Home Control Without The Overhead
 AVL300 Central Controller
In particular, recent advances in wireless technologies have opened the door to whole-house control for everyone. Besides eliminating the need for custom-installed wiring, the new systems use a “distributed” model of control intelligence. Rather than send all your A/V,lighting, and device commands through wires into a central server that controls household devices, these next-generation hand-held controllers send wireless commands through walls and floors to smart accessory modules,which in turn send wireless commands to A/V gear or to other smart modules.
The end effect is home control made practical. Instead of needing an expensive, custom-installed home-control system, you can create one of these new wireless control networks piece by piece, adding as many controllers or modules as you want over time.Because there’s virtually no installation, and because simpler devices now do the job of bigger, more complex devices, deploying one of these systems takes minutes, not weeks or months, and at a fraction of the cost of a hard-wired system.
 IlluminEssence The centerpiece of Monster’s system is a hand-held controller called the AVL-300. It has the form factor of a conventional remote control, making it familiar and comfortable to most users, but all similarities end there. The AVL-300 doesn’t just control A/V equipment and lights, it organizes their functions into “lifestyle activities” that can work in unison with a single keystroke. By sending out strings of commands to multiple devices, the AVL-300 is able to greatly simplify A/V operation: Press a but-ton called “Play a DVD,” and all the appropriate actions and settings are automatically invoked, not only from the DVD player, but also from the TV, receiver, and any other components involved in that activity.
Whole-house A/V control from an afford-able, hand-held controller is a big advancement,but it becomes even more interesting when you attach lighting to any of Monster’s lifestyle activities. Each IlluminEssence module can issue on, off, or dimming commands to any attached light source, and lighting levels or“scenes” can be memorized as part of a customized lifestyle activity. So hit a button called“Dinner Party,” and your favorite music tracks can come up from your audio server at a nice,soft volume, while the lights dim to a pleasant level for company and conversation—all with just one button.
Besides being simple and affordable,Monster’s system is bulletproof, too. Because each IlluminEssence module can send, as well as receive commands, the network is distributed, and therefore, the network never goes down—each IlluminEssence module has its own built-in intelligence. Unlike a traditional centralized home-control scheme, there are no system crashes or rebooting, and no need for a professional to install or service the network.
The complexity and expense of custom-in-stalled home-control systems have kept many households away from the technology. Thanks to Monster, the walls are finally coming down.
By Steve Alexander
Sales Manager, Home of the Future
Monster Cable Products, Inc.
www.monstercentral.com |
High Definition Living 
