RE: Help!!

["Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxx>]

Hi John,

>
>Does anyone know of software/hardware available that perform's ALL of
the
>following?
>

I think Homeseer + Homeseer phone (with the Homeseer phone switch) will do
just about everything you have mentioned here...


>Actively monitoring X10 status(s),
>eg if a lighting mood set, the software should change the Lamp module's
to
>go to the new setting based on the current setting(not simply raise
them to
>max and then dim them to the new level).
>

This is as much a function of the dimmer module used as the HA software
controlling it. Certainly Homeseer supports the memory dim and pre-set dim
functions of those modules that support those features...


>Telephone response,
>Tone (DTMF) I/P from remote dial in user, with either voice or tone
(DTMF)
>confirmation of action.
>
>Telephone/SMS/E-mail alert,
>Based on user defined conditions, eg alarm event
>

The Homeseer Phone add-on in conjuction with the Homeseer phone switch can
certainly do all of those things. Vince Goddard has this setup and should
be
able to give you much more detail about this. I use the software portion
only, I don't have the phone switch. (The phone switch is a hardware
"black
box" produced by Keware designed to work with the homeseer phone
software to
extend it's functionality).


>Variety of inputs,
>IR, X10, Video(composite),Telephone,etc (remote access via IP for the
>future?), Voice recognition not required(yet)

Homeseer has built-in support for a number of popular IR products, and has
full serial port access/control for use with any serial devices that are
not
directly supported. Homeseer has recently undergone a major architectural
overhaul to enable it to support "plug-ins" so that you can
plug-in
additional modules to support other hardware quite easily. A number of
plug-ins are already available for devices like the Ocelot from Applied
Digital, and the S-LINK-E from Nirvis. With plug-in support, I guess there
is also the potential for 3rd parties to write their own support modules
for
their devices....

Homeseer does include VR "out of the box" but if you've been
following
recent threads, you'll have seen that most people really don't rate it yet.
I personally don't use it yet either.

There are other solutions as well, which are well worth looking at, such as
the Comfort/Comfort Web interface combination, which should also do most of
the above as well, and of Course, Homevision too. (I Don't have a
Homevision, but I don't think it has the telephone functionality you
require.) Comfort has good telephone support, but IMHO, the programming
interface is a 'mare! (No nice friendly scripting environment here! - more
like writing in raw assembler!) - powerfull, but definately not intuitive.

Also, you should check out ACE by Dan Hoenen - he wrote the Comfort Web
Interface software too. ACE is slightly different in as much as it it more
of a command & control sofware solution, not a complete HA system in
itself,
It needs to be used with some form of HA controller.

All of the people & products I've mentioned here are excellent, and
will
give you top-flight support & service.


As ever, this is just my £0.02 worth, others opinions may vary...

HTH

Paul G.



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