would argue that Crestron is not the most powerful system on the planet. Monitor the system remotely with offsite service and support. Soooo intuitive, right? to a point i dont know how much more i need other than multiple tv support for one room. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This is what matters to me nowadays. If you have never previously used a home automation platform for controlling more than a few devices, we would certainly encourage you to look at Control4, as its user interface has been exhaustively stripped down to make it easy and simple to use. Programming complexity? We can remotely update nearly every part of the system without a truck roll. URC (Uni. Invisible tech around the home can make life easier and more comfortable. I would probably recommend Logitech Harmony ;). Weve been URC fans for quite some time. The Control4 EA5 controller includes a variety of inputs and outputs to control lights, door locks, and . For someone wanting to switch, that is a hefty price but you will likely not look back. or is it completely off limits? 1. The Total Audio/Video Package . The 9100 was especially great for using the third-party Kaleidescape driver I installed from Chowmain (chowmainsoft.com). IMHO, both Crestron and RTI are superior to C4 for this kind of application. Further, if your preferred driver isnt available, you can create an IR, RS-232, or IP driver to fit your needs. And, to truly get the most out of Accelerator and therefore your Total Control projects and installations I daresay you need the training, too. It is subjective to the people selling it, installing it, programming it, and ultimately, using it. Remotes are URC, security is Hikvision, etc. Of course, the system also supports control via iOS or Android devices, and even includes a simple way to offer guests a customized stripped down version of the interface to keep them from getting too deep in the weeds, as well as the ability to password-protect the app login. So for example I could have a watch movie screen with all the transport buttons, and then have a few buttons off the side for raising the lights or changing the screen mask aspect ratio, etc., without having to change to another page. My point is just that your statement wasa bit to general IMHO, suggesting that RTI is technically not able to be updated remotely -which is not the case. Given that both C4 and URC TC are probably more than capable of your system size and complexity, the integrator will be the key difference. I've been a software developer for over 10 years (.NET / C# and C++) and have programmed an entire multi-zone house plus I've wrote software for microcontrollers (Arduino, atmega32u4) to create IP-to-USB HID devices, Bluetooth-to-USB, etc. Maybe they're just already really good at what they do and they don't need improvements, but IMHO, they needed something new and big and exciting to drive trafficat the show. After all, many of the control systems on the market are built to work seamlessly with existing devices. Every platform has them. Remotes. Lets start with the most popular mid-level home automation system company, Control4. Control4 is much more expandable, as well. Log-In or Register to view pricing. Control4 has Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Napster, Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal all native to every Control4 system. Other than that they are pretty much the same. Little bit of background. Account Required. Account Required. In my opinion, I think they probably have some nice touchpanels, decentremotes, and you can probably do fine small systems with it, but it has nowhere near the device support or native streaming services or intercom/doorstationsupport or lighting options as Control4. Yes, it takes a separate video input (expensive if you are using an HDMI matrix switch and need to buy a bigger model to accommodate) and yes, you need to wait for your display device to fully power up before you can do ANYTHING. I was tired of the endless tweaking on programming and the time it took to program the whole thing and then to download to almost all devices once the programming was changed. While serviceable, it was frequently overkill for most audio distribution projects. In my opinion URC has the largest set of IR codes for TVs and etc. Which brings us to Elan. Update your browser to view this website correctly. And URC has a very powerful MCS remote accessing tool where you can check on the status of projects, upload programming changes, check system health and history, force a reboot, and more. First, I'll make sure it's understood that I am a big fan of C4, have been for years. What most people dont realize is how many buttons you need to press to get to see, hear or control what you want. For comparison, our Crestron systems generally start at about $2000 for a control processor, remote control and iOS or Android control, plus programming, so . Yuengling is a much better Fat Tire beer than I tell you. Custom Installers' Lounge Forum - View Post. We Are A Recommend Installer For Control4. It really helps with pressing direction buttons rapidly, etc. Before the refresh of the MRX-10N, I had to reboot my controller every 3 days. These products work together to form the technology ecosystem of your custom-programmed smart home or business. The most important part of the user experience is the remote. Crestron and RTI have remote with lots of buttons plus a touchpanel - thats a perfect combination IMHO. Honestly I prefer that way then having to do every little change or customization for them. This app gives you full control of all the features and full functionality afforded by a Total Control 2 system installation . URC can save data about the events in your home in google docs or dropbox. But not here. They have nice looking and feeling remote controls. Without a tv powered on in the room, it is useless. I didnt say that. URC. Savant has a reasonably priced remote control at $499. I need to be able to negotiate them with touch alone. Control System Integration Our engineers have written drivers for the industry's leading control systems, including Control4, Crestron, ELAN, URC and more - so controlling the system has a familiar feel. More Reviews: Savant Smart Series WiSA Surround System. I liked that when you finish programming or making any changes, you can download to any or all URC devices simultaneously, meaning if you just made a minor change, just update that single device. This is part of the companys distributed High-Definition Audio lineup that uses AVB (Audio Video Bridging) to route digital audio signals at up to 96 kHz/24-bit resolution with zero loss or latency around a home. While Sonos is purely an audio system, Control4 can do more than multiroom audio with their system. It just so happens that our favorite control systems manufacturer also offers the best overall value in home automation today. Control4 vs Crestron vs URC - Updated Guide 2021. About this app. These cookies do not store any personal information. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. I have trained and sold Crestron, RTI, Lifeware, Colorado vNet, and URC. After a visit from my local URC rep, we started chatting about Total Control and how it might fit into our business model. . We can live without either Sonos or Nest, but not both. Control4 has since added the AMS-8 audio matrix switch and AMP-8 8-zone power amplifier to its line, which are reviewed here. If you already have Control4 and are running the latest version of Smart Home OS 3, Neeo can be added to your system easily. URCs Complete Control line of remote controls and base stations has served us very well over the years, delivering incredibly reliable performance and RF control, straight-forward programming, and with almost zero hardware-related callbacks. View our in-ceiling and outdoor speaker lineup. It would be nice to be allowed a littlecustomization ofthe GUI but I understand the goal of the company - consistency. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below. What I don't like about C4 is the lack of *free* 2 way drivers. Explore the latest products to automate, secure, and monitor your home. In this area, Savant is improving, but Control4 definitely has the upper hand. Important - this feature is only available for systems that have been registered for URC's Offsite Programming service. Thanks to our development partnerships, you can now access the legendary performance of Russound's high performance audio products through industry-leading control systems such as Control4, URC, RTI and more. I was lucky enough to have access to URCs senior sales engineer, Shawn Stermer (who covers my area), and national sales manager, Lee Rambler, who kickstarted my project and were available when I hit a roadblock. Press J to jump to the feed. Aquatel D110 Wireless Tank Fluid Monitor Driver for Control4. Sony PlayStation 3 Advanced Control Roundup, Universal Remote Control Inc. Digital R50. I did like being able to add any button I'd like to any touch screen or remote screen. I have trained and sold Crestron, RTI, Lifeware, Colorado vNet, and URC. We found lots of sub $1200 systems comprised of a central processor and remote control. I am in the process of selecting a controller. If your installations are getting to a size where its demanding of a control system, my advice to you would be to give your business to the control company that will help you grow your business and offer the support you need to succeed. Neither remote has any facility for one-touch operation (in fairness, a newly announced version has 3 one-touch keys, but they are stupidly labeled <.> <..> and <>). Switching from a remote company (URC or RTi) to a control systems company (AMX or Savant) is a huge jump, you cant even compare the 2. While I didnt utilize the AVB functionality, it can be really beneficial for linking remote zones, or for being able to get remote sources like TV audio back into the system for distribution. Driving my existing house-wide audio system fell to URCs HDA-8100 multi-zone amplifier. Displaying posts 1 through 15. For any system above a single-room installation, the only remote option is an $870 two-way jobber with a color screen. The Crestron HR-150 no-screen remote with 8 one-touch engravable buttons at $349 OR the URC MX-890 at $499 if you want to have a bit more customization on the remote itself are both long lasting, child durable, one-touch remotes with no need for an on-screen or on-remote screen. Its a real pet peeve of mine when a remotes display is too dim to read in a darkened environment (sadly, a problem thats only getting worse as I get older), and the TRC-1480 totally aces this test, with a nice tilt sensor that wakes the screen and backlit buttons when you grab it. Its pretty easy to tell that a lot of what they are doing is re-branded equipment from other companies. Available in Black. A lot of people slate control4 and say Rti is better purely down to the fact that Rti can be fully customised, yes there is a place for Rti in the whole CI Realm, both systems have their weaknesses and strengths. I know there is a Roku driver by a 3rd party company (Extra Vegatables) that will give you full access to the Roku if you put it into a video matrix (like your Altona recommendation). While the 1480 has a Home icon in the upper corner for selecting and controlling different rooms in the project, I found myself primarily using it in my family/media room, and turning to the URC Mobile 2.5 app and the TDC-9100 touchscreen for much of the whole-house control as it was just easier to jump to different rooms and select things like lights, shades, and music on the larger screen. Log-In or Register to view pricing. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. These include but are not limited to: Our own London-based team includes URC systems integration professionals authorised to install and program Total Control 2.0 on behalf of clients who reside in the UK.