Looking to convert your home into a smart home? Consider home control systems from a company called HomeSeer. The company uses Z-wave technology to automate almost everything in your home right from lights, appliances, garage doors, water valves to irrigation systems. You can customise your home environment and create automated routines.
For example, you can program it to turn lights on or off based on time and occupancy, adjust thermostat as per need, lock garage doors during bed time and shut down water supply in case of any leaks.
As these systems are web-enabled, you can keep a tab on your home via any web browser even when you are away at work or on vacation. Alerts and reminders can be programmed to be sent by email, text message or by voice (text to speech). These systems also manage energy and control costs based on usage and projections. Compatible with Android and iOS devices, the HSTouch app can help you control everything in your home with just a tap on your smartphone or tablet.
Apart from tablets and phones, you can control HomeSeer with a wide mix of interfaces, including in-wall button controllers, touchscreens, wireless remotes and microphones. Stellar Point: A noteworthy functionality is that all its home control products support voice recognition.
HomeSeer offers three home controllers:
HomeTroller Zee S2
HomeTroller-SEL & SEL Pro
HomeTroller S6 & S6 Pro
HomeTroller Zee S2
HomeSeer’s smallest and most affordable home controller, the HomeTroller Zee S2 is small enough to fit in your palm. Features include:
- 8 GB storage | 900 MHz Quad-Core CPU | 1 GB RAM
- HS3-Zee S2 Software
- Controls Lights, Thermostats, Locks, Cameras, Garage Doors, Water Valves and More
- Supports any 5 Linux-compatible HomeSeer plug-ins of your choice
- LAN connectivity / Wi-Fi (available at added cost)
- Price: USD 199.95, no monthly fee
HomeTroller-SEL & SEL Pro
While HomeTroller-SEL includes all the functionalities available in the Zee S2, it is more advanced than Zee S2. Features include:
- 32 GB SSD storage | 1.58 GHz Dual-Core Celeron CPU | 2 GB RAM
- HS3 or HS3PRO Software
- Controls Lights, Thermostats, Door Locks, Garage Doors, Water Valves, Energy Monitors, Environmental Sensors, Cameras and More
- LAN/ Wi-Fi connectivity
- Supports all Linux-compatible HomeSeer plug-ins
- PRO version comes with 4 GB RAM and HS3 PRO Software
- Price: HomeTroller-SEL: USD 399.95, SEL PRO: USD 699.95
HomeTroller S6 & S6 Pro
The premium controller offered by HomeSeer, HomeTroller S6 features include:
- 32 GB SSD storage | 1.80 GHz Dual-Core Celeron CPU | 2 GB RAM
- HS3 or HS3PRO Software
- Controls Lights, Thermostats, Door Locks, Audio/Video, Security, Irrigation and More
- Supports all HomeSeer plug-ins (including Windows Drivers)
- Includes 6 USB ports, 2 Serial ports and 2 LAN ports for use with many technologies
- Includes Voice Control and Voice Programming
- Supports home phone integration
- PRO version comes with 4 GB RAM and HS3 PRO Software
- Price: HomeTroller S6: USD 899.95, S6 PRO: USD 1,199.95
Hot or Not?
What’s Hot: HomeSeer controllers have been designed for individuals with varied needs and budgets. The controllers are compatible with a range of home control technologies and work with products from leading Z-Wave manufactures such as Cooper, Schlage, Kwikset, Baldwin, Yale, GE, Honeywell, Leviton, Linear, Everspring, Evolve, Fibaro, FortrezZ, Aeon Labs, RCS, Ecolink, among others.
What’s Not: Features such as Wi-Fi connectivity don’t come coupled with the most affordable controller such as the HomeTroller Zee S2.
The Bottomline:
At Greyhound Research, we believe capabilities like voice recognition and support for a number of home devices make HomeSeer a solid contestant in the home automation category. Per our ongoing research, six out of ten users rated the performance of HomeSeer’s touchscreen interface and its customer service above average. That said, pricing may prove to be an issue if you wish to add on features which are not included along with and come at an additional cost.
Would you want to invest in a home automation system like this? Leave us a line (or two) to let us know.
Picture Courtesy: HomeSeer.com
Snapshot of HomeSeer Home Controllers:
About The Author: Sanchit Vir Gogia is the Chief Analyst & CEO of Greyhound Research, an independent IT & Telecom Research & Advisory firm. He also serves as Chief Futurist, Founder & CEO of Greyhound Knowledge Group that operates under four brands – Greyhound Research, Greyhound Sculpt, Greyhound Technocrat and Greyhound Vivo. To read more about him, click here.
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