I have searched and read most of the posts re: using a pronto to control lighting. Unfortunately, none of them give a complete picture of what all is needed or what the suggested items do. I am building a home theater in my basement and want to use the pronto to control a few different lighting scenes. Can anyone respond with a CLEAR breakdown of what all is needed and how it all works together? (Places to buy would be a help too.) I prefer to NOT use X-10 if possible.

Get a Lutron GrafikEye, which has IR control. Learn the scene IR codes from lutron. Buy from a lutron dealer.

Leviton also makes a system called Mural. All Mural dimmers, scene controls and ir pickups are connected (you use 3 conductor wire to all locations and the 3rd conductor allows everything to 'talk' to each other. You can have multiple circuits tied together using a repeater. Very easy to install and use. Downside is while you have 7 scenes, and group bright/dim on the controllers, you only get access to 4 scenes via ir. (Although we haven't completely given up on trying to get to the others)

Try this for more info...

[Link: leviton.com]

The Mural brochure will give you a basic understanding of what is needed for any of these types of systems, I believe. Also take a look at the 'scene builder' under marketing tools. It'll help you determine what you need for your application.

Good luck,
Sail

Thanks for the direction and explanation. I just have never worked with these things before and felt like I was entering the unknown.

Slade, and there are so many more product lines. There are extremely high end and the very cheapo X10.com products.

High end lighting control such as AMX or Crestron can run $4000.00 per room.

Low end can run at arrond $40.00 per room it just depends on what and how you want to control.

New lighting Contol uses dedicated lines for 100% reliability such as the Mural System, Lutron RA uses Radio Frequency to send the signal to your lights. The newer technologhy boosts digital enhancements while the old technology is analog.

If I was starting fresh, and I will be going in this direction soon. And it is all about using the most to control everything. Such as using my PDA and Smartphone to control my lights, or using the internet to create lighting scenes for a client. Using my PC to control and actually be my home theater.

It is Windows Media Center PC with Home Control by HAI. They also have a line of the new digital scene switches that use the UBP technology.

Check it out from here:
http://www.homeauto.com/

Best of luck and keep us posted with decisions.

Augusty is right on, but if you can't go all the way, X-10 is still an excellent technology. It is inexpensive and very reliable. I would not dismiss it out of hand unless you know for sure that it will not do the job for you.