sonic30101

Image update tool let's you put any version onto the controller

Make sure you set them up as bridge mode. Haven't played with the 6 version yet.

Most att wond do full bridge mode. Best you can probably do is dmz the araknis which doesn't disable att wifi. I don't mind leaving them running for emergency but always rename then to att modem as said for easy redundancy when there is trouble and troubleshooting if 1 works but other is down. Proper explanation to the client is key if you do it that way and have documentation especially when a modem won't bridge

Is there a separate 2.4 wifi network on the araknis access points? HP are very finicky. I usually have to log into the access point and put them in wps mode and walk through the printers wizard to get them to play nice when the normal procedures are giving grief

14 minutes ago, mujos said:

I would like to attach 8 chromecast (coupled with HDMI splitter)

The triad has no volume or input switching. So depending on your setup you will likely need a matrix amp or an amp and triad matrix for control4 source switching and volume. I haven't tried but I am guessing the hdmi audio out after being extracted will not be variable so the triad amp by itself will probably not work.

I'm assuming this is for audio only or are you putting hdmi extenders and going to tvs as well?

In the Alexa app create a routine and do an alias the proper naming convention and point it to the voice scene in c4

They could be needed, you might be able to value engineer it and delete a few of them with drawbacks. If there are IR or serial devices. It gives you on screen but probably most important is zigbee transmitters for the remotes, lights, thermostats, etc for range. Depending on wiring and footprint of the house for coverage some might be able to he deleted but those are factors we don't know 100%

5 hours ago, rwparis84 said:

 I may be reading too much into that, I just want to be sure I am understanding what is needed.

See above. You may not need 1 per zone and may be able to consolidate certain areas. But 1 for the entire house is most likely not going to work. Having 1 per family member may work but has its design flaws by convoluting the streams from a routing perspective making it more frustrating to operate.

6 hours ago, SMHarman said:

Josh AI interfaces well with SONOS.

A single SONOS connected to Josh and then connected into a matrix will give you a lot of the functionality you need.

This will work to some degree until someone wants to listen to something else simultaneously in another room. If you go that route you would want a sonos port per family member or quantity of minimum simultaneous audio streams required. ALL voice audio requests will be " Josh, play Alladin Sountrack on (Family member's name) sonos". Josh won't know which sonos to play onto because there is no context for which users sonos to send it to so anyone unfamiliar with the system wont be able to work it. Also I think once the stream is started an additional phrase might be required of "Josh, play (Family member's name) sonos in (room name)" that I would say needs to be double checked because if 2 separate voice phrases are needed no one would ever use it. So it might be disjointed in practice and you lose the intuitiveness since you typically link a sonos port to a zone but it could be re-imagined with limits. 

2 hours ago, rwparis84 said:

sonic3101 - you may have answered this already above, must have scrolled past your other reply.

So - if I am wanting that functionality, then the additional $$$ for Sonos is required....?

Unfortunately gotta have it for it to operate like the videos you see on youtube. If all you wanted was pandora for voice initiated music you could get away with it but the experience is limited functionality without sonos.

25 minutes ago, rwparis84 said:

Am I correct in assuming with the native C4 system and Josh.ai, I do not have to do all the programming that would be involved with Alexa....correct? I know setting scenes up and everything, but for my little girl to walk into a room and say "Josh, play the Aladdin Soundtrack on Spotify", does that phrase have to be programmed into Josh.ai, or will it just search Spotify for the Aladdin Soundtrack and begin playing it?...and obviously she would not have to say what room she is in because the Josh.ai mic will pick that up in that room and play it in that room?

For some reason, the folks pushing Sonos made it seem like that process could not happen easily without the Sonos Components? Obviously, I am just wanting to be sure because either way this is a big investment in a system, and I do not want to think one thing and then realize after the fact that it was something different and I did not completely understand it.

Once the Josh setup has been done and all the devices are set up in the appropriate rooms additional programing wont be needed for "Josh, play the Alladin Sountrack"

Without Sonos you would only be able to do pandora radio stations so no way to ask for a particular song/playlist/album on the spot or any other music service.

1 hour ago, eggzlot said:

if you want to use Josh there is no need for Sonos

Sonos is a music streaming device, not a Josh/Voice device

C4 natively can play Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Soundmachine, Spotify, Tunein, Tidal and Amazon music. It can also do DLNA and play your own content off a NAS or something. If you need other services not listed above, that are available on Sonos, yes you can add sonos to Control4. But you do not need a full Sonos system per se.

Control4 can do many music services, but Josh is limited to only a beta of pandora radio with the native control4 music services at the moment. For other music services and a much deeper search mechanic as well as using voicecast and airplay2 functionality the sonos is the official way to do it since Josh and Sonos have such a deep relationship.

You can, but the pitfalls are:

EDID problems 

Are you extracting audio for speakers in the rooms?

From a routing perspective there can be issues since it isn't true 1 to 1 ratio. How many people are in the home and how many tvs are required to be running simultaneously. Also number of sources would be helpful

Surround sound room? Sounds like you have an announcement that is interrupting. What is version? Some older ones don't revert properly. Otherwise a dealer can help with a snapshot driver but I typically try to avoid announcements in avr rooms if the first item is a yes.

You are going to need a dealer to help reidentify the remote. That button sequence disconnects it from zigbee. Did the previous owner leave the router as well? Did they give you the email and password of the account the controller is registered to?

I would go with smart bulbs over dimmer modules as well

What is the model of both the old and new tv? Confirming control4 doesn't control any functions of the new tv. Likely IR bud location. If it is a QLED the ir is over the samsung emblem on the front.

Going non dealer excludes Control4, Savant, Crestron, URC, RTI and the like.

You are probably looking in the Alexa/google home/home kit/smartthings direction depending on your level of comfort in technology which opens you to systems like home assistant

Adding a driver requires pro version of the software

I saw something about their local API changing recently on their end with an auto update but don't know much about it.

Could you add a virtual switch in the vera that the fibari can trigger. Then control4 monitors the status of the virtual switch and provides the end result. I have set up virtual switches that my zwave meters trigger when the dryer and washing machine trigger via wattage draw and they work great with some fine tuning

Also make sure to use the snapshot driver to revert the room back to what it was doing before the button press. 

You will need 2.9.1 with a cert patch. Also is there a site license on your c4 customer account. I am guessing this may not be a hc800-bl1 which can be confirmed by looking at the sticker on the bottom

Usually arc isn't very reliable and you have to enable hdmi cec which can allow devices to switch inputs by themselves without c4 being involved so things can get out of sync. So it really depends on the setup but fiber optic output from the tv to ave is usually a lot better solution

Are there any turns or is it a straight run. Some of the 90 degree turns with central vac pipe is a sharp bend radius