I need some new video encoders for my Video Storm system, and the 1.4 encoders can be had for ~150 for 1 channel up to $450 for 4 channels of 4k 30fps HDCP 1.4 specs.  If I want something with 60 FPS and/or HDCP 2.2 its about $500 PER Channel.

I am fairly confident my mid 40 year old eyes won't know the difference between 30 vs 60 fps....I am only getting 4k tvs in the house as my older 1080p ones die.  And most of the content is going to be off cable boxes with very little 4k content, though I may share a Roku device for apps around the house and that is in 4k

Anything preventing me from getting the cheaper 1.4 models and some sort of 2.2 > 1.4 down converter?  What do I lose?  When I look online its a lot about PS5, or tons of fancy graphs with big words, not discussions about whole home TV distribution (though I know the basic concepts are kind of the same)

@videostorm or others, any ideas?

not much to add other than I got busy, forgot about this, and all the sudden this weekend we noticed my wife's phone is working.  so yeah, maybe fixed itself...

there are competitors in the market, what you list aren't competitors

Amazon Alexa, Samsung products and Ooma (with IFTTT driver) all work within Control4.  C4 doesnt make phones, TVs or Voice Enabled hardware.

11 minutes ago, RAV said:

Did you try disable/delete the old phones in your portal account under users devices?

worked for 1 of the 2 phones.  hmm

3 minutes ago, RAV said:

Did you try disable/delete the old phones in your portal account under users devices?

Yes

old phones have been deleted.  only devices are my HE computer, my 3 tablets and 2 (new) iPhones though to be fair, I did delete after the last time someone rang the door bell.  let me see if my deleting the old phones fixed it.

Wife and I had iPhone 12's, traded them in this weekend for the 15's and now Intercom function isnt working.  Previously it worked fine.

When the door bell rings, we used to get the Intercom Call + a C4 Push notification with a image of who is at the door

Currently we get just the push notification, not the actual call

We each have our own log in, installed the C4 app and logged in using our personal log ins.  We can do anything else we want with the C4 apps.  I checked, registered users on the C4 Portal (duh we were able to log into the app), 4sight is up to date, etc.

Within the app itself, there is an enable/disable intercom button, and that is pushed to on, so the intercom should work.

Am I missing something silly?  Something I set up 2-3 years ago and forgot to click something somewhere?

I think Heos works too with C4 drivers

Though I agree, if they can build a Triad One, why not just do a model with a build in speaker...I guess Sonos is so huge they figure the install rate would be minimal.

A status landing page would be welcomed.

that said AV is quick to find, you could set up a dummy room called "Home" and have your locks/sensors/alarms on that page for a quick visual but it would be a hodge podge attempt at best.

Not calling out those who "don't" want a dashboard, but there is a reason why dashboards are popular in the corporate world - cuts through the noise and you can see important things (to you) at a quick glance

6 hours ago, cnicholson said:

Part of this week's Apple announcements are rumored to include new "U2" wideband chips.   I have assumed for a while that Apple would turn your Apple Watch into a precise indoor tracker, using HomePods and Apple TVs (etc.) as triangulation beacons to track what room you're in (and not just that you're home).   Maybe that is finally coming.   With existing 3rd party Homebridge drivers, that stuff could be easily tracked via C4 dummy devices.

But again there has to be some nice logic on the backend

what if we are in the kitchen and guests are leaving and we want to turn on outdoor lights - can’t say lights on and the system think we are in the kitchen so still will need room name

and again if someone is sleeping if someone with a watch walks in and lights go on that’s annoying

its cool it CAN happen - my simple mind has trouble processing the how and why behind it

10 hours ago, Control4Savant said:

Yes. I find these things extremely important as options because of the cause and “supremeness” of pro systems but VC a minority request in my option. The native wearable and tag geofencing integration could be more useful by large margins. I also would guess people may speak more ofter  into something they wear over a table set device. 

You can speak into a wearable, an always listening remote, an always listening tablet, a speaker on the shelf etc

If you sell both systems and 100% Apple Music is required by a client and that’s the 1 deal breaker sure I could see saying ok here’s Savant.  
 

just like if someone wants to drive 0-60 in 3 seconds they wouldn’t get a Ford Explorer, there are other options 

10 hours ago, Control4Savant said:

My keys have airtags

My dogs collars have airtags

My kids have airtags in school bags and wearables for basic communication.. 

all of these things can trigger different lighting and home response for a verity of reasons. 

…to be clear this doesnt make or break a system. This wouldnt make Elan all of the sudden better than C4. If we’re truly comparing the best systems nit picking theses specifics at this point in technology I think is warranted. 

Let’s also not  pretend this forum wouldnt be going nuts if Control4 realeased native support for Apple/Siri like this… 

So what is the programming?  When kids AirTag is noticed unlock the door?  If the kids are old enough to get off the bus themselves and come into an empty home without an adult can’t they put a code into a door lock?

I have a dog - No AirTag in her.  How would I use geofencing for my dog and program stuff?  I guess if you don’t have a fence and just let the dog roam around town and when the dog is back on the property blink lights?  Is this something big in the luxury market?

i think localized in house geofencing could be interesting.  Like with Josh you can turn on TV and it should know your room - ok.  There is something different there.  But like I said there is a lot of logic needed here to make this super elegant so someone walking thru a room doesn’t auto trigger lights or media when not wanted.

Exterior geofencing - I don’t see it I guess.  

7 minutes ago, Control4Savant said:

Lol what? Full integration would be passing it on to do its own thing? So anything thats not Control4 branded isnt full integration? What are you even talking about? You can use Siri to natively trigger Savant. You can use Airtags and wearable tech to natively trigger Savant. Something that is specifically talked about and asked about here for C4 systems. Savant has quietly talked about this to us for years. This is just more putting your fingers in your ears repeating  “all systems are the same, all systems are the same, all systems are the same…”  lol. 

I thought AirTags were for keys and luggage?  Not being combative, but how are AirTags useful for geofencing in regards to home automation?  If you say a car ok, but again I wouldn’t do that for security/safety reasons.  So to each his own I suppose.

I think the wearable tech is like if you walk into a room put the lights on  - but what if your baby is sleeping in that room, or a grown adult (perhaps me) is sleeping on the couch and my wife walks thru the living room en route to the kitchen - her Apple Watch would turn on the living room lights?

This isnt a knock on Savant/Apple, its a I don’t get how your system will be smart enough to use wearable tech to do what you want it to do every time without fail.  Again I could be missing something in my thick head, I wouldnt put it past me.  

I like C4, I realize it has a few weaknesses, and their CEDIA announcements arent party worthy, but AirTag integration?  I wouldn’t be jumping if C4 announced that either.

29 minutes ago, cnicholson said:

It would be nice if the Siri/Homebridge stuff were officially supported, but it is still great that 3rd party solutions are available.

Without official Apple cooperation, however, any Siri integration is going to hit a big wall: music.   Homekit is happy to control 3rd party devices, but Music is *native*/exclusive to Siri.   Good luck using Siri to play a specific song via voice commands on your Control4 system (other than by controlling an AppleTV with Halo--- which is huge, but depends on Apple TV being on and set to active session).

It seems like Savant is offering a more Josh-like experience of single-interface control of media AND home automation controls.   Control4 falls short here, currently, IMHO.

I guess it all comes down to 2 things:

1) Voice > I still dont get the appeal, I have enough sensors/timers/programming in my house, very rarely do I need to adjust lights, if I do, a cell phone/c4 touchscreen isnt far away.  There is 1 scenario where sometimes I like to adjust lights using voice control, so I solved that with a $39 Alexa, though I could also likely program a button on the SR260 to do it for me too (just thought of that now)

2) Apple Music > I dont pay for that service

So to me, I have a single interface for control of media and home automation.  My media is Pandora, SiriusXM and Audacy along with distributed video and its all controlled within the same interface.  I guess I cannot tell my home to play XYZ, I just press a button to do it.  But is paying $100's a year in licensing fees + upfront hardware costs to Josh worth telling my Pandora what to play vs pushing a button?  And if I wanted to mess around enough, maybe I could create media scenes around playlists and tell my $39 alexa to play something and it plays out of the EA Controller.  I know Josh is a premium for security/not selling your info, etc I am not saying there isnt some value if you are starting from scratch it is at least a bit more in the C4/Savant field now.

Of course I could be in the minority so YMMV

 

1 hour ago, Control4Savant said:

I agree with this first part 100%

C4 systems are really the one that will suffer here. Full boat Crestron systems are too custom and Savant never had Josh integration, now going fully into Siri integration…

https://www.cepro.com/control/savant-announces-integrations-with-siri-apple-smart-home-platform/

so though I have iPhones and iPads, I dont have much "Homekit" stuff and just have a few Alexa's laying around.  that said what the article states as examples are all things that can be done with C4/Alexa or C4/homebridge or C4/Google Voice Services already available?  I am personally not a fan of the 3rd item because if someone has your car, they can just pull into your house and turn off things and enter?  Seems a security fail point. From the article:

As an example, Savant poses this: Imagine asking Siri on an Apple Watch to activate a Savant Scene that plays your Apple Music playlist, all while light colors dynamically react to the beat and rhythm of the music.

Or ask Siri on an Apple HomePod to dim the living room lights, turn on the Apple TV and launch Disney+. In addition to these Apple devices, the Savant Pro Remote, which already integrates with Siri, is another voice input in the home that can leverage Savant AI technology for easy control.

Savant notes this even extends into the vehicle where Savant AI technology via Apple CarPlay can enhance personal safety and security as you approach the home (very similar to Alarm.com’s Android Auto integrations).

57 minutes ago, htjunkie said:

I have a few Fire TV sticks that I'd like to integrate with C4 SR260 remotes, the default C4 driver is very slow to respond.  With this IRUSB driver, do I need to purchase the IRUSB dongle and plug it into the Fire TV stick?  There's no USB port available for the IRUSB dongle to plug in, except the Fire TV cube.

Just wanted to confirm before I go out and get the IRUSB dongle, thanks for your help.

this link has the layout for what dongles are needed to get an IRUSB on the Sticks

https://www.video-storm.com/proddetail.php?prod=IRUSB#hardware

Also - anyone have thoughts if a cheap TCL/Toshiba/Insigna TV would have a better wifi chip than say the latest AFT Stick?  Because I could get a Stick + Roku TV (I like the IP control on the Roku) or just get one of these Fire TVs, but if I am relying on the Wifi for Netplay, want to make sure it has a decent Wifi card/chip.

16 hours ago, videostorm said:

On the integrated Fire TVs, the "best" way to control ON/OFF is:

1. On:  You can wake the device from SLEEP via IP.  Our IRUSB will provide this.  Perhaps other drivers will as well
2. Off:  Better to just set the TV sleep timer to 1 minute.  That way when the TV isn't playing video, it will just go to sleep after 1 min.  In sleep mode, the IP ports are still active while the screen is off.  Our IRUSB driver just uses the HOME key for the power off macro and lets the sleep timer handle it.

Using IR to turn OFF the TV will kill IP communication on most models.

BTW, if you have a good wifi connection (>100mbps reliable 5Ghz) you can use NetPlay over wifi for 1-2 rooms.  Just make sure your encoders are using HTTP streaming for best performance. 

Thanks I always thought Wifi was a no go on Netplay - that said I have a two room "suite" upstairs, and I have a hardwired TV in 1 room, I am looking to add a TV to the second room.  I changed the 1 tv in that area to Wifi to test, and so far, so good, so this may just work, thanks!  The other TV, when placed in the other room, will be about the same distance from the Access Point as this TV I am using for testing.

If I just suck it up, and IRUSB off an Amazon Fire TV can do Volume up/down, power on/power off right?  I have a spare IRUSB, so if I got a Roku TV (with IP drivers) + an AFT Stick for Netplay versus just an AFT with my already owned IRUSB seems to be my two options....

1 hour ago, Cyknight said:

1) MOST firetvs work fine for media selection etc IF HARDWIRED. Wireless is a crap shoot (in that the TV needs to support WOL while off, you may be looking for 'fast tv' fast start etc in settings). for an acutal TV you'd be missing volume and likely power on/off in most cases.

2) IRUSB should give control over NETWORK. The IR portion is a 'side' ability on them that you likely need for power and volume though.

3) You're better off getting an LG as mentioned above, and if needed/desired get a seperate fire stick....or just accept using an IR

I hear ya

I use Video Storm Netplay but no ethernet runs in this room and its not recommended to use VS Netplay over Wifi.  Since this is a guest room, and have zero need to have this TV in sync with other TVs, I was thinking of using an Apple TV behind a TV as my Cable Co (Optimum) allows you to use an Apple TV with the Optimum App to get Live TV so it will be a better experience for our guest room.

So looking for a cheap ~35-42'' TV to pop in there.  IP control would be nice if I want to give them an SR-260 to run it all and just know it isnt left on or something after the guests leave.  I could use IRUSB but I just find IR Buds ugly and in 2023, just want to use IP Control.  Really just need On/Off and Volume would be nice, though I assume I could control Volume on the Apple TV versus the TV itself.

Since I have Netplay/VS, I tend to try and buy Amazon/Google TVs, this way if I want to repurpose this tv in another room one day, its easy to turn it into a Netplay TV, but for $150, if I need an LG tv, i may just go that route versus a Fire TV, an IRUSB for the TV, and then the Apple TV.

On 8/26/2023 at 8:03 PM, Topfox said:

I use IRUSB on my two fire TVs, although they are Toshiba brand. I can control those items with it. 

With the IRUSB, assuming you are using the IR Bud on the front to blast the signals right?  Not just using the USB input to send commands?

Are there any AFT with an IP Driver @lippavisual or anyone else in the know?

You can’t in HE

there is a report your dealer can pdf out of Pro to give you a good idea 

I am in the "dont get voice" camp.  I have enough automations set up with sensors, programming off commands (turning on the TV at a certain time of day reflects the overhead lighting), 1 button to turn off the house, etc...

There are a few small use cases where I think voice is fine (in my house) yet Alexa is too clunky.  To my family, it wouldn't be worth the investment in Josh for 1-2 odds and ends that we have covered with remotes, keypads and T3/T4 anyways...If C4 "Snap'd" them up (pun intended) and it was just a pure hardware investment I'd consider it, but not a reoccurring fee - I got way too many of those so speaking to a light switch isn't going to move the needle

1 hour ago, ajsonnick said:

Hi All!

I have 3 Kwikset locks. All of them I've used with other systems like Alarm.com and Ring with ZERO issues.

Kwikset 99140-024 SmartCode 914

I have an issue where on 2 of them mostly the user codes get randomly wiped. 

My signal is very strong and the C4 controller is in the same spot where my ring was, etc. so I know it's a good signal too.

Does anyone have any experience or can anyone help with this? Thank you so much! 

you have proper drivers to use Zwave?

you can pop out the zwave card, buy this zigbee card, and may have more success (I have 3 kwikset locks for a decade with minimal issues)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294772438017

2 hours ago, Andrew luecke said:

Control4 has a normal 2n intercom driver in their database which I have used onsite twice with standard versa (2n branded) units.

But to utilise all capabilities on them, you need the additional 2n licences such as the enhanced automation licence (but that's the same with every automation system). 

The control4 unit has those licences included already.

Also, c4 does allow 3rd parties to develop intercom drivers too (ie, our hikvision or dahua intercom drivers as an example)

I don’t believe you need the enhanced automation license to use it within c4.  I stopped paying 2n at least 2 years ago when c4 rolled out the iOS intercom in app functionality and I get calls to my cell phone and automate actions in the house without issues. 
 

the advanced license may offer access to other features but I don’t recall any being worth a fee

5 hours ago, Control4Savant said:

You need a licensed unit from Control4… 

a licensed unit from c4 to do what?

They have made it public that 2n, Doorbird, Akuvox and Comelit work if they support standard SIP and there are certified C4 drivers and they have an SDK if others want to write drivers (which I believe there are a few 3rd party doorstation drivers for other brands now available).  I use some hardware that isn't available anymore called a 2n Video Kit and it works just fine with the standard 2n Driver (only a 2n Audio Kit is still being sold).  

https://www.snapav.com/shop/en/snapav/whats-new-cloud-services

to be clear, I believe any of these 2n doorstations would work in c4: https://www.2n.com/en_US/products/intercoms > a lot more options than just the DS2 style one

Holovision takes the guts of other companies doorstations and makes their own faceplates/designs (lots of customization options) so the doorbird and 2n versions should work also in C4

https://www.eholovision.com/solutions/2n-solutions/

https://www.eholovision.com/solutions/doorbird-solutions/