OpenAV

Adam in a Gadget Show TV interview with Dionne from The Gadget Show Live 2010

Discussing the new Open AV-lite and Open AV-pro home automation systems.

Leading home automation company, Install Automation, will be demonstrating the next wave in home technology, Open AV when it exhibits its latest multi-room home technology and energy monitoring innovations at The Gadget Show Live at the NEC (Hall 12, Stand C12) between 7^th and 11t April 2010.
The solutions on offer range from stylish, breath-taking home cinema systems through to the most sophisticated and impressive multi-room entertainment, integrated whole-house automation and energy monitoring solutions available.

The company’s whole-house systems can provide centrally-located TV, video, music and gaming to every room in the house with integrated control of heating/climate control, lighting, energy monitoring, door/gate entry, CCTV/security, curtain/blind control, telephony and computing. Its home cinemas are stunning spaces for enjoying the best high-definition entertainment with simplified control and unsightly equipment cleverly located out of view.

At the show, Install Automation is showing the latest versions of its innovative high-tech, touch-screen, multi-room home control and energy monitoring solution, OpenAV, which lay at the heart of its state-of-the-art solutions. Managing Director, Adam Kent, said “integrated multi-room entertainment, control and energy monitoring is widely regarded in the industry as the next wave in home technology. Forward-thinking people are embracing the benefits of integrated, networked whole-house technology over the traditional approach of scattering unconnected technology around the house”. An OpenAV-based solution, he continued, “makes this dream more affordable and simpler to install than the hugely expensive and complex solutions of the past. OpenAV is configured in various versions to suit a wide range of requirements and budgets”.

The benefits of an integrated, multi-room system to which Adam refers are real.  For example, entertainment sources such as digital TV boxes, media PCs, digital music libraries and games consoles can be centralised and distributed to several rooms in the house, saving a fortune on buying multiple devices and monthly subscriptions – and equipment is housed tidily out of view. Almost any function in the house can be controlled from a single touch-screen – and even whilst away from home via a smartphone or over the Internet. Real-time energy readouts and load controls offer clear and informative information to see how much energy a home is consuming and the effect of switching off energy-consuming devices – this saves money and helps the environment. The list of benefits goes on, so it isn’t surprising that it is a high growth sector – and a home automation system usually increases house values, too.

OpenAV now has support for power monitoring, enabling the user to view the electricity consumed by their home in real time, and take appropriate action. As the system evolves, it will be expanded to cater for numerous other “smart” resource meters, allowing water and gas consumption to be monitored also, and will present the user with the option to automatically turn off lights or lower the set-points of thermostats.
The potential for savings introduced by this feature, and those planned for the future, as well as the commensurate reduction in ones carbon footprint, are just two more reasons to have the OpenAV system take control of your home.

Covered by The Birmingham Post here.

See OpenAV in action as part of The Gadget Show’s ‘party challenge’.

Video available on Five’s ‘FWD’ service, here.

Navigate here for the full video.

“Integrating entertainment, security, lighting, electrical and heating controls in one single solution has numerous benefits for the construction industry. It acts as the front end to multiple systems, eliminating the need for stacks of remote controls and cluttered cabling as well as realising significant energy savings for the home owner. All deliver value to the property developer…”

Read full article here

Which devices can I use with the OpenAV software?
Any device capable of running Flash (version 7+) can be used with OpenAV, with planned support for a greater number of mobile devices (including iPhone) on the horizon.

What makes OpenAV different to all the other solutions out there?
From the outset, we have designed our software with compatibility in mind; it’s not tied down to a specific system controller, and we will do our very best to ensure that the list of supported hardware keeps expanding. Advanced users will be free to create their own control palettes.

Stay tuned to our news feed for up-to-date information on our exciting new OpenAV control package.