Re: Show report

["noughtomate" <balraj_jassal@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would agree with those comments.

I would have expected that this being the only end-consumer HA show=20
in the UK, that there would be a bias on products that suit us home=20
brewers. Practically, every stand I went to asked me if I was an=20
installer.

And whenever I enquired about X10 compatible products, I got puzzled=20
stares or looks of disgust!

And I loved the 'Computer Says No' response from the Logitech stand=20
(some UK distributor - Invision or something) when I asked them if=20
they could price their H895 =A3239 'show special price' with=20=20
Komplett's =A3159.

This was my first visit to a HA show, as I only got into HA about a=20
year ago.  For me, it wasn't worth the day off work and the petrol=20
expense. I would recommend to any newbies living down south to stick=20
to the forthcoming London one, if they really want to go.=20=20

Aside from the Media Mirror and the chatting to the Webrick guys - I=20
would prefer to stay at home and organise my sock drawer.=20




--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "David Chapman" <david@...> wrote:
>
> I went on Thursday and would agree that although bigger there was=20
nothing=20
> really new in the Smarthomes bit and I felt most of it was way off=20
target.
>=20
> By the nature of the main selfbuild part of the show almost all=20
there would=20
> be practical selfbuilding type people, yes they will use=20
professionals to=20
> help with certain aspects of their builds but almost without=20
exception they=20
> would not be "get a man in" type people -especially as the
HA=20
stuff comes=20
> towards the end of a build when experience is high but when money=20
is tight.
>=20
> The Cedia presentation I sat through was cringing, like something=20
from The=20
> Office - comments like "PCs crash twice a day so buy a
dedicated=20
hard disk=20
> recorder - only =A3600" and the whole attitude of "it's all
to=20
complicated for=20
> you punters, just give us a wheelbarrow full of money and let the=20
grown-ups=20
> do it" did the HA cause no good.
>=20
> I think it needs a bit of a re-focus next year and maybe=20
presentations from=20
> selfbuilders showing what they have done with HA - what has worked=20
and what=20
> hasn't, the real costs, and what they would do next time.
>=20
> Re the stands, I'd really have liked to seen:
>=20
> An expandable wired alarm system that sits below Comfort (which is=20
way to=20
> complicated for most), say at the =A3200 ish level, that allows=20
control and=20
> monitoring from a browser - and remotely via ADSL - with ability=20
to send=20
> text messages maybe via a monitoring centre. The BT Home Monitor=20
is close=20
> but like many others I don't like or trust wireless.
>=20
> Products that are built by pragmatic engineers to solve real=20
problems - like=20
> Kat5 !!
>=20
> A PVR product that is at least as reliable and easy to use as a=20
VCR.
>=20
> And basic lighting automation. Most visitors here are amazed at=20
our ever so=20
> simple PIR outside light that sounds an audio alert in the house=20
and the=20
> fact we can control a dimmer switch with the TV remote (Varilight).
>=20
> David C
>