A/V System Doubles as Home Security Watchdog
By Lisa Montgomery
With a few tweaks and hardware additions, and an HAI automation processor, this home's security is tied into the house audio, video and communications.

As an ex-police officer, Stacy Chaffin is passionate about home protection. “It’s a really big deal for me,” he says, “so when we started building our new house, security was an integral part of its design.” Even the main level is constructed with 14-inch concrete, creating a virtual fortress impenetrable to water, high winds and other conditions.

Then there’s the technology. The house is peppered with a combination of strategically installed motion, door, window, glass-break, smoke, fire, heat and carbon monoxide detectors. The Chaffins’ electronics and security contractor, Home Technology Solutions of Matthews, N.C., tied all of the sensors to an HAI (Home Automation Inc.) OmniPro II processor and set up the system so the family could easily arm and disarm it from any one of home’s keypads, touchpanels, handheld remotes and phones—or remotely from a computer or cell phone.



The Chaffins also hired Home Technology Solutions to install whole-house audio, video and communications systems. These technologies seem unrelated to home security, but just a few tweaks and hardware additions created a whole new dimension of protection. For example, the Key Digital 8x12 video matrix distributes a variety of entertainment sources to 13 TVs—and with a Hunt 160GB digital video recorder, the matrix also feeds real-time or recorded images from four black-and-white Hunt surveillance cameras to every display. By pressing buttons on the RTI touchpanels or the remotes, the Chaffins can choose to view each camera individually or in tiled array.

There are cameras at the driveway gate, front door and pool, but the one that gets the most on-screen action is in the basement rec room. “This is the area I thought would be most vulnerable [to break-ins],” says Stacy. “However, it’s also a place where our two boys and their friends hang out. With the camera there, we can always look in to make sure they’re not getting into something they shouldn’t be.” Later, Mom and Dad can review the footage. “The DVR records every camera 24/7 for a period of two weeks,” says Stacy.

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