Homeowner Doesn’t Skip a Beat with Niles® Speakers Indoors and Outdoors

As a successful businessman, homeowner Gino LaVerghetta knows that using the most reliable, highest quality equipment can be the difference between an enjoyable experience and a frustrating one.  That’s precisely why he chose Niles’® legendary loudspeakers for his new home theater and outdoor audio system, which provide audiophile quality sound whether he’s watching his favorite film or entertaining guests in the backyard.

 

“I’ve been in several homes with indoor/outdoor distributed audio systems, and I was always amazed at the drop in sound quality when we went outside,” LaVerghetta said.  “So I asked Dave Febbraio, owner of Stuctured Home Solutions, LLC, what I should do, and he said Niles’ new GS Garden Speakers were the perfect solution.  He was right!  If I turn the indoor and outdoor speakers on at the same time and then walk outside, it sounds like I’m just stepping into the next room, with music that has the same power, clarity and definition as indoors.  I’m especially impressed with the in-ground subwoofer because it helps deliver the full soundscape of my favorite music without putting a big box in the yard.”

The pros at Structured Home Solutions, LLC built LaVerghetta’s jealousy-inducing home theater sound system with five Niles HD Series LCR in-wall speakers and a Sunfire® HRS8 subwoofer, then continued the audio excellence outdoors with four Niles Garden Series GS4 satellite loudspeakers and a Niles GSS10 in-ground 10-inch subwoofer.  With all the speakers covered by Niles’ industry-leading lifetime limited warranty, LaVerghetta knows that his system will provide years of unparalleled sound both indoors and outdoors.

LaVerghetta’s home also features the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System to make the audio system simple and easy to control.  The g! system allows the whole family to use their iPhones, iPads, Android mobile devices, ELAN in-wall touchscreens and eight ELAN HR2 remotes to control the home’s music, TVs, Lutron® lighting, Aprilaire® HVAC, Jandy® pool and spa controls, ELK® security system and seven Panasonic® PTZ IP surveillance cameras.

According to Febbraio, the project grew exponentially after LaVerghetta saw the quality of Stuctured Home Solutions’ work and recognized the value and potential of a professionally installed home control system.

“After working for Gino for a short time and seeing the quality of the house he was building, I knew he would not settle for anything less from my company or the equipment we installed,” Febbraio said.  “I knew the Niles outdoor set would be a perfect fit for the large space we needed to cover and that he would be happy with the result.  These speakers compliment the 46” Sunbrite TV we installed and comprise the 16th audio zone in the house all controlled by the g! system.  Keeping quality consistent and exceeding the client’s expectations allowed us to expand this project from a simple four-zone audio system to the 16-zone AV control system with fully integrated home automation that it is today.”

When considering the control possibilities, LaVerghetta recognized that in the next five to 10 years most homes of comparable size will have automation systems and extensive AV systems, so he wanted his home to be ahead of the curve.  “There are so many benefits of integrated home technologies, from energy conservation to enhanced security and peace of mind, and of course being able to control it all remotely.  Whatever you invest in the system you absolutely get back through savings in energy, time and hassle.  I love sitting down to dinner with my family and then using my iPhone to turn on some music without getting up from the table.

“The whole system has quickly become an integral part of our home.  For instance, part of my nighttime routine is using the touchscreen in my bedroom to make sure that all the lights are off or dimmed, the alarm is set, the garage is closed and all the TVs and audio systems are off.  And with the ability to dim and set timers for our lights, the kids never have to wander around in the dark to find the bathroom at night.  The system offers so many conveniences that I’m still finding new ways to make my home easier to use every day.”

ELAN Debuts 10" Tabletop and Under-Cabinet Mounted Color LCD Touch Screen Interface

Offering installers and consumers an interface device for every location and application, ELAN® Home Systems today added a new 10” hard-wired tabletop and under-cabinet mounted color LCD touch screen to its award-winning family of user-friendly ELAN g! system interfaces.

According to Joe Lautner, ELAN Product Manager and New Business Development, “The new VL10 Valet provides our custom installation dealers, consumers and commercial customers with a convenient, always-on user interface that is perfect for use in homes, board rooms and bars. It features ELAN’s user-friendly ‘touch and swipe’ design and is an ideal control solution for kitchens and bedside tables, where it can double as a TV thanks to the included analog video input.”

Available for immediate delivery to dealers, The ELAN VL10 Valet features a 16:9 wide screen format, a built-in speaker and microphone for messaging, simple IP connectivity for communication, non-volatile flash memory, quick & easy programming, a screen saver mode that can display photos and it is compatible with all ELAN system controllers.

The g! family of interfaces is ELAN’s breakthrough series of touchscreen devices and applications that put total entertainment and control right at a consumer’s fingertips. No matter what is being controlled – the home, office, restaurant & bar, conference room or classroom — this exciting group of g! interfaces enable users to control everything in a fast, powerful, and most importantly, intuitive way. Each one of ELAN’s tabletop, handheld, mobile and in-wall interfaces has the uniform g! look and feel, creating a consistent user experience that is both familiar and satisfying. Users simply touch one of the fun g! interface icons and have immediate control of their media, lighting, climate, security, video and much more.

In addition to the new VL10 Valet, the ELAN family of interfaces includes the award-winning HR2 handheld remote control that is the ultimate merger of television remote and home control, the TS Series 10”, 7” and 4” Touch Screens and the g! mobile applications for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System also provides interfaces for PCs and On-Screen Displays allowing for entertainment and home control from a television.

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g! Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN Touch Screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

The ELAN VL10 Valet will be showcased Jan. 10–13 at International CES 2012 at The AVC Group’s Hospitality Suite 2876 in the East Tower of the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, as well as Jan. 31–Feb. 2 at ISE Stand 1N73 at The Amsterdam RAI in The Netherlands.

Chicago-Based Systems Integrator Installs World's Largest ELAN g! Home Control System

Chicago-based systems integrator AudioVideo Specialists, LLC has just completed what is believed to be the world’s largest ELAN g! installation in a new 10,000 square foot suburban Chicago home. The homeowners wanted their new house to have all the bells and whistles modern technology could offer, but when they went in search of a home control system they came down with a serious case of sticker-shock. The first systems integrator they spoke with suggested a different control system and gave them a quote of $480,000!

When they went looking for a second opinion, builder Rich Bondarowicz, president of Smart Group, Ltd., recommended Dan Cochenour at AudioVideo Specialists, LLC. Cochenour knows that there is a lot to consider when installing a home control system of this magnitude, from superior functionality and third-party component support, to ease of use and competitive pricing. Using the ELAN g! Home Control System he was able to offer the homeowners a simple-to-use, robust IP-based complete home control solution for a lot less than his competitors.

“This is the largest residential installation we’ve ever done,” said Cochenour, “and it is a glowing showcase of the control muscle that the ELAN g! Home Control System offers. With a system as extensive as this, it’s important that it be easy for the homeowner to operate and adjust. Luckily, the ELAN g! system basically makes whole-home control as simple as adding a contact on your iPhone.”

When all was said and done, the project wound up being the largest ELAN g! installation to date. Every subsystem in the house is integrated with ELAN g! – whole-house audio, video, lighting, HVAC, security, surveillance, motorized window curtains and sheers, irrigation, and even the pool and spa controls. It even includes custom-programmed “Away” and “Home” modes that conveniently set every system in the house to a pre-determined configuration for optimum efficiency and comfort. The ELAN g! system can be accessed through the owner’s three iPhones and two iPads, as well as a multitude of ELAN control interfaces including 12 HR2 remotes, seven TS2 2” in-wall touchpads, two TS7 7” in-wall touch screens and a WT84 8.4” Wireless Tablet with table top cradle.

The house is a media lover’s dream, featuring 11 LG flat panel HDTVs ranging from 32” to 60”, two of which are 3D TVs with LG 3D Blu-ray players and four pairs of 3D glasses each. Many of the TVs are custom-mounted less than an inch off the wall, giving the rooms a clean, uncluttered look. And when they need some fresh air, the family can watch TV year-round in their backyard on a 46” SunBright Outdoor LCD TV, viewable from the pool and spa. Through the ELAN g! system, every TV can access four DirecTV feeds with two DVRs, two networked Sony 400-disc Blu-ray changers and can view eight surveillance cameras located throughout the property.

To complement the ample video system, the house features a total of 54 speakers and seven subwoofers throughout 32 audio zones, including two surround systems, 12 outdoor speakers and two outdoor subwoofers. Each zone can play audio from a dual am/fm tuner, a three terabyte hard drive (enough space for 600,000 songs!), two iPort table-top iPod docking stations located in the kitchen and bar, Pandora internet radio, XM satellite radio, all of the video feeds and the home’s intercom system.

With the push of a button the family room transforms into a complete home theater as a Screen Innovations 106” motorized screen drops from the ceiling and a motorized theater curtain extends across the stairs to block sound from traveling out of the room. The 7.2 surround sound system with in-wall and in-ceiling ELAN and Sunfire speakers and an Optoma HD8600 projector rival the quality of full-scale commercial movie theaters, and trump them in convenience.

Managing a lighting system for a 10,000 square foot house can be challenge, but ELAN g! makes controlling the home’s 80 lighting zones a breeze. The owners can set automatic schedules for indoor and outdoor lighting and check which lights are on from any control interface. There are six motion sensors installed outside the bedrooms and elevator to automatically turn on the hallway lights when they are needed. With a whole-house Vantage lighting system, light switches are replaced by custom-engraved backlit keypads with pre-programmed lighting and entertainment modes. In most of the TV rooms, for instance, hitting the “Media” button on the Vantage keypad turns on the lights, entertainment system and automatically sets it to the correct source.

Security is one of the biggest concerns when living in a home of this size and value, which is why the owners have installed a full-fledged GE security system and surveillance cameras that are accessible and viewable on every TV, iPad and iPhone in the house. The system can also be viewed and controlled from anywhere in the world on an iPhone, iPad or PC using the ELAN g! software, providing the owners with peace of mind when away from home.

According to builder Rich Bondarowicz, the house requires less energy to maintain a comfortable climate than the owners’ former home that was half the size, thanks to ELAN g!’s smart energy monitoring, Energy Star HVAC systems and the inclusion of super-efficient foam insulation in every wall. The house has 18 climate zones controlled with Aprilaire and Tekmar thermostats, which are automated through the ELAN g! Home Control System.

Demonstrating the dedication and skill of Audio Video Specialists, LLC and the flexibility of the ELAN g! Home Control System, Cochenour centralized all the system components in a custom-built temperature-controlled four-rack cabinet. The cabinet features custom TZ locks that are controlled electronically by the g! system, as well as programming that turns on the fans when the cabinet rises above 85 degree Fahrenheit.

The system also includes several custom-programmed features:

• When the doorbell rings, every TV and speaker in use throughout the house pauses and displays the front door camera and intercom.
• The outdoor and landscape lighting turns on at dusk and off at dawn, based on the astronomical clock. If any of the home’s sump pumps or ejector pumps should fail, the ELAN g! Control System sends a text message to the homeowner and builder, allowing them to fix the problem before any damage is caused.
• If any of the equipment racks exceeds a set temperature limit, it will send a text message alert and shut down the AV system for protection.
• If the security alarm is triggered, the coach and porch lights will flash and the pathway lights will turn on until the system is disarmed.
• With an “Away” button, the owners can turn off all lights and AV zones with one touch as they walk out the door, and use the “Home” button to turn on pre-configured zones when they return.

Bondarowicz knows that he needs to keep up with building and technology trends to succeed in today’s homebuilding market, so he discusses home automation systems with all of his customers. “Some of my customers do ask about home automation systems, but I make sure to mention it to everyone, especially if they are unfamiliar with the technology,” he said. “And compared with the other home control systems out there, the ELAN g! system has become a favorite because it offers the best mix of a simple-to-use interface, all-encompassing capabilities and overall affordability.”

Available starting at $1860 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every room appliance. ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Xantech To Mark 40 Years of Innovation And Two Millionth Installation Milestone at InfoComm 2011

Underscoring its commitment to provide commercial and residential dealers and installers with the broadest array of the critically important ‘hidden electronics’ that make other electronics work, Xantech will mark 40 years of innovation, and its two millionth installation milestone, at INFOCOMM 2011 next month with the introduction of a new generation of AV control system solutions at Booth #1255 in the Orlando Convention Center.

“From IR to IP, no other company even comes close to offering the range and depth of control solutions that we do,” asserted Xantech President Graham Hallett. “For 40 years Xantech has worked closely with custom installers and consultants to develop unique insights into the design, integration, and control of a wide variety of AV systems in every conceivable kind of commercial and residential installation. This is why so many designers and installers begin and end every project with Xantech. Put simply, we make everything they need to make everything else work! That’s why, to date, Xantech solutions are featured in more than two million installations worldwide.”

This relentless commitment to innovation will be evident everywhere at Xantech’s INFOCOMM 2011 booth, where the company will showcase, among other solutions, additions to its WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller (pictured right) that integrates numerous Xantech technologies into one versatile system with multiple RS232 ports, IR ports, relays, digital I/Os and two discrete LAN ports. “It’s designed from beginning to end to keep any conference room, classroom, or corporate AV system in full control either on its own or through any web-enabled device,” explained Xantech Director of Business Development Rick Seegull. “And now, with our new Xantech Web Designer Software, integrators can easily create web control pages to be served by the WIC1200 onto iPads, tablets, or any web enabled appliance for seamless control.”

When interfaced with Xantech’s CWTC10 10.4” WiFi touchpanel or their new line of SmartPanel LCD Controllers (or Apple’s new iPad), the WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller can send messages back to the touchpanel allowing for text display, numeric display, volume and indicator bars, ON/OFF indicators and more, for full real-time data display.

Equally innovative is the Xantech ISM4 Intelligent System Manager, which automatically monitors and controls the power states of up to four IR components. “Customers simply have to turn on their display device and the ISM4 does the rest,” Seegull explained. “It powers up each individual component and makes sure they all stay in sync. It features full IR and RS232 for control, monitoring, and sensing audio, video, current, light, voltage, or any heartbeat of any type in a single unit.”

For the residential market, Xantech is also introducing a number of new products. “Xantech has a solution for every level of home control, from the single room home theater, to multi-room flexible control, to whole home automation” Hallett emphasized.

The BDX TT Bluetooth Interface (pictured left) provides a full-fidelity, reliable wireless connection between an A/V system and any handheld Bluetooth A2DP-enabled device such as a smartphone, iPad, PC or tablet — wherever consumers store and manage their music and media.

The DinkyLink DL85K is our most versatile IR control kit and works with all TV’s and lighting up to 80 feet. Unlike other IR repeater systems, it works with plasma, LCD or LED TVs; with compact fluorescent lighting (CFL); with all satellite and digital cable boxes.

The MX88 Multi-Zone Audio/Video Controller (pictured right) is engineered for iPad®, Xantech keypad and Xantech SmartPanel™ LCD touch-screen control. It features a highly efficient 50W x 16-channel/8-zone digital amplifier; a smart auto-sensing universal (100V to 240V) power supply with advanced automation control, and up to 16-Serial ports and 17 selectable IR ports. No dedicated apps needed.

Xantech’s history of innovation is second to none in the industry. Its long list of industry-firsts include the first in-wall infrared receiver module, the first peephole infrared receiver module, the first infrared sender amplifier, the first infrared receiver using surface-mount technology and the first learning in-wall keypad.

New Orleans ELAN Installer Takes Brand New Elan g! Dealer Demo System On The Road To Show Consumers The Power Of Home Automation

Jamie Gannon, owner of New Orleans-based Dynamic Audio Video, is the very first dealer to take delivery of the new ELAN g! Dealer Demo System and he’s not wasting any time getting it in front of consumers. In fact, from March 17-20, 2011, he’s showing it at his home automation booth at the 2011 New Orleans Home and Garden Show, the largest consumer home show in the southeast United States.

“The new ELAN g! Dealer Demo System is a great idea, and it’s going to make it easy for me to show the system to potential buyers,” said Gannon. “Since I started Dynamic Audio Video ten years ago, I’ve been waiting for someone to make a system like ELAN g! It’s affordable enough for anyone to install and expand, and the consistent touch-based user interface makes it easy enough for anyone to use. ELAN made the g! demo system especially affordable for dealers, and I expect it to help me sell the ELAN g! system over and over again. Once a customer actually uses it themselves, they won’t want to live without it.”

The ELAN g! Dealer Demo System, which is being officially introduced to dealers and installers at the March 17-20, 2011 EHX expo in Orlando, Florida, includes a system controller, 7” touch screen, 4” touchpad in a tabletop mount, the brand-new HR2 remote, an amplifier, 2 tabletop Sunfire® speakers, a Panasonic IP camera, all the ELAN g! Pro Apps, and 5 viewer licenses to connect iPhones, iPads and computers. The system includes all the parts necessary to connect the gear and make it work. All the dealer needs to add is a television to demonstrate the On-Screen Display (OSD).

Gannon recently finished his first ELAN g! installation in a new home in Old Metairie, just west of New Orleans. “The family had actually contracted someone else to install a Control4 system, but when I showed them the g! app on the iPad, they ditched the old installer and hired me to install the full g! system. If I can do that with just the app, imagine what I’m going to be able to do with the full demo system!”

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app that users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee Uses ELAN g! To Master 62 TVs With The Touch Of A Button

Brett Babick, David and Mike Gianascoli, and Chris Paphites, the partners of Desert Wings, LLC, can turn on, set up and change the channel on all 62 TVs at once at each of their three Southern California Buffalo Wild Wings locations, and all from an iPod touch with the ELAN g! Control System.  With this innovative system, it doesn’t take a whole team of employees to manage and constantly change the channel on 62 TVs, which was precisely the problem they had in a restaurant they previously owned.

“In the old restaurant, we used a system that we thought gave us top-of-the-line video distribution and control,” recalled Babick.  “All the TVs were physically controlled from a central point, where we had to walk over and manually switch to control a specific TV set, then change the channel for just that set.  In an establishment like Buffalo Wild Wings, we can have up to 70 TVs showing almost a dozen different sporting events, so any time a customer asks us to change the channel it was incredibly inconvenient and time consuming to manually identify and adjust each TV.”

So when they decided to open three new Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Southern California, they turned to Craig Curran at Smart Systems Technologies (SST) to design a fluid, simple-to-operate audio/video system, based on the ELAN g! Control System.  With an innovative interface that is uniform across all platforms, including iPhones, iPads, PCs and even retail POS (point-of-sale) terminals, ELAN g! provides users with incredibly simple control over the entire audio/video system, and can even expand to control lighting and monitor surveillance cameras.

“I came into Brett’s previous restaurant and showed him how we could improve the system and make it much simpler to use and manage,” Curran said. “We agreed that embracing new, better technology in the three new locations would be the best thing for him and his customers, and would remove some of the hassle and headaches.”

“As soon as Craig changed the channel from a handheld device he had, I was sold,” said Babick.  “Now, we have select employees who can access the A/V control system through 10 or more POS terminals and the manager can even control the TVs with an iPod touch we bought for each restaurant! Thanks to the POS integration, we can control the system from more than a dozen spots.  We used to literally use hand signals to relay customer requests, and a manager or I would have to leave the floor.  Now with our new system, the instant a customer asks us to change a TV, it’s done.   Some customers have actually said ‘Wow, how did you do that?’ when they saw us use the iPod.  Now there’s no leaving the restaurant floor, no time wasted.”

Thanks in part to the ELAN g! system, Babick believes that they’ve “got the best Buffalo Wild Wings in the country.”  In fact, one of their locations is ranked one of the company’s top 10 franchises.  In addition to seamless, instant control, they set up the ELAN g! Control System to automatically turn on and set the channel on every TV at 10:30 a.m. before they open, and automatically turn off at midnight when they close. 

One of his favorite features is the ability to display personal marketing messages right on the TVs. “Now we can run a ‘ticker’ on the bottom of any TV we want, just like ESPN does. We use it to promote specials and let customers know what games are coming up, and it really adds a sense of professionalism whenever you see that on the screen,” Babick remarked.

Desert Wings’ Buffalo Wild Wings locations have up to 62 TVs, including up to a dozen 11-foot and one 13-foot HD projection screens and up to 49 HD LCD TVs, most of which are 55” LG sets.  He can show 16 different video feeds at once, combining 10 DirecTVÒ receivers and a DVD player as well as internal marketing programming. The ELAN g! Control System also controls the restaurants’ audio systems, which have up to 30 speakers in six discrete zones, allowing customers to listen to music in one section and the big game’s play-by-play in another.

Curran sees the ELAN g! Control System as one of the best new tools for business owners as well as installers.  “The price point and ability to duplicate installations are making media integration and distribution more available for the mass market,” he remarked.  “And it’s the same with automation.  Not having to custom program subsystems and graphical user interfaces makes it much more attractive and infinitely simpler to use.  You can control everything – security, surveillance, lighting, heating and air conditioning, audio/video systems – right from your PC, iPhone or iPod.  Automation has never been easier, or as affordable.”

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Forward-Thinking Minnesota Builder Now Pre-Wires Every New House For ELAN g! Whole Home Automation

When Rocky DiGiacomo, a forward-thinking Minneapolis home builder, heard about the ELAN® g! Series IP-based Home Control System that can use the iPhone to control every household function, he knew home buyers would love it. Now DiGiacomo is putting his belief into action and pre-wiring every new home he builds with ELAN g! home control technology — leaving it up to the consumer to then decide which functions and which components they want to install in their new home as part of the finishing process.

DiGiacomo, founder of 20-year old DiGiacomo Homes and Renovation, Inc., wanted his houses to include value-added features to differentiate them from the competition, and he found one solution – ELAN g! He believes the ELAN g! system is going to help him sell a new $1.3 million house in Golden Valley, Minnesota. This is his first ELAN g! system installation, and he integrated 6-zone independent and simultaneous audio/video sourcing into 9 rooms, energy management control, and pre-wired for the home’s security system and surveillance cameras.

Well aware of the iPhone’s massive popularity, he believes that the ELAN g! iPhone app is a way to make home control simple and intuitive. The ELAN g! app is also available on internet-connected iPads, laptops, and PCs, providing complete home control from anywhere in the world.

“We’ve seen the success of the iPhone, and believe that with it, we can make home control attractive and accessible to anyone,” said DiGiacomo. “The ELAN g! app is simple enough for anyone to use, and can even do some things on its own, such as when you pull in the driveway, it can automatically open the garage door and turn off the security system. You don’t even have to hit a button. And you can monitor security cameras and control climate settings from anywhere in the world.”

When DiGiacomo heard about ELAN g! he turned to J.J. Vanderson & Co., a dealer that has been selling ELAN systems for more than 15 years, for a demo. Owner Jay Vandermyde asserts that people who want home control want all the features that ELAN g! offers, including web-streaming music and audio/video distribution. And he tells builders that with remote lighting and heating controls, the ELAN g! System even helps homeowners save on energy costs and makes homes more eco-friendly.

“In today’s crowded marketplace, builders need to make their properties stand out from the competition,” said Vandermyde. “ELAN g! is great because the consumer can expand the system as their needs and wants change. It’s easy to sell, easy to demo, and easy to install and maintain, which limits or eliminates service calls.”

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touch pads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Individual apps for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.