Improving the efficiency of its dealers is the name of the game these days at Control4 (Nasdaq: CTRL) And the company has a broad cornucopia of new products in control, networking and audio all with that aim in mind.
First, Control4’s new 2.10 software release offers “when/then” capability for both integrators and end users. It allows the user to take virtually any configurable button in the Control4 environment – whether it’s on a remote control, keypad or doorbell – and tell the system what to do when someone presses it, taps twice, presses and holds.
The response action or the “when” doesn’t have to be physical actions such as pressing a button. It can be a time of day, sensor activity, temperature setting or other actions.
Users can program the “then” to be as simple as sending a text message when the door is unlocked, or as complicated as launching a morning scene that ramps up the lights, opens the shades and turns the television on to a specific channel.
“It’s really quite revolutionary because it allows that consumer to feel like they are not completely handcuffed any time they want to make a small change,” says Paul Williams, vice president of product management at Control4. “And honestly for the dealer, it is freeing. Dealers have had to go in and do these tiny little bits of programming that they do not like to do and are not profitable.”
To take advantage of the new flexibility, the system needs to be using Control4’s new OS 2.10 software and have a subscription to the 4Sight cloud service.
Pakedge Bakpak WR-1 Wireless Router, BakPak Lite
Control4 introduced the new $300 Pakedge WR-1 wireless router. It is the first time they have combined both an access point and a router into a single device. The low price point allows integrators to get into smaller projects that in the past might have relied on the unreliable router provided by the cable or phone company, according to Williams. The 5GHz unit has four ports of gigabit.
“At that price point, it is quite amazing,” comments Williams.
Meanwhile, the WR-1 router can be managed remotely using the BakPak Lite remote management system. That means checking throughput, rebooting, etc. Control4 says its dealers report saving an average of two truck rolls per week using the BakPak Lite.
Triad One Streaming Amp
All future audio products produced by Control4 will be branded as Triad, which it acquired earlier this year. The first new products post-acquisition are two matrix switchers– 8×8 and 24×8. The units have digital inputs so they can receive high-res audio (HRA) files and pump out HRA files. The company also debuted a new amplifier that uses half the rack space of the previous Triad amps.
Lastly, the new Triad One streaming amplifier was unveiled. The single-zone amp is rated to produce 100 watts of power, and it supports digital audio up to 24-bit/192kHz.
Triad says integrators can use the amp to power local soundbars and speakers in any type of room environment, and to complement home installations, it includes IR outputs to control devices such as TVs.
The amp also includes analog and digital inputs, and through Control4, the amp enables the streaming of Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, TIDAL and TuneIn.
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