Is Home Automation the Next Big Thing?

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/home-automation-insteon,2308.html' target='_blank'>http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...steon,2308.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Many of us have seen sci-fi movies where the characters come home, walk in the front door, and their lights turn on for them. Perhaps they tell the house to switch on the TV or bring up the video phone with its wall-sized screen to call a friend. Unfortunately, we're not quite "there" yet with regard to commercially-available home automation technology. But you might be surprised at how much can be achieved by the enthusiast looking to advance his home into the 21st century. Let me show you some of the shipping protocols and options. Then, we'll walk through the purchase process and installation to see what it takes to turn a house into a modern-day electronic toy."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1246292008.usr10.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>I've thought home automation was due to be the next big thing for years now, yet it never seems to quite take off.&nbsp; This article explores some of the reasons why as well as guide to setting up some Home Automation.&nbsp; We have some different home automation features in our home, but no real tied-together system.&nbsp; Anyone want to share their home automation successes and/or failures?</p>

[entropy1980]

I have automated my home using Insteon from SmartHome and using Indigo running on a Mac Mini. Been a great experience! I can control the lights, A/C and cameras from anywhere which has been made even better by Indigo releasing an iPhone client so I have even better control of all the elements. Pretty sweet to have a theatre mode on my Harmony remote that dims the lights, and plays movies off my AppleTv all in one button press, and when I pause the movie the lights slowly come up so you can find your way to the bathroom :)

[Sedwo]

I truly believe that today's modern homes should be able to take care of themselves and leave the occupants with more time to work on more important things.

Here are a couple of projects that I've done. Using a Dell AXIM PDA + Insteon hardware + PocketCRON & PocketDAQ Pro (my own software).

PDA Controlled Christmas Tree Lights (http://www.appliedpda.com/blog/show/30)

PDA Controlled Water Sprinkler (http://www.appliedpda.com/blog/show/35)

In my experience, most home automation is still in the realm of DIY and requires a certain level of patience with the technology. The rest of the advanced configurations are niche and usually professionally installed into million dollar homes.

The dream is for the technology to still become much cheaper, and then for a major home builder to pick it up and install such things into new neighborhoods.

I say give it another 4-8 years.

[entropy1980]

I also use it for my sprinklers, but I am using this: http://www.smarthome.com/31270/INSTEON-8-Zone-Sprinkler-Controller-Lawn-Irrigation-System/p.aspx

Works great and with Indigo I have a script that checks the NWS and then adjusts the length of time automatically for optimal amount of watering. Very cool stuff!

[Sedwo]

entropy1980,

Your setup is actually quite similar to what I am designing currently for implementation within the near future.

As I intend to overhaul my entire A/V system. Currently I use a hacked classic XBOX running XBMC with a CRT tv.

My plan is to use a new Mac mini as the new HTPC, with a 1.5TB FW800 drive, and of course the new HD tv.

The mac mini being quiet and efficient will always be on and act as my HTPC, Home Server (hence the 1.5TB drive), and with it, I was also planning to move my home automation to it.

Right now I am testing various media center software and have most of the hardware picked out, but my greatest challenge is that I still have not found a decent remote control for it.

The Harmony remotes seem very expensive and why do they all have so many cluttered buttons. All I need is about 12 simple buttons, not 1200. As I don't have cable, or satellite, and am pure internet based.

Here is my ideal remote:
- Simple (no more than 12 buttons)
- IR learning
- plus a horizontal slide out keyboard like the HTC Touch Pro, for those random times you need to type something in (like a youtube search)

I can't believe nobody has built such a thing, in all the years HTPC's have been around. ;)

[Sven Johannsen]

Gosh, I've had X-10 stuff in the house since the control software ran on my Radio Shack CoCo, and the interface box hooked to the computer via the tape controller interface. Still using X-10 stuff though their site looks like it was designed by bad infomercial pitchmen. My only issue of late has been the house is too big. Even with signal bridges, I can't reliable hit every controller in the house from everywhere in the house. I have played with some Insteon stuff but haven't had much bettrer luck with it.

Mostly I'm just using light control, automatically turning up lights in the morning, shutting things off at appropriate times, activitating lights from IR sensors, and the like. Pretty convenient to have controls around the house that can shut off all the lights, in case you forget one downstairs when already in bed, or a safety button that just turns on one light in every room when you come home in the middle of the night.

It really isn't hard to put some basic stuff together to see what it can do.