A/V Setup

Been in the industry for years. Take my advice. Plan for redundancy with hard wiring of control devices (AKA keypads/touchpanels in wall). If you put all your eggs in one basket with a 'wifi' roaming remote control or touchpanel you will potentially be setting yourself up for substantial long term reliability problems in NYC (or many other places).

A dedicated remote or RF/Wifi panel for each TV location should be prioritized.

A dedicated keypad or panel (small or large) in every audio speaker zone should be a goal. Even if it's just for zone volume controls in bathroom.

I always recommend and hope to see a larger panel speced out in a Kitchen (or great room or something). From there you will have more global controls from an entertaining point of view in addition to 'local' controls. Smaller panels or keypads in secondary rooms should be for controls of that room's AV.. lighting specific to that room.. possibly access to all utilities throughout house (HVAC/Security/etc).

So beyond TV and speakers: Lighting, Security, HVAC, Shades, Intercom, Doorbell integration, Telephone (call in to house) integration, iPhone access to house, PC access to house. The options are daunting but you should truly stick with those that you truly need, will use, and think the next homeowners will be able to enjoy. Its a wormhole. Too many features and you risk, no matter what, being the only person who can use the thing.. and having long term (and expensive) service contracts/relationships to support everything.

I'm referring to a large scale Crestron/AMX system. If something much less elaborate, i'm a HUGE fan of checking out Sonos and seeing if it works for you. That's only audio distribution though. No TV.

I second the Sonos setup. Best feature of my a/v system by far.

Sonos is the best piece of electronics I have ever purchased for my apartment. And, even with new construction of a weekend house and unlimited pre-wiring options, I put in redundant wiring in the walls everywhere for future use or resale but I am not using any of them, but using Sonos.

Less relevant for an apartment than a house, but having internet enabled lighting, thermostat, video monitoring is a good idea. Our house is not done, but we will be able to turn up the heat or a/c on the way out from a pc or blackberry. The system also sends e-mail alerts for power outages, low temp alerts, pool alarm, etc.

Does anyone have a recommendation on someone who will do work in Manhattan? Just moved into a space approx 1400 sq/ft and want to lighting/securtiy/AV/automation and looking for ideas.

Paul Austi Audio Video Crafts- 212 996 8300 or 718 706 8300 - Great guys, came highly reccomended

They are doing my place... i started this thread to make sure that i hit all the right points with them.

Jasieg - how didd it go? Where you happy with end result?

gobri30 (or anyone) - You sound very up to date.

I’m renovating a 2 bedroom apt and would like one panel to control lighting, HVAC, shades, stereo,etc. I don't need control of TV's or other areas's other than the main Living/dining room. So the total requirements are not very extensive but want latest tech including iphone/wifi compatibility. What would you recommend.

Hi ieb,

First off, i'd recommend honestly justifying the need for anything 'fancy' for simply a living room/dining room automation system. How much is it worth to you to have the additional option of picking up your phone from the coffee table to turn on and off your lights when you can simply stand and walk a couple of feet. I ask because each switch could cost upwards of $350, and that's not counting any additional 'slave' switches for 3-way style loads.

If you're already justifying the cost of motorized shades, then i'm assuming money isn't that big a concern.

I'd look at a Savant or Crestron dealer for help on a spec. You want to make sure your place is literally stuffed with structured/bundled wires if they have the walls down, replastering, dropping the ceilings, or removing the floor boards. You'll want to make sure you have an area or closet to run all those wires to, preferably where your phone/data hookups to your apt are. You'll have your patch panels, router, control processor, etc in this location so make sure there's enough room (top or bottom of a linen closet normally works well for NYC sized systems). Might want to vent that closet door too due to the heat.

Realistically though, in a space size the way you are discussing, the remotes are a BONUS. You still need redundant 'hard' switches for things like lighting and shade controls.

Consider though that a music system controlled via your iPhone, 'panel', etc like SONOS is standalone and very very cheap considering the options. If you go the way of automating other items, you'll open the door to systems that can easily quote your at 20k and up without blinking.

Has anyone installed a Control4 system? I am leaning towards that one.

I've got Control4 in my 3BR apartment and am fairly satisfied. Dealers make all the difference since its the final programming that makes or breaks the system. I consider myself an expert on home automation and A/V stuff, but I can't do my own programming. I made sure all wires were "home-runned" to a central A/V closet and spec'ed out the foundation of the system during my reno. What I'm learning is that it takes a very skilled dealer/programmer to really make the system shine. I've recently switched dealers to see what the new one can do to improve our experience. Though some problems are not related to Control 4, like crappy TWC cable boxes that churn out more heat than a 6-burner Viking stove. We integrated our 6-zone Sonos system into Control 4 which works really well using third-party drivers from a British company called Extra Vegetables.