Control4 Shows Bigger, Better Home Automation App Store

Technically, the Energy Management app is *not* from TED, but from Peak Software, who developed the app.  It *does* use TED hardware for the energy monitoring, however.

RyanE

What a complete waste of time.  What a home automation company should be doing is offering apps to control their devices on other platforms such as mobile phones, set top boxes, etc.or building devices that can be controlled.  The problem that C4 has is that their business model is currently dependent on being the primary interface for the home which will fail overtime as we have more and more convergence of consumer interfaces.  Why would I put touchscreens all over the walls in my house if I can do it all from my iPhone??  Why would I switch inputs on my TV if I can control it all through Uverse??

You mean, like the iPhone app and the Android app and the Blackberry app that will all soon be offered for $9.99 / month, no matter how many phones you have?

Sounds like they’re doing some of what you’re asking.

Get back to me on the Uverse thing when they enable me to adjust my thermostat, drapes, view my cameras, and control my lights, door locks and security panel (from anywhere in the world).

RyanE

Why would anyone pay a monthly fee when remote access can be done for free? (no matter how many phones one has)

This is a smart move for Control4. It worked for Apple (apps) it will work for Control4. People have no problem spending money on bells and whistles. The ring tone and iPhone app market are proof of that.

If these apps really work as easy as they say it will then wow! I am referring to things like Facbook Obviously there is hardware and configuration involved with things like energy management / lights and door locks.

But if i can just decide today to download netflix app and be able to use netflix in my family room without calling an integrator or installing a Blu-ray player then they are truly on to something.

As for the argument about touchscreens allover the wall.. Its gonna suck when your not home and people want to watch TV. As a general rule there should always be a permanent control device in every room that has a display in it. That could be a remote, an itouch, a touchpanel (wireless or wired). Attempting to share a controller always leads to frustration.

Obviously Control4 is not interested in giving up their touchscreen sales and providing people with free apps for mobile devices. But i dont think they will be able to do anything about it. The latest round of tablets, real or imagined, are less expensive and better then the touchscreens being sold by automation companies.

Problem with uverse and the iPhone and samsung and sony etc is that they cant stay focused on a product long enough to make it worthwhile. At best they will give you a few cool toys but thats it. You will end up with multiple remotes making your new toys not so cool.

well…  control4 nickel’s and dimes everything, so they will drive themselves out of business.  The “free” app to use on your Iphone, cost $200 for a users license, and to shut your lights off from overseas will cost you over $200 a year for access.  That’s more than my cable bill, and I watch my TV a lot more than I would try to shut off a light from hong kong.  That’s not mentioning the upgrades to your system every 6 months at $350 a pop.  Certainly not aimed for a middleclass family.

* Remote access has been $99 /year, not $200 a year.

* Upgrades are not required every 6 months.  I have family members’ systems that have been working fine for years, on the same version as installed.

* What your dealer charges for a truck roll to do an upgrade is between you and your dealer, but until 2.0, Control4 has not charged for upgrades.

If it’s not a value proposition for you, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable at their price point for others.