Category: Smart Home Concept

There’s something special about the long days of summer that makes you want to spend more time outdoors. And what better way to soak up those warm evenings than by transforming your backyard into the ultimate outdoor movie space? But we’re not talking just about any portable projector and sheet-screen setup — we’re talking about creating a smart outdoor movie theater!

Of course, an outdoor movie theater will look slightly different than those huge home theaters you’ve heard of, but the comfort will be just about the same! So, what do these outdoor theaters look like? Don’t worry; We’ll walk you through what smart elements your outdoor movie space needs!

The Location

The first step to creating a magnificent outdoor movie theater is selecting the proper space. The best areas for your outdoor movie theater are the patio or other enclosed areas because you can add more smart elements to ensure your comfort! With a patio space, you can get a louvered room you can automate with sensors to open and close based on weather conditions so there’s no delay to movie night. You can also include LED integrated lighting, automate the projector screen, and add optional cooling and heating elements (like an automatic fire pit or fireplace!).

Other smart elements to include in your covered outdoor space are bug-proof screens, automated water features (like a fountain, pond, or aquarium), and automatic glass doors to leave open when the water is nice and close when it gets too cold!

Pro Tip: We can also help you create “scenes” to create the best movie-night ambiance at the touch of a button (like closing the louvered room, dimming the lights, and distributing the audio and video to the desired sources!).

The Video

Of course, the video is the most vital part of your outdoor movie space, so reviewing your options is critical! You can invest in an outdoor TV with a powered lift for glare-free images in full shade, full sun, or partial sun. Or you can have a projector integrated into a powered lift that only appears when you turn it on and lowers the screen at the same time.

And like with audio, you can also distribute the video to multiple screens, so you don’t have to limit the viewing space to just one location. You can have a screen or TV by the pool, in the garden, by the bar, and play the same video on your indoor TVs so no one misses a single scene! So, if you have children who can’t sit still or always have to duck inside as the host, you can’t go wrong with distributed video!

Pro Tip: Having your projector, TVs, and other electronic equipment on a powered lift maintains your home design and protects your electronics when not in use — we strongly recommend them!

The Audio

When it comes to outdoor movie magic, you need the best audio setup! This means surrounding your movie space with wall-mounted patio speakers, landscape speakers, and built-in subwoofers to recreate the reverberating feel of a movie theater. But that’s not all — you also need distributed audio!

If someone needs to go inside during the movie, they don’t have to miss a beat of the same crisp, clean Hi-Fi audio distributed throughout the house. And you can control which speakers play the movie audio (like the kitchen and bathroom) along with the volume. Now you don’t have to pause and wait for someone to return from the restroom; they didn’t miss a thing!

The Lighting

While you might not think it, perfecting your lighting setup is essential to upgrade your outdoor movie space. With integrated lighting, you can include all the lights you have in your backyard space, like pool lighting, landscape lighting, patio lighting, string lights, etc., and control each section with a single device!

You can set up the automation so that once you hit play on the video, it turns off the lights in the main viewing space and dims the other lighting so everyone can still see where they’re going in the dark. You can also assign colors for different sections or include UV sensors, so they automatically dim or brighten based on the amount of sunlight!

Luxury Life in Action!

And there you have it — the essential smart elements your outdoor movie theater must have! With control over every detail, from your audio and video to the space and lighting, you won’t go back to viewing movies under the stars any other way! So, if you’re ready to upgrade your movie experience to luxury status, contact us at [store name]!

Our experts will sit down with you and help you plan every step for the best experience!

Even bigger than the baby boomer generation, millennials are grown up now and buying homes. Many of them are buying smart homes. These young adults love smart homes, but you might be surprised about some of the reasons why. When it comes to home ownership, they aren’t like the previous generations. They want homes and lifestyles that reflect their values. This is one reason they are willing to spend a little more for a smart home. We’re going to discuss the reasons why millennials love smart homes and what they are looking for in a home.

Millennials grew up around technology

Millennials are a generation that was raised on the internet. They’re always connected, constantly texting, sharing videos and are digital natives Unlike their parents’ generation, they never experienced a world without rapid technological change. For millennials change and technological advancements are normal.

They are used to seeing a new brand of technology each year. Naturally, they want to invest in the latest and greatest technology — not just the latest iPhone. They want their home to be as advanced as their smartphone. This is just one reason they love smart homes.

Millennials care about the environment and sustainability

Millennials have a completely different mindset than previous generations. They are aware and passionate about climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, and our reliance on fossil fuels. They embrace new technology and energy efficiency. Millennials and Gen Z are charging the way in the market for sustainable products and services. Since a home is their largest investment, they are looking for homes that are smarter, energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Unlike baby boomers and Gen X, millennials have been slower to buy their first home. The Covid pandemic, student debt, and the housing market has made buying a home more challenging for millennials. Because of this, they want to make sure that when they do buy their first home, they get the best value for their money. For them, a smart home is an investment in their future.

What millennials want most in a smart home

Smart home features that are popular with millennials include voice control, remote access to their home, and energy-saving systems. They love everything from smart thermostats to smart lighting, and smart watering systems.

Smart Thermostat

Millennials must-haves include a smart thermostat. They want the ability to use voice commands and operate their thermostat remotely. They also like advanced features such as a thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature based on their habits or how much energy they are using. They are interested in energy efficiency and the long-term savings you get by using a smart thermostat.

Smart Lighting

Smart home lighting is incredibly popular and is sought after by everyone, not just millennials. With smart lighting, you can use voice commands, schedule lights, and even control your lights remotely. And smart lighting can save energy too, which appeals to millennials. With smart home lighting you can schedule your lights to turn on and off automatically, adjust interior or exterior lights, and do much more.

Smart speakers

Another smart home category that millennials love is entertainment. These days, almost everyone has a smart TV and smart speakers. In fact, 25 percent of Americans already have smart speakers in their home. However, millennials want more than standalone speakers. They want built-in wireless speakers and a sound system that they can control with voice commands or through a smart control panel.

A fully integrated smart home

The millennial generation is looking for the whole package when it comes to smart homes. They realize that in the future, smart homes will be the standard. They are willing to pay the upfront cost to have a truly smart home.

With smart home systems like Control 4, anyone can have a fully-integrated smart home. Control 4 is a leader in smart home technology.Thousands of brands and smart devices can be integrated into a Control 4 system. Control 4 is perfect for younger millennials with a limited budget, who might want to add smart features to their home and have the ability to scale over time.

If you’re interested in learning more about a Control4 smart home system, give us a call at (678) 392-2363. We can help you design a customized smart home system tailored around your needs and budget.

In the past most people had to be in their company’s office to do their job. Only a small percentage of Americans were able to work from home. The Covid pandemic changed all that. Now almost 60 percent of U.S. workers say they can do their work from home. And, more companies have shifted their workforce to remote work or hybrid work. This has led to more consumers investing in better and smarter home offices.

If you are one the millions of Americans who now work from home, you already know about all the perks. However, you may have discovered some disadvantages such as slower internet, more distractions, and a need for better computer and video conferencing options. There are a ton of ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. Here are a few ideas for creating the best smart home office.

1. First things first, reliable high-speed internet is a must-have!

Everyone loves the idea of working from home, but there are a few things you may take for granted when you do. When you work in a corporate office, you may have gotten used to your company’s high-speed internet. Business plans generally provide internet speed that’s as much as five times faster than you can get with a personal internet plan. This may not seem like a big deal when you’re streaming movies or surfing the web, but if you need to upload large media files or presentations, you will quickly discover just how inadequate your home’s wifi network is.

If you’re not a networking professional, your first thought might be to upgrade to a business internet plan. While this may give you more speed, there’s more to a fast, consistent network than just having a high-speed internet plan.

If your wifi network isn’t professionally set up, you may still have issues with a splotchy or slow internet connection. This is especially true if you live in a large house, or your office isn’t located close to your router. If you want the fastest speed for uploads and downloads, it’s best to have a professional come out and configure your network for you. A professional installer can also make sure your network is secure.

2. Your lighting matters more than you might think.

If you’re trying to make improvements to your home office, the lighting may not be your first priority. But, great lighting is essential for a smart home office. Even if you have the best ergonomically designed desk, office chair, keyboard, and mouse, that won’t make up for bad lighting. According to research by J Environ Public Health, inadequate lighting can lead to anxiety, fatigue, lethargy, headaches, eyestrain, migraine, nausea, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, poor concentration or lack of mental alertness, and daytime sleepiness.

If your office has windows, you can optimize the lighting by opening the blinds and moving your desk closer to the window. But, an even better option is installing a smart lighting system. Not only will it improve the lighting, but it will also make your home office more efficient and you more productive.

You might also consider smart blinds. Motion sensors and a smart home automation system like Control4 can automate your home office for the best lighting. You can use smart home scenes to create the perfect morning routine, such as automatically opening the blinds and turning on the lights when you enter your office. And at night, your blinds and lighting can be programmed to close and turn off automatically.

3. Add smart speakers to make your office even better!

If you do a lot of video conferencing, the right set up is a must. If you handle any type of video conferencing like Zoom meetings, client-intake meetings, or company conferences, having the right set up is important. A noise-canceling headset with a built in microphone will make your sound quality better so that everyone can hear and understand you.

If you want an even better sound system for your conferencing or listening to music, adding smart speakers will make your home office more enjoyable. One of the perks of working from home is that you can blast your favorite music while you work — if you want to. Plus, music boosts productivity and energy, which are two things you need a lot of if you work from home.

These are a few ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. If you’re ready to find out more about home automation or designing a smart home office, call us today at (678) 392-2363 to learn more.

If you’re thinking about adding smart home technology to your home, you’re not alone. There are so many reasons to make your home smarter. Smart home technology adds convenience, security, and energy savings to your home. You can automate just about anything with a smart home system.

A smart home operating system like Control4 allows you to control nearly every device and system in your house such as your lights, thermostat, and sound systems. This isn’t like buying a bunch of different smart devices. It is a smart home operating system that connects nearly every device in your home to one easy-to-use interface.

Control4 works with thousands of brands and devices, so you can use it to operate a large number of products in your home — and add virtually any smart home feature you can think of.

While Control4 is incredibly easy to use, even for the people who aren’t tech savvy, because it’s a professionally installed system, there are a few limitations. Your installer will create most of the home automation features for you, so If you want to add a new feature or customize an existing one, it can be inconvenient. This is where Control4’s 4 Sight comes in.

What is Control4 4 Sight?

4 Sight is a subscription feature that allows you to get more out of your Control4 system. It includes a ton of extra features including remote access, voice integration, When>>Then personalization, Intercom Anywhere, and more. This yearly subscription allows you to personalize your smart home system without having to call your installer. Let’s go over some of the additional features you get with 4Sight.

Remote access

With Control4, you can manage your home from your smartphone or tablet. You can check on the status of locks, check cameras, control your lighting, sound system, thermostat, or other connected devices while you’re at home. But, what if you want to operate your smart home when you’re not in it? 4Sight allows you to operate and control your home automation remotely. You can check the status of your door locks, view your cameras, or operate your lights, music, and more – all conveniently from your smartphone.

Adds the ability to use Voice Control

Voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home are very useful additions to any smart home. These virtual assistants can control your lights, temperature, and smart home scenes. They make it quite easy to turn on lights, raise the temperature, or close the garage door, all with a simple voice command. With 4Sight you can use Josh, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant with your Control4 system.

WHEN >> THEN Personalization

One of the advantages of a Control4 system is that it is installed by expert professionals. They will set all of your automation up for you and make sure everything functions properly in your home. After your Control4 system is installed, you can use 4Sight to add new features or make changes to existing features. When>>Then personalization is available to you with a 4Sight subscription.

With When>>Then you can personalize your smart home without having to call your installer. Here’s a quick rundown of how it works. With your subscription you can visit the When>then personalization page to access a library of “if/then” options. “When” options correspond with “Then” actions. For example, “when it’s 9pm”, then ‘lock” the door.

Intercom Anywhere

A smart home allows you to see who is at your door and speak to them through an intercom system and a smart doorbell.. Intercom Anywhere lets you do this from anywhere. You can use your smart video doorbell wherever you are. Would you like to check who is at the door? Or use your intercom remotely? With 4Sight’s Intercom Anywhere, you can unlock the door and let guests enter, and then lock the door again once they leave. Intercom Anywhere lets you do this, and so much more.

Do you need a 4Sight Subscription?

You can use all of the features of Control4 without having a subscription to 4Sight. However, if you want to be able to operate your home remotely — a major perk of having a smart home – then you definitely need 4Sight. Priced at $100 per year, it’s well worth it.

Are you ready to make your home smarter? If you’re interested in learning more about a Control4 smart home system, give us a call at (678) 392-2363. We can help you design a customized smart home system tailored around your needs and budget.

A smart home might make your home the coolest on the block, but being cool isn’t what most people are looking for in a smart home. There are a lot of smart home features that people want right now, but the main features they’re looking for are home security, efficiency, and ease of use. There are many trends happening in the smart home industry right now, but these are the main features that everybody wants!
Smart home security

Consumers want a smart home security system that is responsive. They want the best automation in their homes and a system that does more than just sound an alarm when an emergency happens. Advanced smart home security systems are the most sought-after smart home feature that everyone wants. Traditional home security systems are just too simplistic.

People want to know their home is safe, but they also want to be able to monitor it remotely. Security systems can send real-time notifications to a homeowner’s phone, and allow them to take action from afar. They can see who’s at the door before they open it, or even see if there’s a fire in the kitchen when they’re at work. An “integrated” smart home alarm system can also take things a step further and provide additional security by turing on flood lights or opening an access gate in the event of an emergency.

Built-in Wifi

Newly constructed homes are being wired for smart home integrations. These homes are called Wi-Fi-certified homes. These homes are built to accommodate a fully integrated smart home system. This means you can connect to the internet from every room in your home. While mesh networks help you get a wireless signal in every room, a Wi-Fi-certified home takes things further by hard wiring the internet connection into the house.

Homebuilders anticipate the direction the smart home industry is going in, where every home is a smart home. Wi-Fi is becoming just as important to a home as its electrical and plumbing systems. New homes will have the infrastructure needed to run numerous smart appliances and smart devices at once because the wiring is built-in. By hard wiring every area of the home, people can use any wireless device such as smart TVs or gaming systems without affecting the rest of the family’s internet connection.

Remote access

One key feature everybody wants in a smart home is remote access. This, and the ability to use voice commands within the home are two of the most desired smart home features. Everyone wants to be able to control all of their home’s smart devices by using a simple touch screen or voice command. But they want to be able to control their home both when they are in it and when they are away from home.

For example, they want to be able to check their homes while they are on vacation or to change the temperature on their way home from work. They are looking for seamless remote access from anywhere. They are looking for a way to always be connected, whether it’s to change the temperature in their house or see what is happening at home.

Smart Thermostat

Pretty soon everyone will be using a smart thermostat. There are numerous advantages to using a smart thermostat including the fact that they can be controlled by voice commands and operated remotely. But, they do more than that. A smart thermostat truly is smart. It learns from the surroundings and automatically adjusts the temperature in the house accordingly.

People love their smart home thermostats because they can be voice-controlled. But the main reason people choose them is that they are energy efficient. In time, traditional thermostats will likely become obsolete, since smart home thermostats allow you to heat or cool your home in the most efficient way.

Smart Lighting

Imagine turning off your lights from the comfort of your couch. It’s pretty cool. A smart home feature everybody wants is the ability to control your home lighting system from one app. Whether it’s dimming the lights before a dinner party or turning the porch light off automatically at night, people love smart lighting systems.

Smart lighting can help homeowners save energy and be more comfortable in their homes. You can schedule lights to turn on and off automatically and adjust exterior lights to suit the mood you want to create. You can also adjust your window blinds and exterior lights to control the ambiance and energy use in your home.

While smart homes of today have so many incredible features, these are the smart home features everybody wants! Of course, as smart home technology improves, people may discover other interesting features they want in a smart home.

The smart home industry is rapidly growing. In the last decade, all of the things we used to see in sci-fi movies are becoming a reality. There are many trends in smart home technology, but one thing is certain – every U.S. home is becoming smarter.

Will more homes be fully automated in 2022? What trends can we expect this year? With new technology and consumer interest, we expect the smart home industry to continue growing at an accelerated pace. These are a few exciting smart home trends to look for in 2022.

1. More Options in Smart Security

The Covid pandemic was responsible for much of the growth in smart home security. There’s been an increase in working from home, leading to what is called the “Zoom boom”. It has not only changed how we live and where we live, but it has also made people more interested in making their homes secure. Americans are investing in smart locks, smart doorbells with cameras, and smart home security systems now more than ever.

Consumers are looking for smart home security systems that are easy to use, accessible remotely, and use voice control. At the same time, they have concerns about privacy and data breaches. They want to know what information is being collected by their smart home system and if it can be hacked. This is why it’s so important to work with trusted brands. At Intuitive we are extremely selective about which brands we work with or integrate with to preserve our clients’ privacy.

Smart home security systems will continue to add more features like CCTV cameras, management of lighting, and the ability to make our homes look occupied when we are not home. As more people make the move to smart home security, the systems will be easier for anyone to use.

More companies are jumping into this space, offering smart home installation and smart motoring as consumer interest drives growth in this segment of the smart home industry. Although it can be tempting to jump at every new product on the market, working with a trusted industry partner can ensure your system is designed with a product that has been tested and proven in the market. This way you will have peace of mind that you have a system that will stand the test of time.

2. Smarter Offices

Energy efficiency is one factor that attracts people to smart home technology. People want to live sustainably, and they are willing to make investments for the long term. Smart technology is more efficient than standard devices because of its ability to connect with all the devices in your home.. For example, rather than having to adjust the temperature manually, a smart thermostat can do it all for you.

Smart thermostats and smart lighting have been around for a while, but the technology is getting better. A smart HVAC or lighting system can save energy and money. These smart devices monitor your energy use, and automatically adjust your lighting or temperature so that you are using only the energy you need.

This is one reason more people are making changes to their home technology. How much money could you save if your home only consumed the energy it needed. What if you never had to worry about whether your porch light got turned off at night? Or if your home automatically lowered the temperature when nobody was home?

Although the smart home market has seen significant growth in recent years, it’s honestly still in its infancy. Smart home technology is rapidly improving. We expect 2022 to be a big year for the smart home market and these are a few of the big smart home trends to look for!

If you’re just getting into home automation, you might not know all the cool things you can do with a smart home system. Smart homes can do a lot more than just turn your lights on and off. With a smart home system, you can create scenes that automate everything in your home, from your lighting to your HVAC system.  If you want to get the most out of your smart home, you need to learn how to create smart home scenes that can be used in your daily life.

What are smart home scenes and how do they work?

A smart home scene is a preprogrammed configuration of settings for lights, outlets, and devices in a given room. It tells the lights, outlets, and devices to turn on (or off) and to what level. You can activate a smart home scene with a voice command, by pressing a button on your smart home app. You can also program a scene to happen automatically. For example, you can program your lights to turn on at a certain brightness when it’s time for dinner. You can also set the connected devices or outlets to turn off at a certain time.

Types of Smart Home Scenes

You can use smart home scenes in two different ways to make your life easier. The first way is to set up routines that use voice commands. This is possible when you connect your smart home with an app like Alexa, Siri, or Google Home. Saying a voice command can initiate a programmed scene. For, example “Hey Alexa. Make my coffee.” Or, ”Hello Siri. Let’s cook dinner.”

Remember the sci-fi shows where dinner just popped out of a food slot? Well, a smart home can’t make your dinner magically appear in a food slot, but it can help you make dinner. You can create smart home scenes that help you prepare dinner. Each time you say a voice command, your home will respond by completing a preconfigured set of tasks such as preheating the oven or turning on the kitchen lights.

Using voice commands around your house is pretty cool, but automated scenes can really simplify your life. Automated scenes are scenes that happen automatically. It’s possible to automate every area of your home with a smart scene. You can use scenes to help you wake up in the morning, to remind your children to do their chores, or to keep your home safe at night.

How to set up Smart Home Scenes

Getting a smart home set up and learning how to use all the features can be confusing. If you want to use all the features in your smart home, it’s best to work with a professional. A fully connected home automation system that controls all of your devices will require a professional installation.

There are smart home devices that you can install on your own, but there are some drawbacks to a DIY smart home. A professional will make the setup and process of learning to use your system so much easier.

Setting up a scene is pretty similar no matter which smart home system you use. Your app will have a place to add or create a new scene. Although each system is slightly different when you create a scene you tell the app what to do and in which room.

What can you automate with smart home scenes?

There are virtually endless possibilities when it comes to creating smart home scenes with your smart home. Any light, outlet, or device that connects with your smart home app can be programmed with a scene. Scenes can be programmed to make any device do what you want — like turn on or off, brighten or dim, or increase or decrease the volume. There are limitless possibilities for scenes.

You can create a scene to wake you up in the morning. For example, you can set your window shades to slowly rise when the sun rises to gently wake you up. You can talk to your home, too. Instead of hearing an annoying alarm beep over and over, you can program your speakers to talk to you in the morning in a soft voice saying, “It’s time to get up, sleepyhead.” Your smart home can even start your coffee brewing, warm up the house, and turn on the morning news for you.

At night, your smart home can automatically turn off all the devices in your child’s room. It can also turn off lights throughout the house and lock the doors. The more scenes you created, the more automated your life will be. Once you get the hang of creating smart home scenes, you’ll want to automate everything in your house.

If you are interested in getting started with smart home automation in your home, get in touch with Intuitiv AV. We can answer any questions you have and help you find the smart home system that’s right for you.