When Crestron announced its Home platform several years ago it was universally applauded by its authorized dealers. Over the years the company has steadily bolstered the platform through the availability of products, including its NVX solutions, lighting products, and Crestron’s new Battery Powered Shades.

Keeping up with the pace of its new product launches, Crestron has also recently introduced an update to its Crestron Home operating system—the new platform is called Crestron OS4.

Through the introduction of the new OS4 platform, as well as products like the battery powered shades, and its LED lighting fixtures, the N.J.-based company is providing integrators with everything they need to meet the hottest trends in the smart home market.

Addressing my need for new motorized shades—more on that later—Crestron sent along a pair of the new Battery Powered Shades, which were installed by my integrators, Danvers, Mass.-based Audio Innovations.

Crestron Battery Powered Shades, OS4 Features and Setup

The shades shipped in two large boxes. I should point out that prior to the installation of the shades Jon Herbster, co-owner of Audio Innovations, swung by my house to measure the windows. Coinciding with the window measurements my wife and I had chosen a fabric and color for the shades, so once Jon completed the measurements that info was sent to Crestron to manufacture the shades.

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Some of the features of the Battery Powered Shades include are the ability to notify the homeowner when the batteries are running low and need replacement. Internally, the shades use the quiet and efficient QMT motor that is designed to maximize battery life, which is specified for three years.

Supporting dealers’ ability to integrate the shades into a variety of home environments, Crestron backs the Battery Powered Shades with a choice of more than 400 fabrics, including 240 designer-lead fabric choices. Crestron also offers the shades with a choice of its Architectural and Décor bracket options.

Debuting this past fall at CEDIA Expo 2023, the Crestron OS4 platform utilized input from dealers and homeowners as part of its development. Crestron states after learning modern smart homes are incorporating more devices and that consumers want easier methods to control their lighting, HVAC, and AV, it implemented that feedback into the development of OS4.

One of the major components of the OS4 platform is that it provides integrators with the ability to employ just about any lighting protocol with drivers for lighting solutions available from the company.

Visually, the newly updated OS features new graphics and icons, along with filters and room lists that make OS4 easier to navigate for users. Crestron points out the filters enables users to find the specific function they are looking for with fewer screen “taps.”  Crestron OS4’s compact view allows users to see multiple rooms at once, and its toggle function allows users to switch from a grid to list view layout.

CE Pro Features:

• Crestron’s Battery Powered Shades are specifically designed for integration into the Crestron Home platform.
• The new shades will send homeowners notifications when the batteries need replacement.
• Through the battery power, integrators don’t have to worry about running electrical power to hard-to-reach locations.
• Homeowners can choose from more than 400 fabrics and the company supports dealers with its custom-match color policy.
• Crestron OS4 developed its new operating system to seamlessly operate Crestron Home and third-party devices.
• A major component of OS4 is its compatibility with multiple lighting platforms.
• OS4 incorporates a new interface design with updated graphics, including icons, and filters to make the platform easier to navigate.
• Comcast Xfinity subscribers now have voice control capabilities through OS4.

Moving into the installation of the Battery Powered Shades and the OS4 update, I had noticed a few days … maybe a week before Jon and his brother Matt had come to my house to install the Battery Powered Shades that my Crestron touch panels were displaying new graphics. Once Jon and Matt had arrived at my house, Jon carried his tools and the two boxes in my “music room.” Matt, recovering from surgery hobbled into my home on a crutch carrying a laptop.

Removing my old, first-generation Crestron shades, which had died from a power surge that had also taken out my solar system processor, Jon had the old shades out within a few minutes before he began working on the installation of the Battery Powered Shades. While this was going on Matt was checking the system and updating firmware. Additionally, he also updated the firmware on my Access Networks system, which was not running to its full potential due to some issues with Comcast.

While Jon was installing the new shades, I ran to Target to buy 16 D batteries to power the two shades. Within a few hours both shades were installed, and Crestron Home was completely updated to OS4, including my TSR-310 remote to reflect the capabilities of the new operating system.

Commenting on the new Crestron Battery Powered Shades and the OS4 platform, Jon noted how much easier and dealer-friendly the shades are to install compared to previous generation products. Matt raved about the power of the platform and versatility OS provides homeowners and dealers.

Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Having lived with the new Battery Powered Shades and the new OS, I can say that Crestron met its design and performance goals with these products.

While I can’t say conclusively, I think the new Battery Powered Shades run more quietly than the version shades I had before. Making that comment to Jon, he agreed with me. I also like the fact that going forward because the shades are battery powered, I don’t have to worry about another surge taking the shades out. Having the newly installed shades allows me to use the shades to manage the amount of natural light coming into the room by either the Crestron Home App or the touch panel that resides on my work desk, and in turn saving electricity by not using the room’s lighting.

Validating Crestron’s efforts to make the operating system easier to navigate, I completely agree: The app and the touch screen experience are easier to navigate. To operate the shades in my “Music Room” now takes less of an effort to drill down into Crestron Home. Smart functions in this room are now represented with “filters,” which in my case for the room with the Battery Powered Shades are “Lights,” “Shades,” “Music Room Heat,” and “Video.” Once I press the shade filter a new screen pops up with options to control all the shades at once or I can control specific shades.

As a homeowner I am pleased with the Battery Powered Shades and how they fit into my home, and I’m also pleased and impressed with the updates made with the availability of OS4.

As dealer solutions I think the shades through their quicker installation, and overall, with Crestron’s ability to now provide homeowners with a choice of battery or traditionally powered shades, along with hundreds of fabric choices, is meeting the needs of modern homeowners. Moreover, with OS4, not only is the platform more powerful, but it’s also easier to use from a consumer perspective, and with its new lighting capabilities, including Crestron’s own line of lighting products, Crestron Home is well positioned to serve luxury homeowners as the go-to smart home platform.

CE Pro and Cons

Pros:

• OS4 is much easier to navigate to make specific functions easier to find.
• Crestron Battery Shades operate more quietly than previous generations of Crestron motorized shades.
• Homeowners can expect approximately three years of batter life.

Cons:

• As a long-time Crestron Home user, I find the new OS and Battery Powered Shades to be a welcomed addition to the Crestron Home ecosystem. There are no cons from the major step forward these products represent.

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