This smart home project started with a great base. It was pre-wired with Cat6 and coaxial cabling to each display location, along with ceiling speakers in multiple rooms of the house. The homeowner contacted Jennings AV to take this setup to the next level. They wanted to finish the house by adding a few more rooms to the audio and video zones, integrating smart technology, and implementing exterior lighting control as well. There was also a home theater that was a focus point, as it did not have any speakers wired yet.
For the theater, we were able to pull cable to the room for the 5.1 surround sound system and utilized Episode ceiling speakers and an Episode subwoofer. A receiver was put in to process the surround sound and create a truly dynamic presence to the space.
To get video signals into the rooms, we leveraged the Crestron NVX system. The backbone of the Crestron NVX system is a Cisco network switch. This allowed us to provide a Crestron CP4R control processor that runs the Crestron Home OS so each of the rooms could have a separate Crestron HR310 remote control. This means the office, living room, fitness room, spare bedroom, master bedroom, and mancave all get video from the Crestron NVX and audio delivered through a Crestron SWAMP multi-room audio switcher/processor/amplifier. In short- one remote per room that does everything from play music to turn on your favorite movie!
In this home, each of the rooms have at least two ceiling speakers. By adding an autonomic streaming server, we were able to provide 3 audio streams or audio from the centralized video source. These services can include but are not limited to, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, Deezer, and TuneIn Radio. The kitchen, patio, and firepit are also audio only zones- we even installed rock speakers for the fire pit to have the cleanest possible look.
For the Master Bedroom, the customers had a very particular preference, for a clean install without a visible TV. We were able to bring in a furniture chest with a TV riser. When the TV is meant to be seen, it can rise from the cabinet. When not in use, it hides away just as easily.
With the audio and video addressed, we were able to start working on the lighting portion of the project. The house already had a basic integrated lighting system that allowed for a timer on the outside lights to turn them off and on. We installed an OVRC home hub to allow for remote support of the system and WattBox power conditioners to help facilitate the remote support. The power conditioner allows for individual control of each power plug in the equipment rack so Jennings AV can cycle power on individual devices as needed for troubleshooting and remote support. This allows for minimal downtime of the system in the event of any trouble. Now the homeowner gets to keep their privacy while still getting superior Customer Service.
No matter how great an install is on the front-end, what you do not see is what is most important! All of the wiring and equipment for this project was homerun to a central location where an equipment rack was installed. This means no bulky equipment in each room, just a simple, clean, professional look.
We were also able to save them money by centralizing the experience and streamlining the equipment. The customer has 7 rooms with a TV or projector. In a traditional setup, that would have meant 7 cable boxes and 7 Apple TVs- we were able to do the centralized system with only 3 cable boxes and 3 Apple TVs. This way, they have a His and Hers, as well as Guest experience in each room.
