New Lighting Control & Internet Radio System Launched By Control4

Launched at the Integrated Systems Europe tradeshow, the US Company plans to roll out a new TuneIn Internet radio service for all Control4 home-automation systems running OS 2.4.

The service allows users of the company’s systems to get access to more than 70,000 traditional and internet-only radio stations from around the world as well as millions of on-demand podcasts, concerts and interviews.

Individual zones will be able to play back different stations simultaneously, or the same station can be streamed simultaneously to all zones.

Control4’s user interface shows the station and show listings, and filters available choices based on genre, location and language.

Previously, the company’s automation systems accessed the Rhapsody and Napster streaming services.

Click to enlarge

The Company is also launching a $300 Wireless Music Bridge that incorporates an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, DLNA networking, and stereo Bluetooth to turn smartphones, tablets and networked PCs into sources that can stream music throughout the house. The Bridge streams music from Wi-Fi-connected mobile devices, but mobile devices can also stream to the system via stereo Bluetooth.

The mobile devices and PCs can stream stored music as well as Internet music services such as Pandora through the multi-room audio system.

Each Bridge has only one audio output, either analogue or digital S/PDIF, so multiple Bridges are needed if users want to stream music from multiple mobile devices and PCs at a time.

In launching a lighting-control system with centralised panel, the company noted that new-home construction and major remodeling spending is on the rise.

The system controls dimmable fluorescent, compact fluorescent and LED lights, as well as legacy lighting technologies such as incandescent, halogen, and low-voltage lighting.

In-wall keypads that connect to the centralized panel are configurable with anywhere from two to seven buttons. Each button can be programmed to control lighting or other systems controlled by a Control4 automation system.

The IP-based lighting-control system can be scaled up from single rooms to hotels, and because it’s made by Control4, integration with one of the company’s home-automation systems is simplified, the company said.

The system is the company’s first to control 120-volt residential lighting and 277-volt commercial-lighting systems.