According to a Crestron press release, their Mobile Pro app has been available for the iPhone since September 22. It’s about time — Crestron has been promising this app since the 2008 CEDIA Expo just over a year ago. As of today, it doesn’t seem that anyone has downloaded or reviewed the app on iTunes — maybe their customers gave up waiting.

Or maybe they were annoyed that after spending thousands of dollars on a Crestron system, they resented having to spend another $100 for a piece of software that costs the company nothing to distribute.

Doubtless, Crestron will sell its fair share of licenses to the Mobile Pro. After all, it does integrate with the entire system, and the ability to access Crestron functionality remotely (over the 3G or Edge networks) is pretty nifty. But if I had already spent top dollar on such a system for my home, I would feel a little underwhelmed. At least they could have offered an interface that fits more naturally with the iPhone. Any Crestron users out there disagree? Anyone? Buelller?

Ben Stein, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", ©1986 Paramount Pictures

]]> http://morecontrol.com/2009/09/crestron-mobile-pro-for-iphone/feed/ 0 http://morecontrol.com/2009/08/prodigy-home-control-not-going-after-control4-market-share/ http://morecontrol.com/2009/08/prodigy-home-control-not-going-after-control4-market-share/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:25:46 +0000 Mo Contro http://morecontrol.com/?p=284
Crestron, maker of the world’s most popular home automation systems, recently announced Prodigy, a new line of residential home control products. Check out the Prodigy slide show for pricing and product details.

The Prodigy home control system is a wireless automation system that uses modular ZigBee-compatible components to manage lighting, heating, distributed A/V and more, explained SlashGear managing editor Chris Davies. Prodigy control interfaces include touchpanels, handheld controllers, wireless keypads, and our favorite: REMOTE ACCESS VIA IPHONE and laptop.

It’s not a big leap to assume that Crestron is introducing this line to compete with more affordable, Wizard-based automation systems, like those made by Control4. At least that’s the word on the street; and by street we mean Remote Central’s Custom Installers’ Lounge Forum.

After reading the gossip on Remote Central, CE Pro editor-at-large Julie Jacobson, reported that Crestron reps are saying the company wants to “wipe Control4 off the planet.” In a follow up article this week, Jacobson said Crestron, “Wants to make it perfectly clear that the company did not launch prodigy to ‘go after’ Control4 or any other low-cost home automation provider.” Riiight…

Crestron will demo Prodigy for the first time at CEDIA EXPO 2009. According to TWICE senior editor Joseph Palencar, some of the items in the Prodigy line will ship in September, while others will ship in November.