CanesFan

1 hour ago, SMHarman said:

 

 

 

 

That's a tough one to answer, your prior owners will know better. Can you ask them.

 

 

They may have some streaming apps they used embedded in the controller.

 

 

They may have had a SONOS connect attached for music.

 

 

They may have had a local hard disc or media stick attached to the controller.

 

 

 

 

What you seem to be missing right now is something to play. Depending on how that something to play needs to be set up is where a dealer comes in.

 

 

 

 

You also don't know the name of the system, or have a visual display on the system. Both will hinder a remote dealers access.

 

 

 

 

A remote dealer here could tell you what media is configured and what you can add.

 

 

 

 

Do you have digital media stored somewhere? ITunes MP4 won't play on the HC300. They need to be converted to Mp3

The HC250 resolves this problem. Further, most 250s give access to the C4 app on your phone / device to more easily drive the music system. Oh and that echo. You can add that to the system to drive it by voice. See how components you already have are joining the connected party.

 

 

 

 

Don't underestimate how much more music may be listened to at home if you can just press a button.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the reply. My plan was to just plug in an iPod to the iPod dock that was left there as well. They had a Control4 iPod dock and another one from another brand, not sure which one they were using. Will an iPod not be able to play on on my current setup with one of those docks connected to the amplifier?

Yes, while Googling for answers to my questions, I saw that the Echo was able to be hooked up. One of my other options for music was to connect an Echo Dot via audio cable through one of the audio inputs.

52 minutes ago, Cyknight said:

 

 

Hey, everyone's different, but I've heard 'i don't listen to music much anyway' more times than I can count. And for every one of those that skimped on music sources (controller feeds) because of that, their system got upgraded because ... they started listening to music more

I understand, and if that were to happen to me, I would take full responsibility for not doing it from the get go and fork over the money involved in upgrading. I don't even have an extensive digital music collection (no physical media for music at all).

23 hours ago, Cyknight said:

If setup right, you'll likely find you'll use it far more often than that.

I don't really listen to music much, except for when I'm driving or when going out for a run. Music at home is not really my thing or my wife's. The few times we have listened to music at home, I've just had the Amazon Echo play a few tunes (maybe 6 times in the 2 years I've owned the Amazon Echo). I know it's not the biggest sound to fill a room, but I'm not an audiophile or anything close to it. The wife just really wants music to be played from the speakers already installed throughout the house whenever we have company over for a get together. I don't see myself spending too much money for this feature alone and the few times that it will happen.

We don't really have anything else that I need (or want) to be controlled with this I think. 

21 hours ago, SMHarman said:

The controller you have is end of life. The amp, speakers and remotes are not.

 

The advice above to get a local dealer to hook you up with a new controller an ea3 or a 250 or 800 and connect up the music services you use or put your own music on a disc this can access will be a good investment

 

 

Once that is done remote tweaks are great.

If I have to buy a new controller I will most definitely not be going this route and figure out another way to play music. If I would have another use for this system, I would possibly think about it, but the fact that once you buy something (even though, I did not purchase and just inherited it) you still need someone else to make any changes is a big turnoff.

My thought, which may be incorrect, was that if it was up an running before I moved in (not sure if it ever was), can't I just plug the system back in and things be working again? Or does a dealer need to still do something to your system in order for it to work?

2 hours ago, msgreenf said:

no, you will need to work with a dealer

Thanks, I will have to look into that then (if I want to use the system left by the previous owner. I had an A/V guy come out and tell me he did not work with Control4, was trying to steer me to Sonos. I just don't want to spend $2k to be able to listen to music through the speakers already installed throughout the house for maybe 2 times out of the year that we'd probably use it (if we have a get together).

47 minutes ago, SMHarman said:

Though now you are here you can work with a remote dealer.

 

That's if you are good to figure out the physical connections.

Yes, I can figure out connections pretty good. How does one go about working with a remote dealer? I'm assuming they either do it over the phone/chat/e-mail, but do they need information like wireless passwords, etc. (maybe other things someone will be hesitant to give to a complete stranger). Also, would this be a bit more cost conscious that dealing with an in person dealer/tech? I did search and found some local companies that are Control4 dealers and I'm assuming they would come out.

Sorry, edited post...hit enter a little too soon.

10 hours ago, Jack1233 said:

Very old topic but looks like nothing change. It's really sad that still there is no way to set it up the system myself. As a geek and software dev I would be so interested in doing it myself. Control4 looks like the system I would like to use (even though the UI looks like old WPF from 2007) but I will have to find the way to set it up with play-fi or other new coming devices (maybe Alexa can help).

Getting the guys from BestBuy to come, scheduled them at home, charge me for all that 'advises' and at the end, they will do bad job anyway, it's just destroying the whole experience. Earn money on hardware, one time license pay for software (I can pay for updates, I am fine with that), but don't ask people to pay for some dealers wasting my time. Give me a way to have fun with the setup and your business will be better.

//and seriously, your app looks ugly, hire a designer

 

Can I ask how much the Best Buy techs charged you (just advice or install/configuration also)?

I moved into a new home last year and the previous owner left their Control4 system in the home. From what I can tell, it is a 4 zone matrix amplifier, the HC300, and 4 remote controls. I'm not sure what they were controlling with the Control4 system, but I just want to be able to listen to music through the speakers in the ceiling and outside. Is this something that I can do on my own if it was already being controlled before? When I moved in, most of the (many) cables were not plugged in and Comcast starting unplugging and snipping coaxial cables when they came to install their cable. I know the coaxial cables have nothing to do with the speakers but I'm not sure what else they did in the A/V panel, the speaker wires do look to still be connected to the back of the amplifier though (nothing else is connected).

Stumbled upon this forum when searching for answers, thanks in advance.