31 march 2016
Home Automation and Entertainment
Home automation has plenty of practical, efficient purposes such as energy conservation and home security. But Home Automation isn’t only for practical purposes, it can also be used for entertainment and lifestyle choices. On a large-scale, this can mean smart home theatre systems with zoning and centralized media management but on a smaller scale it can mean something as simple as smart TV’s. So how do you make it work for you? How can you automate your entertainment?
There are plenty streaming devices such as Netflix, Chromecast, Roku etc.- which we are going to be using as examples. There are devices (Chromecast looks like a pendrive) you plug into the HDMI port on your TV, and then you can stream any media content from your smartphone/tablet/iPhone. Most streaming devices support a wide number of apps, including YouTube and Netflix. These give you access to shows, movies etc. at the touch of a button.
Plus you can mirror your device’s screen on the TV. So if there’s something you want everyone to see, just use your phone as a remote control. You can switch between websites, control volume and content quality from your phone too. You just need to be connected to the home Wi-Fi network. That’s how most streaming services work. All you need- a Wi-Fi connection and a TV that has a HDMI port.
Automating your home entertainment entails making all your devices talk to each other. This means your speakers, TV, Blu-ray player, gaming console etc. all connect to one another. They usually work via Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi but this depends on the system you use.
This means you can enjoy music in any room of your house from any device of your choice. All you have to do is make sure your speakers are connected to your smartphone via wireless network. Furthermore, you can even have different rooms playing different music so everyone can listen to their favorite track at the same time. Some smart entertainment systems can even be set up in the bathroom!
Even better, you can control the lights, sound and action on the TV all from your smartphone. You can create a movie going atmosphere with a few swipes of your finger. You can set up your sound system to wake you up at a certain hour with your favourite music. You can set up reminders for your favourite TV shows and have the TV come on and the lights dim at the right moment.
At Silvan, we understand the need for automated entertainment systems. The importance of a seamless entertainment experience cannot be understated. It’s an experience that you can’t go back from. It is a lifestyle that many dream of but think they can’t afford. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We can provide customized home entertainment solutions for any type of house, be it in construction, ready to move in or already living in, moreover for any budget.
With every media outlet in your house connected to each other and controlled from a single interface, everything becomes so much simpler. And that’s our real goal with home automation: To make things simpler, and more efficient.