New UK Show Home Demos Savant’s Apple Powered Home Automation Solution

UK Distributors RGB, have just opened a Savant Experience Show Home to demonstrate how Savant has brought the familiarity of the Apple user interface to home automation.

The system powering the central London Show Home is based on a Savant SmartMediaPro12 modular matrix switch/controller fitted with cards for 8 zones of audio and 10 zones of HD video, 6 of which have TrueCommand on-TV menu overlays.  The control program runs on a Savant SmartHost featuring two Mac minis in a dual redundant configuration for maximum reliability. Three further Savant SmartHosts provide the graphics for the on-TV menu overlays used in the TrueCommand zones. User control of the entire property is via 5 in-wall iPads fixed in Savant in-wall SmartDocks and a Savant Select touch screen wireless handset. In the TrueCommand zones control can also be achieved by using the on-TV menus which are navigated with either Savant Contemporary or Traditional RF remote control handsets or any iOS device. Any number of wireless iPads running the Savant TrueControl App (or iPod/iPhone with the TrueControl II App) can also be used with TrueImage for complete entertainment and environment control including the Lutron HomeWorks lighting and HVAC system.

RGB Communications and WILKO Developments have today opened the UK’s only Savant Experience Show Home at 35 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, Central London.

“The Savant Experience Show Home gives our Savant accredited channel partners a unique sales tool – the ability to demonstrate the features and functionality of a total Savant solution in an environment that allows prospective customers to fully experience exactly what the solution can deliver,” said Gordon Innocent, RGB’s Chairman. “The Show Home will help our channel partners drive and then close new business opportunities around Savant SmartSystems’ Apple® based leading edge, high end automation solution.

RGB’s Savant channel partners can, by appointment only, visit the Show Home and show potential customers just how easily any Apple® device can become a personalised remote control for their complete home entertainment and home environment systems.

35 Queen’s Gate has been developed by WILKO Developments, a developer of prestige and high profile properties offering bespoke design in prime London locations and Matthew Wilkinson, one of WILKO’s Directors was looking to equip the property with a game changing home automation solution.

“I was aware that Savant was relatively new to the UK home automation marketplace and there was a lot of noise about its solution. I realised that I needed to understand what all the noise was about,” explained Wilkinson. “As Savant has chosen RGB as its exclusive UK distributor I was confident that the RGB team could deliver the knowledge, expertise and skill to ensure that together we could create the best home automation solution possible.”

“Working closely with RGB, I quickly understood that Savant’s game changer is that it is Apple based and delivers the smoothest, most responsive and most intuitive home automation solution on the market today,” continued Wilkinson. “Savant is meeting the ever increasing demand from end users who are now looking to use their Apple devices across all aspects of their business and personal lives.”

Together, WILKO and RGB have designed and created a complete Savant solution for multi-room HD video distribution of Sky+HD, Blu-ray, DVD (and other TV sources) and multi-room audio (including Savant’s integrated iTunes Media Server) combined with complete control of the environment i.e. lighting and HVAC, from just about anywhere in the world. For more details of the components of this custom installation see the bottom of this release.

One of the most compelling features of the Savant solution is its TrueImage™ capability which allows a user with an iPad to control their home environment by browsing through actual photos of their home and by simply touching images of smart home products, such as lighting, AV, HVAC, etc, initiate commands.

“For example, just by touching the image of the light you wish to control, that light turns on or off, by pressing and holding the image the light dims,” said Wilkinson. “At the same time the image on the iPad illuminates confirming your command, which is a feature unique to Savant.”

TrueImage makes full use of Apple gestures. For example by ‘pinching and zooming’ the iPad screen, a user can see all the rooms collectively and navigate by tapping on the desired room for immediate home automation access.

“Savant has successfully brought the familiarity of the Apple user interface to home automation so that any Mac OS® X computer, Apple iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch® and even traditional HD TV can be used to control multi-room HD TV distribution, multi-room audio plus the lighting and HVAC,” explained Gordon Innocent, RGB Communications’ Chairman.

“Our goal for 35 Queen’s Gate was to create a Savant Experience Show Home which would give our Savant accredited channel partners a fantastic demonstration facility, providing them with a huge competitive advantage to help them increase new business and new revenue!,” concluded Innocent.

For details of your nearest Savant accredited RGB channel partner please call Neil Howes at RGB +44 (0) 1488 73366.

www.rgbcomms.co.uk   :   Video: Savant Controls Apartment from iPad 

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