CEDIA 2017

Automation and control leader, Control4, released the latest version of its operating system this week, OS 2.10. This release expands performance and delivers a host of new features and upgrades that will be immediately available for free to dealers and customers. Much of the new update focuses on interoperability, peace of mind, personalization and audio improvements for both existing and new systems, all designed to improve customer happiness and satisfaction.

Some of the features in the update include a jump to camera page option that allows any event to trigger touchscreens to immediately display a camera view, an enhanced full-screen camera view on both touchscreens and on-screen, the addition of an “else” option to programming for If/Then/Else customization, improvements to the intercom capabilities as well as a new intercom app for communication from anywhere in the world, and expansion of the system’s announcements capability by allowing announcements in any file format the system can support – up to 192/24-bit – and 30 seconds in length.

However the two most interesting updates for Sound & Vision readers with Control4 systems include the new "When >> Then" feature and the addition of new native music support.

When >> Then addresses the number one requested feature from customers, namely the ability for the homeowner to personalize their own system. Now for the first time users can make programming tweaks and fine tune their own systems without requiring the need of an installer. The concept is simple, built around 50 available “Whens” with a corresponding set of more than 30 “Thens.”

Customers can select a When activity such as a button press, a schedule, or an event followed by a Then that executes. Such as “When it is sunset, Then turn on the outdoor lights and shut the garage doors.” To simplify things for the homeowner, only Whens and Thens are displayed based on their system composition. For example, a customer without lighting in their system wouldn’t see any light adjustments options. Also, the customer’s project is continually backed-up to the Cloud, so any devastating changes can be rolled back and reverted.

When >> Then programming is available to any customer running OS 2.10 and subscribing to the company’s 4Sight ($99 annually) service, which also includes remote home access, voice control with Amazon Alexa, as well as the new intercom app.

On the music side, OS 2.10 adds native support for iHeart Radio and Spotify. Control4 stated that Spotify, iHeart Radio and Pandora represent two-thirds of all streaming services, so the company is thrilled to add these new services to customers. These will join the roster of native streaming services already supported including Deezer, Napster, Pandora, TIDAL, and TuneIn.