If your home already runs on Control4, your lights, music and TVs are all on one system. So why is the doorbell still its own thing with its own app?
It doesn't have to be. Control4 makes its own door station and intercom options, so the front door becomes part of the system you already use.
What a Control4 door station does
A visitor rings. The call can show up on your Control4 touchscreens around the house, and on your phone through the Control4 app. You see who's there, talk to them and decide what to do, from wherever you are.
No second doorbell app. No separate screen on the wall that only does one thing. The touchscreen in the kitchen that runs your lights and music also answers the door.
The door and the rest of the house
This is where Control4 gets fun. Because the door station is on the same system as everything else, a ring can do more than ring.
For example, someone rings after dark and the porch light comes on.
How it's set up is up to you. That's programming, the same way we set up lighting scenes and keypad taps. If you want to see how scenes work, read Smart Lighting Control: How Control4 Scenes Work.
Where it goes and how it's wired
A door station is only as good as its connection.
The wire
A wired door station gets steady power and a steady connection. When I can, I wire it. On new construction, the door station goes on the plans and gets pulled with the rest of the low voltage on pre-wire day. On a finished home, we look at what wire is already there and what it would take to run new.
The network
Video at the door runs over your home network. If the network is weak at the front door, the video will be too. Acoustical Vision also does network work, including Wi-Fi access points, so we can fix a dead spot at the door instead of pointing at someone else. More on our networking page.
The door
If you want to unlock the door from the touchscreen, the lock hardware has to match. Electric strikes, magnetic locks and smart locks all work differently. We plan the door and the station together.
Is it right for your home?
A Control4 door station makes the most sense if your home already runs on Control4, or you're planning it. If you're not on Control4, a standalone video door station may be the better fit.
As an authorized Control4 dealer, I can walk you through whether it fits your home. For more on Control4 itself, read What Is Control4? For the bigger picture, see our intercom systems guide.
Room to room, too
Once the door is on your touchscreens, the next question is usually about inside the house. Dinner's ready, the kids are upstairs, someone's in the basement. Instead of yelling up the stairs, you call the room from the touchscreen.
Some families use it every day. Others never touch it. Bigger homes with more floors, a basement media room or an office far from the kitchen tend to get the most out of it. We talk about it on the walk-through so you can decide.
Talk to Paul about a Control4 door station
If you're on Control4 and want the front door on the same system, let's look at your door together.
Send us a messageCall 708-705-9665
Acoustical Vision, 7340 Harrison St, Forest Park, IL 60130 (office by appointment only)
708-705-9665 | paul@acousticalvision.com