What is DIY Home Automation? Debunking the Myths
What does DIY Home Automation actually offer to the user? Is it comparable to what a Home Automation Company offers? This article is designed to debunk the DIY Automation myth +explain why a true Smart Home it is actually only achievable thru a professional Home Automation Installation from an actual Home Home Automation Installer.
Debunking the Myth of the existence of DIY Home Automation
THE MYTH OF DIY HOME AUTOMATION
A Smart Home is simply defined as a home equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer. So, by the lowest base-line standard, any combination of two or more of these items “technically” gives you a “Smart Home”. But Home Automation is defined as a system that will monitor and/or control home attributes such as lighting, climate, entertainment systems, and appliances. The discrepancy in having a “Smart Home” vs a “Smart Home with Home Automation” that is overlooked by many is the control of your entertainment systems. People are misled into thinking that by having several items that can be controlled remotely or via schedules that it is equal to having “Home Automation”. But Home Automation encompasses those “smart” devices actually being able to work in conjunction with your TVs, Audio Devices, Projectors, etc.; something that cannot be accomplished as a DIY project or with retail Automation systems.
Your Automation System must control all your TVs, Media Room Setup, House Audio, etc. not just lighting, security, temperature and shades. The key components to integrating electronics professionally involve: (1) invisibly connecting your system’s controller/smarthub, usually in a centrally located room, to your electronics (2) integrate and organize complex codes from the manufacturers & (3) allow electronics to work in conjunction with all your smart devices. [Now that you know this, watch how all “automation” products sold to the public simply skip over the Home Entertainment aspects of life and only show you shades opening/ closing and lights turning on and off. Trust me, when it’s all said and done you will want to do more from the couch than change the temperature on the AC unit.]
WHAT DOES A PROFESSIONAL HOME AUTOMATION INSTALLATION OFFER?
After the installation is complete, a professionally installed Home Automation system should give the end-user access and/or control of your electronics and smart devices all from one easy-to-use platform that can be customized to their preference. This is a stark contrast to a DIY Smart Home project that will have a separate app for everything you control in your home. The smart devices purchased after proper design will be able to communicate with each other to reduce the risk of buying a product that is a stand-alone item on its own platform and app. Money can easily be wasted by purchasing the same device over simply to integrate it into your automation system, so initial system design is paramount.
5 Key Things Gained Only via Professional Automation Setups & Smart Home Integrations:
One customized interface across different platforms vs. many different apps controlling each smart device individually.
Invisibly connect your electronics and media to the main network control room in your home. This by nature will be on the opposite side of the home from half of the home. This may involve installing new cabling or manipulating existing cabling in the home.
Allow control of your Home Entertainment. Now you can stop using multiple remotes to watch TV, turn off equipment in unoccupied rooms, monitor what’s being watched on TV in different rooms, & seamlessly operate your house music.
Implement and integrate sensors for automated/ hands-free actions for requested environmental changes. There will be times you want things to happen upon entry or exit of a living space without pushing a button or even speaking to voice services.
Create device events to lighting, temperature, shades/blinds from your TV viewing or other triggers. [Example- If it is after dark and I turn on my Master Bedroom TV…then make sure the doors are locked, turn off Living Room TV and set the Master Bedroom accent lights to 50%.]
The ideas in your mind of what a Smart Home should do and/or be simply cannot be achieved in DIY form. True Automation integration takes the installers years of classroom and online study to understand the basics + years of on-job-training to master their trade. A few Goggle searches and YouTube videos for a week or two honestly won’t get you to the level of programming knowledge needed for true satisfaction. For the best results, let a skilled professional take care of the Home Automation design, installation, and integration:
Not in the Houston area? Need to find a skilled professional in Home Automation or Smart Home Setup or trades, then…