RE: Comfort vs HomeVision

["Mark McCall" <mark@xxxxxxx>]

>Don't you need a PC to set up HomeVision though?  Comfort
>doesn't, and I've found that with the help of the setup worksheet that
is
>supplied, it's dead easy to do all the setup from the keypad.

Hmmmmmmm....I think Comfort without the PC interface is like having a TV
without a remote control.  Sure, you can work it but it's soooo much easier
with it.  Also, when you are experimenting with the programming you can
easily go back to an older working setup if you make a mistake.

>I'm not sure what HV has that Comfort hasn't, apart from what
>seems like a good visual display and a higher level programming
language

HomeVision is a different animal.  It is much much easier to programme.  I
has built in IR support (send and receive), 24 digital I/Os and of course
video output giving you menu's on your TV to control stuff with.

>Comfort's big plus points to me are the talking
>menus, control from any phone, brilliant phone integration, very
reliable, very
>expandable, well supported.

Agreed.  It is a wonderful product.  When you add up all the separate boxes
you'd need to do the same functions (alarm, voice mail system, HA
controller, intercom, phone responder etc etc) you realise what good value
it is.

>I've used Comfort for over a year now, it's fab, wouldn't be without
>it.  I've got 16 in's and 16 out's (but it can go to 64 with an
>extra box- I think HV is 24, expandable to 64 in the same box?)

This from the HomeVision website..
In total, you can have:
96 digital inputs [32 opto-isolated via Sylva I/O boards]
48 outputs [8 digital (via homeVision Port C) and 40 relays(8 driven by
HomeVision Port A, 32 on Sylva I/O boards)]
16 analog inputs
64 digital temperature sensors

>You can easily start with the CPU (with 8 in's and 8 out's), a
>battery and a keypad (total around £430, and add the rest when you want
to or when
>funds permit.  HV's starting kit is the same, around £450?

In my situation I already owned a HomeVision but I needed a security system
for our new house.  Comfort's huge (and growing) feature list made its
purchase a no-brainer for me.  If I didn't already own a HV I would
probably
have used Comfort in conjunction with HomeSeer or similar software.  For me
the programming of Comfort is just too tricky.  To do a nice macro with
lots
of flags, timers and logic is beyond me.  In HomeVision however it is very
easy and enjoyable.

>If I was doing it all again, but knowing what I know now, I'd
>still go for Comfort, with the PC interface, particularly if I needed
an
replacement
>alarm system at the same time.

Exactly.  If you need an alarm system then go for Comfort every time.

> Maybe someone who started with HV would say the same about it?

I LOVE my HV too (as does everyone I know that has one).  I wouldn't be
without it either but as I say above, it may be hard to justify the expense
of both.

M.



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