There are atleast a million projects that will need less than 18 dimmer/switches and three thermostats.

Can someone truthfully answer this question, does Crestron system builder allow scheduling out of the box? Scheduling lighting scenes and thermostat setback. Control4 and Homelogic can do this. If Crestron Prodigy can't do this then it is no better than a Nevo Q50 with a Russound CAV6 two-way driver. Not trying to bash Crestron at all. I just can't see selling a $250 thermostat that you can't schedule. when you can go to Home Depot and purchase one for $12.

Do the Crestron guys have module that can be bought and added? If so then I think they are golden.

Well any system that uses windows is doomed for complete failure.

And yes liveware hung its self at my branch when i was playing with it and the whole system froze and crashed. Took 15 minutes to reboot and then crashed again. No Thanks. i dont believe Lifeware is even a competitor in this type of area, as much as they would like to be they still have a ways to go.

they should of based their systems on a mac at least they dont crash =)

It has nothing to do with Windows, it has to do with the quality of the software they developed on the Windows platform. Crestron uses windows too.

Crestron's control processors have a proprietary OS. They do not use Windows. Only the software for programming Crestron's control processors is designed for use on PC's running Windows.

The Lifeware automation controller uses •Microsoft® Windows® XP Embedded Operating System. This is why Lifeware is not as reliable as Crestron and other control systems using well designed and tested proprietary operating systems.

Crestron does use Windows Embedded in some of there devices, I didn't say the controller.

I sopose I should of said "any software that is based on windows and built on media center is doomed for failure"

Crestron only uses Windows Vista™ Ultimate OS - locked down for ultimate security and Crestron Watchdog™ hardware system monitor for their Adagio® Digital Media System. It is not used in their control processors.

Lifeware uses Windows everywhere on everything whether it be a control processor, media server or storage.

If a Crestron media server running Windows crashes, the rest of the control system will still work. It's certainly not the same as having your automation controller from Lifeware, that is running windows, crash and lockup the whole system.

[Link: crestron.com]


Best of all, it's going to ship in two weeks!

(well...)

Crestron has had Schedueling from day 1 of their Tstats and lighting. SB, and most likely Proddigy as it would not make sense not to.

Thanks for the info Devil Dog

Actually, Crestron uses embedded windows XP in the TPMC line of panels, including the UPX/UPX-2. The ADMS does run on embedded Vista Ultimate but its the only current product doing so. The Crestron Watchdog is in all Crestron products. Its part of SysMon for the embedded Linux OS which is built off of Nucleus RTOS (then highly modified, including the kernel).

Prodigy is priced almost identical to C4 on the MSRP side of things. Even though Julie has reported that it will be programmable in SIMPL I wouldnt look to be able to add anything except Prodigy product to the system. This will work very similar to starting a project with an old CNMSX-PRO running the old enet card and then trying to add an iDoc. SIMPL just wont allow it to happen and unless you have some serious dirt on someone in S.E. at Crestron then you wont be able to circumvent this block.

I dont understand all the comments about how Crestron will be making a mistake by not allowing this product line to work with other Crestron products. Prodigy processing power is limited. If Crestron opened this box up for use with the full line then there would be 1000s of projects that failed to operate correctly because the dealers cheaped out on horsepower. Hell, this happens NOW with the Adagio line even though there are posted guidelines. I am rescuing a job at the moment that has this very problem. We are adding 3 more small scale processors to stabilize the system. Had this been designed correctly from the start there wouldnt be a need for additional processing in such a small system.

OK here is my question. Do you guys think this system will be a hassle to program and that it will take years to master the programming like a full crestron system? it seems like its for breaking the client into home automation field. Im not a truck slammer, im just curious what you think. Will it be a install and bing bang boom done enjoy your system with a check running to the bank?

Because if that's the case i am afraid that many trunk slammers will mis inform the customer of the limitations of the prodigy system and will cause us trust-worthy guys to come in and say your integrator didnt tell you? Hopefully the software isnt "That" easy anyone can do it to the bare minimum.

I am sure crestron will have a way to integrate more than 18 switches. I dont think the time would have been invested into the product and then limit itself like that. Its probably got more to do with the processing power of the main controller. Maybe they took a look at the first generation C4 stuff and said "wow, with a slew of zigbee devices on the network, its slows down the system". As control4 made its software revisions, faster processors, and lost thier litigation with Lutron, thier controllers have become extreeemely responsive now that polling all the devices in the system has been removed. So this is what I see, as Crestron releases its first entry level system, they want to make sure it is well received and responsive. I have been a C4 dealer since 01/06 and I can say the first system we did consited of over 60 lighitng loads and its responiveness left something to be desired. it worked, but sloooowly. Nice thing is, as they released thier new controllers and better software revisions we were able to update the customer by only having to integrate one new controller with faster processing ($700), update the system and all his legacy gear worked faster and stayed intact. I would say kudos to Crestron for probably listening to the concerns of first generation control4 customers or dealers. Smart move on thier part in not rushing a system that can be bogged down by dealers trying to do too much with it.

hmm sounds like the PHAST days.... oh wait, same folks.