ELECTRONICHOUSE FAST TRACK TO THE CONNECTED LIFESTYLE JUNE 2008 BUILDER S BOUNTY

Transcription

1 HOT FOR SUMMER KILLER OUTDOOR SYSTEMS ELECTRONICHOUSE FAST TRACK TO THE CONNECTED LIFESTYLE JUNE 2008 BUILDER S BOUNTY

2 Builder s Bounty Homeowners reap the benefits of a builder s high-tech upgrade program. by Lisa Montgomery; photography by Joseph Hilliard It s not often a builder gets so geeked about technology. Scott Shraiberg of Esprit Homes in Greenwood Village, CO, however, speaks passionately about the advanced cabling infrastructure his company routes into every home it builds. [By including the cabling] we re giving people the freedom to do what they want with their homes, he says. Some people use the infrastructure to create a media room with a full surround-sound system, while others use it as the backbone for all kinds of bells and whistles. Shraiberg and his team have been constructing hightech residences for more than decade. Now, their customization package offers homebuyers a free consultation with a professional home systems installer. EH June 2008

3 Denver residents David and Laurie Cribari took full advantage of the program by incorporating a slew of sophisticated electronic gear into their new semi-custom 4,200-squarefoot home. Items like high-speed cabling and multiconnection wall jacks were rolled into the mortgage. David had much bigger ideas than just having advanced cabling, though, recalls homes systems contractor Michael Murdock of Time Direct in Aurora, CO. I ve always dreamed of having a home with lots of technology, David relates. I wanted systems that would make things more convenient. So before the walls of the home were sealed up, Murdock added a multifaceted home management system, a whole-house music system and several control panels and keypads. Murdock chose the OmniPro II system from HAI to serve as the brain of the house. I ve been installing it for more than 11 years, and there s nothing it can t do, he says. Plus, for an extra $250 and no monthly subscription fee, he was able to add a piece that would prove invaluable to the jet-setting couple. The Snap-Link USB key from HAI gives David and Laurie complete access to the electronics in their home while they re traveling. By plugging the USB key into any computer, they can remotely monitor and control the lights, thermostats, security system, audio/video equipment, garage doors and the main water valve from anywhere in the world. Information like the settings of the thermostats, surveillance cameras and security sensors is displayed on the screen of the computer. I carry the Snap- Link with me everywhere, says David. It provides great peace of mind. He s also found it to be a good way to pull pranks. One of the first times I used the Snap-Link, I turned off the lights while my wife was home alone and scared the daylights out of her. Laurie eventually forgave him; it was hard not to, given how dramatically the system has simplified their lives. The great room sports a full surround-sound system, but it s difficult to pick out the speakers. That s just the way the homeowners wanted it. The soundbar-style speaker from Jamo that s situated above the 42-inch Panasonic plasma TV combines the front left, right and center channels; two square in-wall Jamo speakers provide the rear effects; and a Jamo subwoofer underneath the table behind the couch fills in the sound with big, boomy bass. THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES 2006 PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND VICOM INTERNATIONAL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ElectronicHouse.com

4 RIGHT PRICE Like most of the rooms in David and Laurie Cribari s residence, the master suite boasts flat-panel TVs (the bathroom has two 15-inch Sharp LCD TVs, and the bedroom has a 32-inch Panasonic LCD TV), built-in speakers (all Jamo) and access to a wide variety of music and video sources. The couple didn t forget about automation, either. From an HAI keypad next to the bed they can hit one button to turn off the lights and music, set back the thermostats, arm the security system and close the garage doors. All in a Day s Work Take their bedtime routine. What used to require a trip downstairs to shut off the lights and arm the security system can now be accomplished while lying in bed. We just hit the NIGHT button on the wall-mounted touchscreen by the nightstand to arm the security system, shut off the lights and the music system, set back the six thermostats and close the garage doors if they re open, David explains. If I haven t turned off the lights and music by midnight, the HAI system turns them off automatically. The thermostats continue to self-regulate based on the outdoor temperature. If the outside temperature drops below a certain point, the thermostats raise the indoor temperature by two degrees, David continues. If it gets above 85 degrees outside, they lower the indoor temperature by two degrees. Other devices can turn on and off automatically, too. For example, whenever the Cribaris disarm the security system as they enter the house, the lights in the kitchen, hearth room and family room brighten. At the same time, the thermostats adjust to their predefined comfort settings. The OmniPro II completes the setup by activating certain TVs and audio components. The type of video and audio that plays depends on who has punched in their security code. David s code turns on the audio in the kitchen and great room and the 42-inch TV in the study; Laurie s code turns off the audio in the kitchen and turns EH June 2008 ESPN.

5 on the 26-inch TV in the hearth room. Even when the Cribaris are away from home the OmniPro II stays in charge. If we re gone for more than a day, the system shuts off the main water valve to prevent flooding, David says. Snow is never an issue either. The Cribaris can activate their snow melting system through the Snap-Link or their cell phones. Entertainment on the Fly With the home so well taken care of, David and Laurie have been able to finally enjoy all those CDs and DVDs that had been gathering dust in their storage room. Murdock ripped their entire CD collection onto a NuVo M3 music server. Audio from this component, in addition to an AM/FM/XM radio tuner and four cable TV receivers, can be piped to Jamo speakers planted in the walls and ceilings of the house and tucked under the eaves of the patio. The couple can choose what they d like to hear from any of 16 NuVo keypads. They can also tell the NuVo Grand Concerto system where to deliver the song, be it to the backyard, the kitchen or everywhere in the house. Murdock divided the home into 16 distinct listening zones so that different music can play in different areas at the same time. The TV audio is tied to the distribution system, as well. It s a feature that gets a lot of use. In the morning, we ll usually turn on the TV in the bathroom and channel the sound throughout the house so we can hear the news The foyer is one of the main control locations of the house, (pictured clockwise from top right) featuring a NuVo touchpanel for cueing music, an HAI keypad for setting up special scenes, HAI switches for individual lighting control and an HAI lighting control keypad for setting up the lights in a specific room. ElectronicHouse.com

6 RIGHT PRICE The 42-inch Panasonic TV in the study turns on automatically when David arrives home and disarms the security system. He can change the channel or turn on music instead from a Harmony handheld remote. The room is also fitted with a wireless router to network all the printers and computers in the house. no matter where we go, David says. It s also a great way to keep up on the plot of a movie or the commentary of a sporting event. For house-wide video, Murdock modulated the DVD player so that movies from a single 5-disc changer in the basement equipment room can be viewed on any of seven flat-panel TVs. Also in the rack are seven high-def cable boxes one for each TV. The Cribaris control the DVD player and cable boxes from handheld Harmony remotes from Logitech. Handsdown, it s the easiest remote to use, says Murdock. I d put this $285 device up against an expensive touchscreen-style remote any day. The Cribaris are just as pleased with the simplicity achieved by Murdock s careful selection of products, not to mention the $55,000 cost of the high-tech upgrades. In previous EH June 2008 ESPN.

7 EQUIPMENT LIST The 42-inch high-def TV in the great room was placed on an articulating Sanus mount so it could be pulled out from the cabinet and rotated toward the patio. The homeowners can carry their handheld Harmony remote outside to control the programming. Weather-hardy Jamo speakers planted under the eaves (visible in photo on left) provide the audio for the outdoor space. Opposite: The Cribaris never fiddle with their outdoor lighting. The HAI OmniPro system actives the fixtures automatically at sunset and turns them off at sunrise. Snow is never an issue, either. The Cribaris can turn on the snow melting system from anywhere in the world via a computer or cell phone. STRANGE WILDERNESS TM, & 2008 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ElectronicHouse.com

8 RIGHT PRICE EQUIPMENT LIST AUTOMATION SYSTEM HAI OmniPro II controller HAI flush-mounted keypads (3) HAI touchscreens (2) HAI Snap-Link Internet access USB key LIGHTING CONTROL HAI UPB dimmers (36) HAI switches (15) HAI 6-button controllers (4) HAI UPB lamp modules (2) CLIMATE CONTROL HAI temperature sensor HAI humidity sensor WHOLE-HOUSE AUDIO NuVo Grand Concerto 8-zone, 6-source amplifiers (2) NuVo touchpads (16) NuVo NV-P2100 amplifiers (4) NuVo AM/FM/XM Radio tuner NuVo NV-M3 music server NuVo IR learning center Jamo dual-voice coil speakers (9) Jamo in-ceiling speakers (14) Jamo outdoor speakers (6) ENTERTAINMENT COMPONENTS Panasonic 42-inch plasma HDTVs (2) Panasonic 32-inch LCD HDTVs (2) Panasonic 26-inch LCD HDTV Sharp 15-inch Aquos LCD TV Comcast high-definition cable boxes (7) NewCastle 7.1 audio/video receiver NewCastle progressive-scan DVD/CD/MP3 player Jamo A360 LCR Sound Bar Jamo 883K4 surround-sound speakers Jamo A30 subwoofer ChannelPlus modulator Niles infrared receivers (5) Niles infrared flashers (9) Niles infrared repeaters (2) Xantech audio switch Xantech RC68+ learning remote Adicon Ocelot programmable controller Panamax power conditioner Panamax surge suppressor Middle Atlantic equipment racks and shelves Sanus articulating wall TV mounts NETWORKING Belkin 4-port wireless router D-Link 5-port switch Panasonic network surveillance camera homes, I ve spent three times as much on audio equipment and didn t get half the benefits I have now, says David. How does Shraiberg feel about the tricked out house? He admits that some people who hire Esprit to build a home stick with just the basics when it comes to technology. However, as the Cribaris prove, when the right wiring is in place, just about anything is possible. It doesn t have to cost an arm and a leg, either. That s something both Shraiberg and Murdock can feel really good about. EH SYSTEM DESIGN AND INSTALLATION Time Direct Aurora, CO BUILDER Esprit Homes Greenwood Village, CO E. Low Circle Aurora, CO EH June 2008