Why Your Smart Home Needs a Professional Installation
The Inherent Pitfalls in a DIY Smart Home
Walk into nearly any big-box store and you’ll find smart devices scattered throughout the aisles and in various departments. You might discover smart speakers in electronics, smart appliances in the kitchen aisles, and smart thermostats in the electrical department.
How hard could it be to pick them up, install them yourself, and, voilà, you have a smart home for a fraction of the cost of a professional installation. Of course, you also have a mere fraction of a smart home.
Here, we’ll explore the difference between DIY and professionally designed and installed smart homes—and why you should consider a professional installation.
SEE ALSO: The Benefits of Professional Installation in Smart Home Design
Complete Integration
A DIY smart home often becomes a disjointed project, with different apps managing various devices. Yes, it’s convenient to press a button and lower the shades when you’d like some privacy on family movie night. But imagine the experience if you press a button that reads “Movie Night,” and the shades lower, the lights dim, the 100-inch display descends from the ceiling, and the in-ceiling speakers deliver an immersive, high-fidelity surround sound.
Now, extend this to the numerous devices and systems managed by a smart home platform, including lighting, shades, climate control, security, home entertainment, and more. Managing each of these systems separately is incomparable to an automated home that responds with one touch, a voice command, your presence, or to the time of day.
Compatibility Issues
A true smart home consists of interconnected devices that communicate with the home automation platform and with one another. So, when direct sunlight enters a room and the UV rays begin to fade and discolor your home’s interior, your smart home lowers the shades. As the natural light dims, the electric lights brighten, and the thermostat adjusts to retain the ideal temperature. This type of connectivity and communication requires compatible devices.
A professional integrator partners with numerous manufacturers in the home automation and entertainment industries. They know which products work seamlessly together.
For instance, at Prodigy, we partner with Control4, an industry leader in smart home automation. Their platform is compatible with over 25,000 third-party devices, ensuring that most of the technology you love can be managed right from the Control4 touchscreen, keypad, universal remote, or, when you’re miles away, from your smartphone app.
Security & Privacy
Many DIY smart home devices are not designed with privacy in mind. In fact, some companies sell your personal data or use it for advertising purposes. A professional home automation platform like Control4 protects your data, using it only to enhance the smart home experience.
The other vulnerable area is your home network, the system your smart home relies on for communication. To ensure your smart home is protected, professional integrators implement advanced home network security measures, including enterprise-level firewalls, robust access control, and secure guest networks.
Extending Into the Great Outdoors
Today, more homeowners than ever are creating seamless extensions of their homes into the natural beauty of their backyards. From kitchens to fireplaces and outdoor entertainment that rivals indoor setups, outdoor living has become a way of life.
Many people also want the same convenience that their indoor smart home provides. Today, with outdoor Wi-Fi access points that have embraced the latest Wi-Fi standards, you experience corner-to-corner coverage, no matter how many devices are connected simultaneously.
Press a button, and the landscape lights brighten to a golden amber, the outdoor audio system delivers crystal-clear, detailed music across your property, and the outdoor fireplace ignites.
It’s a lifestyle that’s hard to imagine until you experience it. Are you ready to enjoy smart home living at its finest?
To learn more about the benefits of a professional smart home installation, contact Prodigy.
