Hi everyone,

I have been a custom installer since 1990. I have owned my own business since 2001. I have seen alot of products come and go. I love the URC MX900 for simple system control. With today's technology I want to offer my client's the latest and greatest. I have been installing the URC MX6000 with the MRX1, PSX2, and denon or marantz receiver utilizing the 2 way IP modules. I am semi happy with this configuration but it seems the MX6000 has alot of issues connecting to the network and it's performance is OK at best. I have had 5 over the past year where the screen freezes and becomes unresponsive and will not control my clients system. I try to take the battery out and that doesn't help and since the screen locks up the factory default doesn't work. When I hit the reset button and reload the program it works for a little while and then freezes up again. I've contacted URC and sent them my programs and they say everything is OK. Also with the Pandora 2way module for the Marantz SR7005 the most recent issue I had was after every line it populated with a whole bunch of 0's after the artist name or song title. It also seems like it takes 5 minutes to load the information when you activate the system. Needless to say my client is not happy and I look like an idiot. I wanted to pose a question to my fellow custom installers as to which remotes and or control systems everyone is using and how do they operate? Are they installer friendly and do they offer a pleasant experience to the end user? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I am restructuring and wanted to see what everyone else was using and how they have been operating for them. I was thinking of switching over to RTI, Control4, and Savant. Currently I do URC and AMX. Thank you in advance for your responses. If anyone has any questions for me please feel free to ask.

Thank You,

Anthony Addeo
Elite Audio Video

I've been using Crestron and URC. Recently URC as a company has been giving me a fit, and I am considering going back to RTI, its a shame, I'm very comfortable with their product but a few issues with my past few RMAs has me thinking I'll give RTI a chance again. My only concern with them is they had a stint of reliability issues, no one has bitched about it recently so I'm hoping they have been resolved.

Other than that I like Crestron, just not the easiest to sell in my market.

I'd say keep AMX and use RTI and URC. Total Control from URC sounds good but the MX5000 and MX6000 have been buggy so I'm not sure how about the new line at all.

RTI has had it's problems. I personally like RTI. I have programmed MANY different control systems, just about everything that's come out since '99. I've made RTI do things that should've been done by Crestron. URC for simple standalone IR systems is nice. RTI is a nice middle between the simple standalone and large systems that "need" two-way.

I will first ask, are you going to Cedia this year? you might be surprised at what you learn there from other dealers....Make friends have a few drinks, ask questions.

No product is 100%, but obviously we all want the most reliable products and best customer experience possible.

I like RTI (except their batteries) but in all my years I can say I have only sent back a T1 that the battery connector came off, another t1 that the battery connector came off, a t3 that was customer abused which RTI gave a GREAT deal to replace, a t2c that locked up/display stopped working which was repaired under warranty, a RP1 that locked up, and lastly a zigbee receiver that was DOA, that might seem like a big list, but as much as I have sold thats almost 0.

Now I use alot of basic URC remotes as well for basic systems, My list is far longer with URC(non warrantied, and wasn't really worth my time for the price of the remotes, and my aggravation with tech support (pretty much useless) I will keep using them on basic system, but thats it.

Hmm I think I'm starting to like you. haha

Wow I should have proof read that, Had a few(or many) "Fat Tire" beers tonight (we can't get it here) and I LOVE the stuff! Guessing my grammer, and spelling may have been impacted. God forbid we get Yuengling in Ky, we just got Oberon last year and I have a small collection of little kegs (empty now) around my deck

I was being honest not messing with you. Your post about using URC on the basic systems echoed what I said. For what it's worth your grammar and spelling didn't bother me, hell I didn't even notice it. Just watch out for Ernie. :)

Just an observation, break up your run-on paragraph into smaller bites. It makes it easier to digest:-)

Fat Tire is a much better beer than Yuengling I tell you. And as mentioned, please press the "enter" button on occasion when typing... lol

You are absolutely correct. I wish they would bring Yeungling into Texas.

Ha, obviously too much Elmer's in the Texas school system these days.

If there's one thing I've learned after talking to countless installers from every part of the country using every control system under the sun, it's that there is no perfect solution. Never has been and never will be.

You just have to do your due diligence and select a product mix (and the personnel associated with them) you feel most comfortable working with.

Switching from a remote company (URC or RTi) to a control systems company (AMX or Savant) is a huge jump, you cant even compare the 2. If your installations are getting to a size where its demanding of a control system, my advice to you would be to give your business to the control company that will help you grow your business and offer the support you need to succeed. That may be Crestron, Savant, C4, or AMX. This isn't an overnight decision as you'll have to invest plenty of money and time so do your research.

I completely agree, we have many systems which are mixed and matched like we have Digilinx systems working with RTI for example, but one thing I always try to avoid is systems that completely lock you in and give you little scope to expand in various ways, Digilinx is great for IP distribution of audio and video when your speaker runs would be running at an excessive distance but Digilinx GUI's are completely locked in and if you use a strange box that has a few buttons that are not on the standard GUI you are stuck with what you have. Using RTI as a control system you then have to find the appropriate partner for your audio and video distribution that works in great harmony with the other.

All systems have their good and bad points it's down to you as a professional to work out the good and the bad of one product and be able to support it with another product that equals the balance to your system.

Personally we are doing more and more RTI these days, with Linn DS as audio distribution with Grand Being as video distribution. One lacking feature I am yet to try solve is the intercom feature that would be essential for gate/door entry.

Hi Anthony,

I feel your pain. We install a lot of URC (mainly 850 and 900) and I have taken grief on the "what did you do today" thread for installing high end systems with 850s.

I frequently feel like an old dog that refuses to learn a new trick (my first install job was in 1987) when it comes to control systems and, like you, have struggled with the best direction in which to grow. In the past, I've contracted programming to Crestron programmers with mixed (at best) results and just finished our first large Control4 job (also with mixed results).

I am also installing a lot of Sonos these days, which, in my opinion, is a far superior music system to any of the other music server based systems I've used. It is more reliable, supports more Internet music services and is app based. Lastly, there is no programming for me to learn.

So, for my business, we will continue to use 850/900s for rooms with TVs (I find button remotes superior for channel surfing, etc. than touchpanels) with iPad Sonos interface for music (iPad also for lighting and temp via RadioRa2, security via alarm.com and cameras via ip cams). This allows me to offer systems that I have mastered and can make work reliably (and service easily).

Basically, I just don't want the pain of control systems any more. I don't feel I will ever install enough to overcome the constant pain of new software, new firmware, etc. and the continuing learning curve required. To quote Dirty Harry, "a man's got to know his limitations."

I'm sure you will get a lot of advice on control systems and how great (and profitable) they can be. It seems that you have successfully avoided them since 1990, so I can only wonder if it is for the same reasons for my struggle - learning curve being the primary hurdle.

Summing up, my advice would be to compare/contrast proprietary control systems with app-based systems that may offer much of the control and feedback you are looking for without the time, effort and money control systems require.

Whatever your decision, put it in your office/showroom/home and perfect it there before guinea-pigging your customers.