See Crestron in Booth #1901 at CEDIA Expo 2024 in Denver Next Week
Crestron Electronics, one of the industry’s leading providers of control solutions and more for the smart home and home automation channels announced this week a significant update of its popular Crestron Home OS4 system. This impressive update includes more than 20 new features, as well as new important integrations that offer integrators a mind-expanding opportunity to better design solutions for clients…not to mention drive greater scalability for both residential and commercial installations.
See more on this major Crestron Home OS4 announcement
This update to the Crestron Home operating system is surprisingly rich and cuts across multiple elements of the system. First up are programming and configuration enhancements that allow integrators the opportunity to add even more magic to the client experience and to add it easily and logically.
The first new capability announced was If-Then Conditional Logic. In an online demonstration to dealers and press, Doug Jacobson, Crestron Senior Director of Product Management, Software Platforms suggested several scenarios to show where if-then conditional logic may come into play and offer a new level of customization for the client. It also simplifies the setup for the integrator who can easily handle the the entire if-then conditional task within the Crestron Home OS setup.
If-Then Conditional Logic with Dynamic Choices
For example, imagine if you’d like to have bathroom lighting come on at a very low level in the case where the end-user gets up in the middle of the night. Jacobson carefully walked through the programming steps where conditional logic, with if-then dynamic options, coupled with an occupancy sensor in the bathroom helped to create a user event that will seem almost magical. And once integrators get used to the various commands, it will become secondhand nature for them to program a myriad of possibilities.
Jacobson said conditional logic “may be one of the most transformational new features introduced in Crestron Home.”
Crestron Home is about delivering a smart home experience that assimilates with the lifestyle of the homeowners by providing ultimate control delivered in a sleek interface. Our dealers are at the heart of each of these projects and these latest features were designed to help streamline several processes that will ultimately help dealers deliver more to their clients. Whether that’s through new system capabilities or the opportunity to natively bring in new third-party devices, we continue to use their feedback to make the OS more powerful with every update.
Michael Short, Crestron Senior Director of Marketing Operations and Residential
Other Customizations: Adjustable Lighting Fade Rates, 3rd Party Keypad Upgrades, Action Reports
Jacobson also noted several other less seismic, but still important updates, including a new ability to program the raise and lower rates or fade rates for lighting. Up to now, that has been a constant 3-second rate. Now, it is a simple matter to adjust the lighting fade rate anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds. This new capability is fast for the integrator to set…and easy to test with the client until you have it just exactly the way the client prefers.
Another example of this is what Jacobson calls “a subtle but important upgrade” to the existing Crestron universal keypad integrator for integrating 3rd party keypads into a Crestron Home system. When using 3rd party keypads that are basic contact closure button-push type, thanks to this latest upgrade they will now act like native Crestron keypads. Home OS 4 now also allows integrators to generate “action reports” that document keypad configurations for professional documentation, “saving time and ensuring accuracy,” Jacobson added.
Techs & Support Staff Will Love Environmental Summary Report Documentation
In the same vein, another update coming this Fall is the Crestron Home Environmental Summary Report. This is going to quickly become a favorite feature for all service techs and support personnel who too often head to an installation with incomplete information. With this new feature, all support teams have to do is print out the Environmental Summary Report, and there at their fingertips is a complete review of the system’s environmental controls, all the lighting scenes, shade scenes, quick actions, loads, sensors, and keypads.
By providing a comprehensive overview of the system configuration, technicians get a running start with a clear roadmap on the system layout, helping to locate potential problem points and to quickly and effectively diagnose and alleviate any issues. The Environmental Summary Report is just one more example of how Crestron is giving the tools integrators need to efficiently and effectively deploy and maintain client-delighting systems.
A Sonos Integration That Delivers a More Enjoyable Audio Experience
In a final point of Jacobson’s portion of the presentation, he noted that the company has added a new integration that improves the audio experience for those Crestron Home OS 4 homes that include a Sonos soundbar. This is pretty cool. Crestron Home OS will explicitly instruct the Sonos soundbar to switch between TV audio and streaming music based on the source selected in the Home OS.
This allows end users to easily switch between different audio sources, say from Apple TV to music, without first needing to turn the room off and then back on to trigger the auto-switching built into Sonos soundbars. Simply put, this provides clients with a more intuitive and more enjoyable audio experience.
Little did we know that later in this Crestron presentation we were going to hear about another major integration that shows this company recognizes the value of an open ecosystem, rather than the older days of the walled gardens that existed in the past matrix systems days.
In-App Branding Helps Integrators Look More Professional & Stay Connected
Another neat touch is that Crestron Home OS now builds in easy branding for integrators, allowing them to add their logo to the Crestron Home app and touchscreens. The company calls this In-App Branding and I think integrators are going to really appreciate this addition. Having the integrator’s brand show throughout the app and on touchscreens throughout an installation is a nice way to personalize projects and remind clients who to contact if they need support.
The company says that in-app branding definitely delivers a more custom experience. You can see an example of in-app branding in the image at the top of this post. The brand “Luxury Lofts” is the installer’s brand for a tidy professional look.
This is Smart: Full Lutron Ketra Integration Gives Clients More Lighting Choices
For many integrators, this next bit of news will be quite meaningful and is that “other integration” I referred to above. The company is continuing to embrace integrations that better meet the needs of a wider range of integrators – a true expression of its desire to be a better partner to local dealers…not just another supplier. So even though Crestron offers a wide range of its own lighting options, they now have implemented an integration that will be more meaningful for those Crestron dealers who also offer Lutron lighting products.
That’s right, Home OS 4 now offers native Lutron Ketra integration. Ketra, as you might know, is one of the leading lighting solutions that embrace human-centric lighting. They were an early and prominent creator of dynamic lighting solutions that allow whole-home residential lighting to synch with human-based circadian rhythm.
Crestron Remains Committed to an Open Ecosystem
Customers want choices when it comes to lighting and native Ketra integration reinforces our commitment to an open ecosystem by keeping the platform open and flexible. Customers are free to choose the lighting they want while staying on the industry’s leading control platform. Native Ketra integration promises an unparalleled user experience with seamless control within the Crestron Home app and touchscreens.
Alex Peras, Crestron Vice President of Product
In addition to new integrations, the company continues to upgrade existing integrations, including access control. And this upgrade quite literally starts at the front door. The company has upgraded its integration with door locks and even added enhanced management capabilities.
New Access Control Options via Yale Smart Door Locks with More to Come
This means that you can now manage door lock access on a specific per-door/per-user basis. For example, the homeowner gets one code to access the home through the front door, while service personnel get a separate code for side door access. This can be a great option for residential use, or rental use where more control of access is helpful to owners.
This new capability works with the Crestron EX door locks and Yale Pro2 Deadbolt Lock. Shortly, the company says it is introducing a new driver that will open the capability to an even wider range of smart door lock brands.
Pin Code Access Controls Who Can Control the System
Another update to help clients better control access to their systems is the addition of pin code access to touchscreens. This allows homeowners to lock down touchscreens so that only those people who are provided the code can control the system. This feature could be incredibly useful in families with small children or who often host guests or parties.
Room-to-Room Calling and Paging Replies Eliminates Standalone Intercom Systems
Another new feature that clients are sure to love is room-to-room calling and paging replies. No longer will homeowners need a separate intercom system, with this upgrade, families will be able to communicate with other family members or guests, no matter where they are in the home. Room-to-room calling enables direct conversations between any two rooms in the home with Crestron touchscreens.
Paging replies allow users to reply directly to a page from another room in the home. It’s all built into the Crestron Home OS system that users are already comfortable using.
myQ Driver for Chamberlain and Liftmaster Garage Door Openers
Rounding out our access control upgrades, Crestron Home OS now integrates with the myQ driver for Chamberlain and Liftmaster garage door openers with Wi-Fi connectivity into the house access area of the app. This gives homeowners a view of garage doors, gates, and locks all in one convenient place.
Says Crestron: “This is just one of those quality of life improvements that make controlling the security of your home convenient rather than a chore.”
Other Crestron Home OS Updates Integrators are Going to Love
To me, this seems like a lot of upgrades, some big, some small…but all useful. But wait! There’s more! Yep, there are even more Crestron Home OS updates, which I’ll summarize below…
- Crestron Digital Graphics Engine 1000 (DGE-1000) – The minute I saw this, I wanted it. Simply put DGE-1000, due later this year, facilitates the display of the Crestron Home OS interface on larger 3rd party touchscreens. It also enables HD Streaming video support directly within Home OS
- Fleet Management Support – As the number of an integrator’s Crestron Home installations multiply, it can become challenging to manage your entire client base, here known as your “Fleet.” The company has upgraded the Crestron Home Chooser to make accessing any installation faster and easier. With a powerful search function, you can quickly search on a number of variables, such as keywords or other criteria. It’s all about making the integrator’s job of fleet management more efficient and less of a hassle.
- Multi-Processor Support…Multi-Processor/Multi-Gateway Support – Integrators, it’s time to think big…really big. Crestron in building in the ability to scale your installations as large as they need to be. No mansion is too big! By adding in multi-processor support, large systems, such as multiple motorized shades throughout a home with multiple dozens of windows…no problem! Multi-processor/multi-gateway support opens up to an even grander scale, large properties with multiple buildings, for example. This is a scalability that hasn’t existed in Crestron Home OS up to now.
- Horizon Glass Keypads – A touch of class…or should I say, glass? Crestron launches the very sleek, modern, attractive Horizon Glass Keypads. These new keypads offer white and black glass finishes for a really nice aesthetic. The company says these keypads “integrate flawlessly with the Crestron Home OS.” Integrators can customize the button configurations to meet any client’s specific system needs.
- Saros PoE Speaker Support – Home OS now supports the recently introduced Saros PoE speaker line for professional management of network-deployed Saros speakers.
- Axxess Industries Hospitality Solutions – Finally, Crestron Home is also expanding its commercial capabilities with new integration with Axxess Industries Hospitality Solutions. This integration supports Axxess Industries PrivacyService with an elegant implementation of services hotel guests appreciate – such as “Privacy/Do Not Disturb” for hotel guests.
See Crestron at CEDIA Expo 2024 in Booth #1901
If you are a Crestron integrator, you will almost certainly want to check all of this out at CEDIA Expo 2024 in Denver next week. You can find Crestron in Booth #1901. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this dramatic expansion of Crestron Home OS 4.
See more on Crestron by visiting www.crestronhome.com.
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