On February 20, 2007 at 23:38, Steve@EI said...
So at first glance we can do most of what is in the spec,
however our approach to this systems is very different.
All the two way transport controls and av gear(DVD, CD,
Tuner, etc...) is in MCE, done out of the box. If you
can swallow that. We would use our UDI tool for the misc
rs232 equipment triggers and scripts.
So every peice of equipment listed, you have already written code for except for a few misc commands? How hard are those commands to add? Are they 2-way?
The biggest difference
is that the interface is very complex in what you are
doing to simply play music or a movie.
Actually, what is requested is a simple one button push to do any action on the system with the exception having a global off button on the keypads. This is a function where having to hold a button ensures that there is no accidental activation of this function. Are you saying that the GUI you are using meets the required spec?
Also most of the
content is digital in our world, so you add a lot of metadata
and cover art features that i don't see discussed.
This spec was kept simple for a reason. The system and equipment chosen were kept simple for a reason. Every button was defined for a reason. Either a system can or cannot meet the required spec. If a system cannot provide real-time volume feedback on every touch-panel page, then it doesn't meet the spec. Can your system meet this overly-simple specification for all required parameters? I know the Crestron guys are nodding thier heads. If so, then we can move on to discussing metadata and advanced functions.
then If
we want to run at this spec, we can do it. I personally
don't think of this as home automation, but more as an
overgrown pronto remote with two way. I am used to bigger
jobs and more subsystems instead of button push control.
This is system and these are features that we see being asked for. Especially from older, retied clients. They are not asking for lots of menus, but are asking for simple, reliable, inuitive control. We are looking for something like this:
It would be more fun to take the end result of the system
and the customer and show him the way we do it and see
what he is really finding value in. Doesn't the customer
just want it to do what he wants, play a movie, pause
it to go to the bathroom, finishing watching it in the
master.
That is exactly what was requested and what the spec calls out for.
Also all the cryptic hold this button down for
5 seconds and stuff, the usability is out the window.
Holding the button down is only used for Global Power as discussed above, and for editing presets. How would you do it that makes more sense to a client? This is how thier OEM car stereos work. It's how other audio components work. Are you suggesting that we shouldn't use a system that they are already familiar with for editing presets?
As i state, we can do most of it, it is just complex IR
macro and such,
Actually, with the exception of the VCR/DVR, there is no IR in the system. Can EI handle these "complex IR macros and such" as required by this simple job?
the gui is a problem for us, but keep
in mind we beleive that our closed loop gui is one of
are biggest assets, i realize some of you disagree, but
we will have to let the future tell us who wins here.
Lets not have the same arguement again. I would try
to design this system with the thought in mind of it being
in a weekly rental suite, different guest each week that
is paying a ton for the room. Last thing you want is
them not be able to watch tv, if a manual or training
is needed for each guest. If you take that approach it
is generally usable by mom dad kids alike. We certainly
differ if the real secret sauce of that system is gui
and cryptic hold nose for ten seconds, unbutton fly, flush
toilet, and then ask mom for a good night kiss. Got to
run, just my end of the day humor.
SC
This system is designed for no instructions needed. If you can read at a 2nd grade level, you should be able to operate every portion of this system with no instructions. For instance the DVD player turning the system on when a DVD starts palying. Does EI have a system that works better than this? I know clients love this feature and to us, there is no simpler operation. There is an example of a touch panel that would fit well in this system above. Are you saying that this is a difficult panel to operate? How would EI handle this?
There are other items in there that you didn't get a chance to answer. For instance the hardware. Do you supply all the required parts for a job like this? Do we have to peice it together with parts from PC vendors? Do you have a solution for the UL approved in-wall panels? What about two-way keypads? What do you advise for those? What about having the touch-panel in the room and the hand-held remote be in sync at all times? How does EI handle this? Are you suggesting that this is not an important part of an automation system? When I push a button on the wall, I don't want to pick up the remote and have it doing something else. What about the one-button push for all source commands? What about the feeback from the projector? As a user, I want to push the video button on the touch-panel, have a page pop-up that says what mode I am currently in and give me a few choices that I can change it to. All discrete, no toggles, I want to know which one it is, and I want feedback. Same with sound. Is this possible with EI?
This system was kept simple for a reason. If an automation system cannot handle simple requests on simple systems, then they are not in the same league as AMX/Crestron.
