Visitors to this week's International Consumer Electronics Show will get to see first-hand how Crestron-based systems operate in a residential home. The high-end automation and entertainment company has made its first major foray into show homes by becoming the technology sponsor for the 5,200-square-foot NextGen Home Experience, on display in Las Vegas. The Home will also be open during the International Builders' Show, the World of Concrete, and the International Roofing Expo.
In the NextGen home,. Crestron systems allow visitors to select and control audio and video components, dim lights and adjust thermostats in every room in the house from 11 custom touchpanels, 45 Cameo keypads, and two handheld remotes.
In addition, Crestron technology forms the basis of the home's theater experience, including a 7.1 surround sound processor, video processor, and distribution system.
Lighting and climate control are handled via a TPS-6X Wireless Touchpanel. Two additional TPS-6X touchpanels allow complete control from the master bedroom and VIP suite. Even the bathrooms in the master bed room and VIP suite feature Crestron control via WPR-48 waterproof remotes. Crestron CEN-IDOC docking stations for the iPod are installed in the master bedroom, VIP suite, and family room to seamlessly integrate the popular MP3 player as a whole house audio source, which can be accessed from touchpanels in any room.
In total, the home has 10 independent zones of climate control, 10 zones of distributed video with 16 audio zones, and 8 lighting zones consisting of 188 loads. Pre-set scenes are programmed for special occasions, such as "Goodnight," "Vacation," "Party" and "Show" modes.
The home security system, including CCTV cameras, is also integrated into the Crestron platform. Biometric entry scanners manage access to the home by identifying individuals and their personal security levels as they enter. The same finger swipe that opens the door is also recognized by the control system, displaying the family member's name on touchpanel displays and automatically initiating personalized settings for lights, temperature and entertainment. Through the system an e-mail can be automatically sent to parents when children return home from school. E-mails and pop-up alerts on touchpanels indicate unidentified scan attempts so immediate action, such as viewing live security cameras, can be taken.
Third-party "green" systems are integrated with Crestron control. Solar power, water recirculation, and backup power generators are connected to and monitored by the Crestron solution. Live weather information feeds directly into the Crestron system, which automatically adjusts the various environmental settings to optimize energy efficiency.
For more information and directions to the NextGen Home in Las Vegas, visit www.nextgenhome.com.
