Deep Blue,

I was on my phone and could not see where you were from before. Where in CO are you located? I know a couple kick ass integrators in CO that I can recommend.

charris is spot on. A good integrator will make the right recommendations based on the size of your home and exactly what you want to control. Control4 is a great system for the right client, Lutron or Crestron are also great products. It is a matter of finding someone who you click with who will work in your best interest and has the chops to complete the programming and most important the last 5% of the job.

Regarding Ray's system. I actually helped Ray with his C4 set up. He is a geeky techy guy who was at the end of a large remodel and didn't want to spend the cash for a Crestron system. Now that his has the baller $'s and the remodel complete and is expanding

I am not surprised to hear he wants the newest stuff out there. I would highly recommend (as stated above) that Ray stick with products that are proven and vetted. When C4 came out it was a group of guys from Panja who spent three years programming and waiting for a NDA to end before brining it to market, guess what, it was buggy as hell for 3 more years. In the control world being on the bleeding edge is not the place I want to be. Look at how sexy Savant is, all Apple based...try installing and using a Savant system...that is a whole other story I wont get into.

 

Control 4, blah. First they where Phast, than Panja now C4, Wonder what there next name will be. I wouldn't sell more less design a system around C4 after what they did with there pevious company and leaving the Integrators to deal with there messes.

Crestron is the leader and always will be. They stand behind there product and there is nothing you can't do with Crestron, the only limitation is the clients check book and the Integrators/designers experience

 

Thanks guys, good information here. I need to look at the Redeye setup, thats pretty cool. I will be having an meeting with the sales guy as well as the engineer (ListenUp). My setup is pretty simple, 7.1 in the theater room, all equipment in the utility room (more or less 2 of each 4 sources), 4 other zones with AV and light/fan control in all rooms. One of the things I really liked was the remote web access to everything for when I travel.

One of the things I do not like about C4 is the "closed" system, I am very technical and like hands on, having to call someone every time something changes kinda chaps my hide.

Buzzed, I am about an hour south of Denver on the North side of Colorado Springs, I'd appreciate talking to your integrators.

Someone emailed me some info on Savant, I also was reading on Crestron Prodigy but sounds like its for smaller installs, thoughts?

Charris,

 

Crestron Prodigy was made to compete with C4, its a better product.

 

Christian, this is misinformation. Crestron really messed up Prodigy and left a lot of dealers with problems with regards to upgrades and future products. They sent a letter a few months ago and they turned most Prodigy dealers into full Crestron dealers and moved the line to distribution.

Prodigy is very limited and for small systems. For deepblue it can certainly do the job but as I said Crestron decided not to allocate many resources any more for this line so it is not a good choice. There are also ways now that you can do what deepblue says with products from the full Crestron line and be at almost same cost as Prodigy. The "problem" with Crestron is that the commisioning and programming - and even upgrades - phases are much more heavy and more time consuming than C4 and this reflects on the budget but the time needed for the installer. But if the budget is there (including continuous budget for changes and upgrades) and the installer is competent then yes it is the best you can get.

 

i agree that they messed up with Prodigy, they messed up when they started making processors that would combine both systems and expand the Prodigy. Prodigy is a fraction of the price as full blown Crestron but was doing the same thing just on a s smaller scale.

Sure it cost more to program a Crestron System, you have to be a programmer, the extra money spent is well spent. C4 is built for shot, especially there light switches.

Also, hows it "mis-information". They made Prodigy to compete with C4 and it is by far a better product

 

Prodigy seems to have some limitations to just a couple AV zones off a reciever(Link to Prodigy Options), perhaps there is more to this with a good integrator, but right now I have 4 AV zones and lighting/fan/fireplace control in all rooms as well as intgerating my NEST thermostat which seems just beyong what the Prodigy setup can do.

Interesingly, Crestron seems to have a warm spot in their heart for C4 with wanting to "wipe Control4 off the planet" (Crestron Prodigy Article from CE Pro). Undoubtedly there is an inside story on this.

The C4 quote I have uses zigbee wifi hardware, basically $129 per switch, and using balin at all the AV zones. I'll post more details and you guys can tell me whats what.

 

If possible I would use Lutron for the lighting. We do not have a Lutron retro wireless system here but I think you have two there: the basic one is called Radio Ra and you also have Homeworks wireless which is more expensive. I am not 100% sure about the integration of Radio RA with C4 but I think it is fine but I will try and get more info (I have experience with C4 and Lutron Homeworks (wired) in many projects and that is no problem).

If you do not have many circuits in each room, not big requirements for scenes and you are ok with the aesthetics, the C4 lighting will work fine but it is basic. It will though enhance the zigbee network of the house and this is good for the remotes (SR250) and other zigbee devices (if any have been specified).

 

As my post above,I agree about the lighting range, even though it works.

I apologize, mis-information was a heavy word to use. It is my opinion though that Prodigy is not a competitor for C4 maybe because I use C4 in some good size projects also e.g 100k+ where Prodigy can not do much. On the smaller projects they are certainly competitors. I am also not happy with Prodigy in regards to how Crestron handled the whole situation. Don't get me wrong, I am a big Crestron fan and do a lot of work and projects with them, it's just Prodigy did not convince me.

 

^Im not a huge fan of Prodigy, 95% of my systems are Crestron/Lutron.

IMO if you have a project that is substantial than there are several better options that are proven and have history over C4. I agree that Crestron pulled the plug on Prodigy and may have screwed a few folks, however, what the founders/backers of C4 did was criminal when they where PHAST/Panja/etc

Mark my word, C4 will end just like the previous company did, C4 has said many many times they want to be in every home,are going into Best Buys, Lowes, Home Depot, etc is there goal. You can have quality and/or quantity buts its hard to have both.